有不少学生对英语里的定语和补足语不能加以区分。要解决这个问题,首先要弄懂定语和补足语这两个概念以及能充当定语和补足语的有哪些词或形式。
所谓定语,是用来修饰或限制名词或代词的部分,英语中的定语有前置定语和后置定语之分。能作前置定语的有名词、名词所有格、形容词、数词、某些代词、冠词、动名词、分词,能作后置定语的有形容词(位于复合不定代词之后)、形容词短语、某些副词(主要是地点副词)、介词短语、动词不定式或动词不定式短语、分词或分词短语、定语从句。
所谓补足语,是对主语或宾语进行补充说明的部分,有主语补足语和宾语补足语之分。我们先看宾语补足语,宾语补足语是放在宾语之后,对宾语进行补充说明,说明宾语的身份、状态、特征或动作,宾语和宾补合起来一起构成复合宾语。能作宾补的有名词、形容词、地点副词、介词短语、动词不定式或动词不定式短语、分词或分词短语。而把含有宾语补足语的句子改为被动语态时,这个宾语补足语就变成主语补足语。如He asked me to go shopping with him yesterday.里面的to go shopping with him就是宾语补足语,把这个句子改为被动语态,变成I was asked to go shopping with him (by him) yesterday。里面的to go shopping with him就变成主语补足语了。
学生容易搞混的是后置定语和宾语补足语,对比一下能作后置定语和宾语补足语的词或形式,相同的有形容词或形容词短语、地点副词、介词短语、动词不定式或动词不定式短语、分词或分词短语。
在理解句子时,应怎样判断是后置定语还是宾语补足语呢?我认为,只要抓住两个关键点,就能轻松区分。
第一个关键点,记住哪些动词可带宾语补足语。
一、名词或名词短语作宾补
在call, name , make , wish , consider , find , keep , choose 等动词后面可带名词或名词短语作宾补。
1.We consider him a strange person.
2.I wish you a happy new year.
关于名词或名词短语作宾补,学生一般不会把它误认为是后置定语,但有可能把它误认为是双宾语。
二、形容词或形容词短语作宾补,在表示心理活动的动词如consider, think, believe, discover, find,feel, imagine, judge, suppose, prove等和表示“使、让、保持”意思的make,keep后面接宾语后可带形容词或形容词短语作宾补。
1.That thing made me angry.
2.We must keep the classroom clean every day.
3.I consider that thing impossible.
4.I think him wrong.
5.My brother finds learning English difficult.
6.He found it difficult to get to sleep last night.(it作形式宾语)
7.Friends like you make it a lot easier to get along in a new place.(it作形式宾语)
三、地点副词或介词短语作宾补,在感觉动词或表示“使、让、保持”意思的let, make,keep后面接宾语后可带地点副词或介词短语作宾补。如:
1.Let him in/out. 让他进来/出去。
2.The boss kept me here all day.
3.I saw the lifts up and down.
4.I find her in good health.
四、动词不定式或动词不定式短语作宾补, 在表示情感、使役或感觉的动词后可用动词不定式或动词不定式短语作宾语补足语。
一)带不省略“to”的不定式作宾补,这样的动词有:love, like, prefer, hate, want, would like, wish, expect, wait for, invite, welcome, teach, get, advise, allow, order, warn, encourage, cause等。
二)带省略“to” 的不定式作宾补,这样的动词有:三个使役动词let ,make, have, 和八个感觉动词notice, find (discover), look at, see, watch, listen to, hear, feel(“注意”“发现”三“看”二“听”一“觉得”)。还有一个help,带不定式作宾补时既可以省略“to”,也可以不省略“to”。
1.I expect you to go with me.
2.The teacher encouraged the boy to catch up with others.
3.I often hear her sing this song.
五、分词或分词短语作宾补,在感觉动词或一些其它动词如notice, find (discover), look at, see, watch, listen to, hear, feel ,keep , have , catch , smell 等后面可带现在分词或现在分词短语作宾补。如:
1.Can you hear someone playing the piano next door?
2.Why did you keep me waiting so long?
3.I feel my heart beating fast.
在have ,get , make , find, feel , see , watch , hear , think 等动词后面可用过去分词或过去分词短语作宾补。如:
1.I couldn't make myself heard by all the listeners.
2.Teenagers shouldn’t be allowed to get their ears pierced.
3.I will have my TV set repaired tomorrow.
4.Can you make yourself understood in the USA?
第二个关键点,分析句子的意思。
可试着去掉作宾语的名词(名词短语)或代词后面的部分,看看句子意思是否完整、是否通顺。如果去掉后面的形容词或形容词短语、地点副词、介词短语、不定式或不定式短语、现在分词或现在分词短语、过去分词或过去分词短语,句子意思不完整、不通顺,那么就是作宾补。如果去掉形容词或形容词短语、地点副词、介词短语、不定式或不定式短语、现在分词或现在分词短语、过去分词或过去分词短语,句子意思还是通顺、完整的,这时应该是作后置定语。
我们来分析一下下面这些句子
1.I have a dictionary different from yours.
去掉形容词短语different from yours,句子变成I have a dictionary,句子意思还是通顺的,完整的。如果去掉形容词或形容词短语,句子意思还是通顺、完整的,这时的形容词应该是作后置定语。
2.I don’t like the weather here.
3.I can’t forget the people there.
4.Please take away the things on the desk.
在上面这三句中的地点副词或介词短语here/there/on the desk去掉时,句子意思还是通顺、完整的,因此应该理解为作后置定语,对前面的名词加以修饰限定,这时不能理解为作宾补或状语。
5.I have a lot of homework to do this evening.
6.There aren’t enough people to pick apples.
7.Pandas have less and less land to live on.
8.There is no need to think.
去掉后面的不定式或不定式短语,句子意思还是通顺的,因此不定式或不定式短语作后置定语。
9.There is a dog running on the road.
10.Look at the man standing under the tree .
去掉名词后面的现在分词或现在分词短语,句子意思还是通顺的,因此现在分词或现在分词短语作后置定语。
11.I live in a village called Gum Tree.
12.Have you returned the book borrowed from the library?
在11、12句中,去掉过去分词(短语),意思保持完整,就可以判断作后置定语。
综上所述,区分英语里的后置定语和宾语补足语,主要有两个方法: 一个是根据与前面动词的搭配; 另一个是根据句子意思,采用删减法,进行判断。