系动词,亦称连系动词(Link Verb)。
它本身有词义,但不能单独用作谓语,后边必须跟表语,亦称补语(大多是形容词),构成系表结构,说明主语的状况、性质、特征等情况。
例如:He felt ill yesterday. 他昨天病了。(feel是系动词,ill是补足语,说明主语情况。)
注意:有些系动词又是实义动词,该动词表达实义时,有词义,可单独作谓语。
基本用法:
一、系动词后接不定式
1、be
My dream is to be a scientist. 我的梦想是当一名科学家。
All you have to do is to listen. 你只需要听。
2、seem,appear,prove, turn out, grow
The man seemed to be ill. 这个人好像病了。
The plan proved to be useful. 这个计划证明是有用的。
He appears to know this. 他好像知道这一点。
The weather turned out to be fine. 天气结果很好。
He has grown to like studying English. 他渐渐喜欢学英语了。
二、分类
1、状态系动词
可用来表示主语性质或状态,只有be一词,例如:
He is a teacher. 他是一名教师。(表示主语的身份--性质)
He is ill. 他病了。(表示主语的状态)
2、持续系动词
用来表示主语继续或保持一种状况或态度,主要有keep, rest, remain, stay, lie, stand, 例如:
He always kept silent at meeting. 他开会时总保持沉默。
This matter rests a mystery. 此事仍是一个谜。
3、表像系动词
用来表示"看起来像"这一概念,主要有seem, appear, look, 例如:
He looks tired. 他看起来很累。
He seems (to be) very sad. 他看起来很伤心。
4、感官系动词
感官系动词主要有feel, smell, sound, taste, 例如:
This kind of cloth feels very soft. 这种布手感很软。
This flower smells very sweet. 这朵花闻起来很香。
5、变化系动词
这些系动词表示主语变成什么样,变化系动词主要有become, grow, turn, fall, get, go, come, run.例如:
He became mad after that. 自那之后,他疯了。
She grew rich within a short time. 她没多长时间就富了。
6、终止系动词
表示主语已终止动作,主要有prove, turn out, 表达"证实","变成"之意,例如:
The rumor proved false. 这谣言证实有假。
The search proved difficult. 搜查证实很难。
His plan turned out a success. 他的计划终于成功了。(turn out表终止性结果)
三、注意事项
1、be是最重要的系动词,主语不同,be的形式也不同,且有时态的变化。
(1)特别要注意“由be+过去分词”所构成的系表结构与“由be+过去分词”所构成的被动语态的区别。
前者侧重于表示主语的特征或所处的状态,通常没有由by引导的介词短语。如:
The door was closed.
后者侧重于强调主语是谓语动词所示动作的承受者,表示动作;句中可以用由by引导的介词短语。如:
The door was closed by me.
(2)还要注意“由be+ V-ing所构成的系表结构与“由be+ V-ing”所构成的进行时态的区别。
前者侧重于说明主语具有的特征或存在的状态,也可说明主语是什么。如:
My job is teaching English.
后者侧重于强调主语正在做某事。如:
Mr Wang is reading an evening paper now.
2、要注意由行为动词转化成的系动词。
(1)表示人体感官的系动词有:sound,taste,look,feel,smell等,后面接形容词;
(2)表示主语从一种状态转变到另一种状态的系动词有:
become,get,go,turn,run,grow,come,fall,prove等,后面接形容词、名词或 to be+形容词。
其中,become后面接单数名词时,名词前要用不定冠词,turn后面接单数名词时,名词前不用不定冠词,如:
He becomes a pig. 他变成了一只猪。(后面作表语的名词前要加a或an)
He turns pig. 他变成了一只猪。(turn后跟可数名词单数要去掉a(n)。)
(3)表示主语继续或保持某种身份、特征或状态的系动词有:
continue,keep,remain,stay,stand lie,rest,stay等,后面接表示状态的形容词;
(4)表示判断的系动词有seem和appear,后面接形容词、to be+名词或形容词、that子句、不定式等。
3、要注意系动词的固定搭配。
常见的有come true, fall asleep, fall ill, go bad, come right, run wild, wear thin, turn nasty等。
4、要特别注意某些动词既可以做系动词,又可以做实意动词的用法。
系动词部分主要注意:其后要求接形容词,而不是副词做表语。
以taste一词为例:
The newly-invented soft drinking tastes quite unique.
(这种新研制的软饮料尝起来挺独特的。注意:在这句话里,taste做系动词,不能使用进行时,后面接形容词。)
The chef is tasting the fish carefully.
(厨师长正在品尝这道鱼。注意:在这句话中,taste做实意动词,可以使用进行时,并且后面接副词做状语。)
四、系动词用法应注意的七个问题
1、系动词的进行时态应分情况讨论。
(1) 一般地说,状态系动词无进行时态,而动态系动词有进行时态。
但是在某些情况下,状态系动词也有进行时态,表示两个用途:
一是表示一种短暂的、反常的状态。
He is being kind. 他装出和蔼可亲的样子(一时而不能持久的性质)
二是表示一种探询口气,使语言客气、生动、亲切。例如:
I hope you are keeping well.(语气委婉) 我希望你保持健康。
Are you feeling any better?(语气亲切) 你感觉好了些吗?
