□邱世才
“It’s...to...”不定式句型作主語“面面觀”
□邱世才
動詞不定式作主語是不定式的重要用法之一。其實,不定式作主語時,可以直接放在主語位置上,但更為常見的是用先行詞it作形式主語,而將真正的主語(不定式)置于句末,構成It’s...to...的常見句型。這不,歸納梳理出來好的句子早已排列好,等待你的“檢閱”。
【句型1】To do...is....
展示:To speak a foreign language well is difficult.說好一門外語是困難的。
To give is better than to receive.給予比接受好。
鏈接:在英語中,不定式作主語是常見的句型。不定式作主語通常位于句首。
動詞不定式在句子中作主語時,謂語動詞用單數(shù)。有時為了保持句子的平衡,常用先行詞it作形式主語放在句首,將真正的主語(不定式)置于句末。
【句型2】It is+名詞(形容詞)+to do sth.
展示:It’s my duty to help you.幫助你是我的職責。
It is necessary to remember enough words.記住足夠多的單詞是有必要的。
鏈接:由于不定式短語作主語位于句首,使句子顯得頭重腳輕,故常用先行詞it作形式主語,代替動詞不定式,而將作主語的不定式放在后面。這種結構多體現(xiàn)在不定式作主語,而謂語部分是系表結構時。It is+形容詞+to do sth.,表示“做某事……”,此類句型可改為“To do sth.is+adj.”結構。請比較句型間的互換:
It’s better to give than to receive./To give is better than to re?ceive.給予比接受好。
It will be impossible to beat him./To beat him will be impossible.要打敗他將是不可能的。
【句型3】It is+形容詞+of sb.(for sb.)+to do sth.
展示:It’s nice of you to help me with my English.你能幫我學英語,真好。
It’s very dangerous for the children to cross the busy street.對孩子們來說穿過繁忙的街道是很危險的。
鏈接:當句中的形容詞是一些能表示某人的性格特征的形容詞,描述不定式行為者的性格、品質時,如:good,kind,nice,right,wrong,foolish, polite等,用of sb.,如果說形容詞僅僅是描述事物,不是對不定式行為者的品格進行評價,如difficult,easy,hard,important,dangerous,possible,im?possible,用for sb.,引出不定式的邏輯主語。在of sb.結構中,可用sb直接作句子的主語來轉換“It’s+形容詞+of sb.+to do sth.”結構。如:
It’s foolish of him to go alone./He was foolish to go alone.他單獨出去太蠢了。
然而,“It is+形容詞+...for sb.+do sth”結構則不能轉換成用sb.直接作句子的主語來改寫。
【句型4】It takes/took/will take sb.some(money)+to do sth.
展示:It will take us a long time to walk there.步行去那里要花費我們很能長時間。
鏈接:It takes/took/will take sb.+time/money+to do sth.意為“花費某人多長時間做某事”,此句型可轉換為:Sb.spends/spent/will spend+ time/money(in)doing/on sth.如:
It took me a week to finish reading the book./I spent a week in reading the book.
【句型5】疑問詞(how,what,when,where,which)+to do sth...
展示:How to use the computer is the question.如何使用計算機是個問題。
鏈接:動詞不定式與疑問詞how,where,when等連用構成動詞不定式短語,可用作主語。“疑問詞+不定式”結構中的疑問詞,包括了疑問代詞who,what,which以及疑問副詞when,where,how等,這些疑問詞和不定式一起構成了不定式短語。在句子中,這些不定式短語,除了可用作主語外,還可用作表語、賓語(作動詞賓語、作介詞賓語)、賓補等成分。
“疑問詞+不定式”結構和賓語從句是兩個重要的語法項目。它們看似獨立、毫無聯(lián)系,實際上,帶疑問詞的動詞不定式還真能與賓語從句相互“嫁接”。在句型轉換中,“嫁接”是有條件的。如:
(1)當賓語從句的主語和主句的主語是同一類人或物,且主句的謂語動詞是decide,hope,wish,agree,choose,promise等時,可以將賓語從句中的主語刪去,將謂語動詞改為“to+動詞原形”(有助動詞的,將助動詞一并去掉),最后變成“疑問詞+動詞不定式”結構。如:
They can’t decide when they should leave school./They can’t de?cide when to leave school.
We hope that we shall see you soon./We hope to see you soon.
(2)當主句的謂語動詞是ask,show,tell,teach時,賓語從句的主語和間接賓語一致時,而且引導該從句的從屬連詞是which,what,how,where等,賓語從句可與“疑問詞+不定式”結構相互轉換。如:
Please tell me where I can find him./Please tell me where to find him.
Could you tell me how I can get to the post office?/Could you tell me how to get to the post office?
(3)當主句由know,remember,forget,learn等謂語動詞引導賓語從句時,從句可與“疑問詞+不定式”結構相“嫁接”。此時,主、從句的主語須一致。如:
I really don’t know what I should do next./I really don’t know what to do next.
They forgot what they should do next./They forgot what to do next.【同步訓練】同義句型轉換,每空填寫一詞。
1.It’s kind of you give me the dictionary.
Yougive me the dictionary.
2.It made us very angry to hear him talk like that.
________ ________ ________talk like that made us very angry.
3.To finish the work in two hours is impossible.
________ ________ ________finish the work in two hours.
參考答案:1.are kind to2.To hear him3.It’s impossible to