60 動名詞復(fù)合結(jié)構(gòu)與現(xiàn)在分詞短語的區(qū)別 Track58
這兩者之間的區(qū)別很多人不曾注意到。我們先看看這兩種結(jié)構(gòu)在形式上的相似性?,F(xiàn)在分詞短語通常是“名詞+ doing”。前文說過,動名詞復(fù)合結(jié)構(gòu)通常由“所有格名詞+ doing”構(gòu)成,但在實際情況中,也經(jīng)常見到用名詞的普通格代替所有格來構(gòu)成復(fù)合結(jié)構(gòu),因此,在形式上也是“名詞+ doing”。
a. Children objecting to their parents' remarrying has become a common social problem.
孩子們反對他們父母再婚已成為一個普遍的社會問題。
這個句子原本應(yīng)該是:
Children's objecting to their parents' remarrying has become a common social problem.
或進(jìn)一步改成主語從句:
That children object to their parents' remarrying has become a common social problem.
所以,a句主語應(yīng)該是children objecting to their parents' remarrying這一動名詞復(fù)合結(jié)構(gòu),并不是children這一復(fù)數(shù)名詞。短語作主語時謂語動詞要用單數(shù),因此句中謂語用了has become而不是have become。該句不能改成一個定語從句的形式:Children that object to...*
我們再分析下面這一句:
b. The children objecting to this plan stand on the right please.
反對這個計劃的孩子請站到右邊來。
這句話相當(dāng)于:
The children that object to this plan stand on the right please.
所以,b句中的主語是the children,objecting to this plan是一個現(xiàn)在分詞短語,用來作定語修飾the children,相當(dāng)于一個定語從句的作用。主語是復(fù)數(shù)形式,所以謂語動詞用stand,而不是stands。該句不能改成一個名詞從句的形式“ That the children object to this plan stands on the right.*”。
我們再看一個分詞短語作狀語的例子:
c. So many directors being absent , the board meeting had to be put off. 由于很多董事缺席,董事會只好延期。
這里的so many directors being absent是用作狀語來說明原因的,原句相當(dāng)于“ As so many directors were absent , the board meeting had to be put off.”。因此-ing形式在這里只能是現(xiàn)在分詞短語,因為動名詞不能作狀語。
根據(jù)以上分析我們得知,形式上相同的“名詞+ doing”在本質(zhì)上是不同的:動名詞復(fù)合結(jié)構(gòu)要改成一個名詞從句;而現(xiàn)在分詞短語要改成一個定語從句或狀語從句。據(jù)此,我們就可以將二者區(qū)分開來。