(2)试比较
Your hand feels cold.(无意识的静态性质。)
你的手摸起来冰凉。
不可以说:
Your hand is feeling cold.(×)
但可以说:
The doctor is feeling her pulse. (有意识的动态动作)
医生正在给她拿脉。
The soup tastes good.(静态性质,无进行时)
这汤的味道不错。
The cook is tasting the soup.(动态动作,有进行时)
厨师在尝汤的味道。
(3)总之,系动词有无进行时态应随系动词的意义或其语境变化而变化。例如smell的用法可见一斑:
①smell作“嗅觉”的能力时,虽是实义动词,但指的是一种性质的存在状态不能用于进行时态,
常与can, could, be able to连用。
The camels can smell the water a mile off.
骆驼能嗅出一英里外有水。
②指“嗅、闻”的动作时,实义动词,可用于进行时态。
The girl is smelling the flower.
这姑娘正在闻那朵花。
③smell指“含有……气味”,“发出……气味”等事物性质时,半系动词,无进行时态。
The dinner smells good.
这饭菜闻起来真香。
2、系动词的时态与形容词的比较级连用的问题。
某些含有变化意义的动态系动词如get, become, grow, turn等的进行时态可与形容词的比较级连用,
表示渐进过程,其意思是“越来越……”。例如:
He is growing taller and taller.
他长得越来越高了。
Our life is getting better and better.
我们的生活是越来越好了。
The things are getting worse.
情况是越来越糟了。
3、所有半系动词的被动语态要分情况讨论。
英语中某动词在作系动词用时,无被动语态,而作实义动词用时,才有被动语态,二者不可混为一谈。例如:
不能说:
The apple is tasted good.
(因为taste此时是系动词,“尝起来”之意,指的是苹果的性质,无被动语态)
但我们可以说:
The apple is tasted by me.
这苹果被我尝了一下。(taste此时指“尝一尝”这一动作,有被动语态)
所以,平时要注意半系动词在具体的语言环境中到底是系动词用法还是实义动词用法。
4、瞬间动态系动词能否与时间段连用的问题
英语中某些表示瞬间意义的系动词不能与“for+时间段,since+时间点,how long until+时间,
by + 时间,so far”等直接连用。例如:
①不能说:He has become a teacher for 2 years.
应改为:He has been a teacher for 2 years.
②不能说:He has turned writer since 3 years ago.
应改为:He has been a write since 3 years ago.
或It is two years since he turned writer.
③不能说:He got angry until his child came back home.
应改为:He didn’t get angry until his child came back home.
5、系动词能接几种表语(从句)
系动词除了接adj.\n.\prep.短语,某些adv.以外,还可接以下几种表语形式:
①能接as if/as though表语从句的系动词有: look(看起来),smell(闻起来),sound(听起来),
feel(觉得);appear(显得),seem(似乎)。例如:
It looks as if we are going to have snow.
看样子天要下雪了。
He looked as if he had just stepped out of my book of fairy tales.
他看来好像刚从我的童话故事中走出来似的。
She seemed as if (though) she couldn’t understand why Laura was there.
看来她好像不能理解为什么劳拉呆在那儿。
It sounds to me as though there’s a tap running somewhere.
我好像听到某处水龙头流水的声音。
She felt as if her head were splitting.
她仿佛觉得她的头要裂开了。
The river appeared as if enveloped in smog.
那条河好像笼罩在烟雾之中。
It seems as if it were spring already.
好像已是春天了。
②可用于“It+系动词+that从句”结构的有:seem, appear, 不可用be, look。如:
It seemed that he had made some serious mistakes in his work.
好像他在工作中犯了严重错误。
It appeared that he was talking to himself.
好像他在自言自语。
③能用不定式作表语的系动词有:be, seem, get, look, appear, prove, grow.
Her job is to look after the children.
她的工作是照料孩子们。
He seems not to be her father.
他好像不是她的父亲。
He looks to be a young girl of twenty.
他看起来像是一个20岁的年轻姑娘。
He didn’t appear to dislike it.
看不出他憎恨此事。
My advice proved to be wrong.
我的建议证明是错误的。
He will grow to like this work gradually.
他会逐渐喜欢这个工作的。
④能与there连用的系动词有:be, appear, seem.
There appeared to be only one room.
那儿好像只有一个房间。
There seems(to be)no need to go.
似乎没有必要走。
6、能用两种否定形式的系动词有两个:seem,appear。
举例说明:
It doesn’t seem that we can get our money back.
= It seems that we can’t get our money back.
He seems not to be her father.
= He doesn’t seem to be her father.
The baby doesn’t appear to be awake.
= The baby appears not to be awake.
7、后接作表语的过去分词可构成系表结构。
常用的有两个:第一个是常见的be(is, am, was等),第二个是get。
Get + P.P.系表结构常用于以下两种情况:
(1)表示偶然的、突发性的、意想不到的被动动作的结果或状态。
Last night I got caught in the downpour.
昨夜我被雨淋了(表示意想不到)
The new car got scratched.
新车给刮坏了。(表突发性)
(2)表示对自身所作的事。如get dressed, get lost等。
John got injured while playing football last Saturday.
约翰上周星期六踢足球时受了伤。
They got married last month.
他们上个月结婚了。