英语be动词后面究竟可以接什么?相信这是很多英语学习者经常有的疑问。
be动词确实是英语里面最简单的动词了。但这个动词却与其他动词与众不同,其后可以接的东西主要包含如下几类:
一、be动词的初级用法
be 名词短语- My mother is a teacher. 我妈妈是个老师
- Bill Clinton was the president of the US. 比尔·克林顿曾经是美国总统
- This soup is very tasty. 这个汤真好喝
- The children were good. 这些小孩挺不错的
- John is from Manchester. 约翰来自于曼彻斯特
- The flowers are on the table. 花在桌上
- The winner is him. 获胜者是他
二、be动词的中级用法
be 动词的现在分词:表示正在进行- We were walking down the street. 我们正在大街上行走
- He is writing a letter. 他正在写信
- The house was built in 1890. 这座房子被建于1890年
- The street is called Chang'an Street. 这条街被叫长安街
- This car was made in Japan. 这两车被产于日本
三、be动词的高级用法
be that 句子- The problem was that I had no money. 问题是我没钱
- The obvious explanation is that he simply forgot. 原因显然是他忘记了
- The danger is that the whole thing might catch fire. 危险是 整个东西可能着火
- The lucky thing is that nobody was hurt. 幸运的是每人受伤
当然,这种用法下,be动词前面的名词大多为下面的名词:
- answer
- argument
- assertion
- belief
- claim
- explanation
- feeling
- hope
- idea
- rule
- thing
- The only way is to start all over again. 唯一的方法就是重新来过
- His answer is to work a bit harder. 他的回答就是更努力的工作
- Her only hope was to find a new job as soon as possible. 唯一的希望就是尽快找到一份新工作
- The easiest thing would be to ask your father. 最简单的事情就是去问你爸
在这种用发下,be动词前面的名词一般如下:
- answer
- decision
- hope
- idea
- intention
- promise
- thing
- way
- wish
四、由be动词过渡到系动词(link verb)
系动词的定义系动词(link verb)的定义:后面可以接“名词短语”或“形容词短语”的动词
按照上面的定义,be动词明显属于系动词。
事实上,系动词的英文名称为link verb,意思是“起到连接作用的动词”。
- She was a good friend. 她是个好朋友
- He seemed angry. 他似乎很生气
- He became a teacher. 他成为了一名教师
在上面的三个例句中,黑体的动词都是link verb。 他们的作用就是连接主语和后面的表语。
- She(主语) was a good friend(表语). 她是个好朋友
- He (主语) seemed angry(表语) . 他似乎很生气
- He(主语) became a teacher(表语) . 他成为了一名教师
所以系动词后面的内容就是表语,而表语的作用就是对主语进行补充说明。
基于以上分析,我们可以做如下结论:
任何动词,在被替换成be动词后,如果语法上依然成立,意思上变化不大,那么这个动词就是系动词,即Link verb
- She was a good friend.
- He seemed angry. (=He was angry.)
- He became a teacher. (=He was a teacher.)
常见的系动词有:
- be
- become
- appear
- feel
- look
- remain
- seem
- sound
例如:
- She seemed an intelligent woman. (名词短语:一个聪明的女人)
- She seemed intelligent. (形容词)
- He looked hungry. (形容词)
- He looked a good player.(名词)
当然,在appear 和 seem后面,通常会额外添加 to be.
- She appeared to be an intelligent woman. (注意,没有 to be也正确)
- He seemed to be angry.
下面的系动词,通常后面只接形容词短语
- get 变化
- go 变化
- grow 成长
- taste 尝
- smell 闻
例如:
- He got hungry in the evening.
- She grew stronger every day.