隨著您的英語水平提升到能夠用英語表達複雜概念的程度,您經常需要用到多於一個英語動詞造句。在英語中可以透過兩種方法來構建這類句子:
- 使用動名詞 (以 -ing 結尾的動詞)
- 使用不定式 (動詞 + to)。
不過,您又該如何判斷要使用哪種動詞呢?我們會在這篇網誌分別探討帶有 to 和 -ing 的英語動詞。
英語動詞往往令人感到迷惘,即使是有經驗的學生也有無所適從的時候,所以無需擔心。亦正因如此,成人英語課程將大派用場。您可以向教師提問,並即時獲得解答。與此同時,您還可以練習英語會話,並從同學身上學習。成人英語課程請見此處
何時使用英語動名詞、何時使用不定式動詞?
Do you enjoy learning English?
Do you want to improve your English level?
請注意:每個例句都包含兩個英語動詞。
Sentence 1: enjoy, learn.
Sentence 2: want, improve.
句子中出現的第一個動詞,決定了第二個動詞連接的是 -ing 還是 to。
在英語中,動詞 enjoy 後面總是跟著動詞 + -ing。動詞 want 後面總是跟著動詞 + to。
使用連接 -ing 的英語動詞有哪些語法規則?
為甚麼有些英語動詞後面會使用動名詞,有些則使用不定式動詞?最簡單的答案是:沒有人知道,英語演變而成的用法就是如此。
一本好的英文語法參考書會列出一大串連接動名詞的英語動詞和連接不定式的動詞,而您可以做的,就只有熟讀這類清單。多加聆聽英語會話,同時留意動詞在對話中的常見用法,亦有所幫助。這又是另一個報讀成人英語會話課程的充分理由。
為方便起見,以下是涵蓋常見英語動詞和範例的實用清單:
後面連接不定式 + 的常見英語動詞 to
afford |
She can’t afford to buy a new computer now, so she’s borrowed mine. |
agree |
Do you agree to follow the rules? |
decide |
I’ve decided to move out of the city |
forget |
Don’t forget to lock the door when you leave! |
help |
Can you help to carry this bag, please? |
hope |
I hope to be back before 10pm tonight |
learn |
Joi learnt to speak English when he was five. |
need |
Do you need to go to the bank?There’s one there. |
offer |
Dan offered to take me home |
plan |
We plan to visit New York next summer. |
pretend |
Lola was pretending to be asleep. |
promise |
Do they promise to come to the party? |
seem |
He seems to like his new school |
want |
He doesn’t want to go to his piano class |
Would like |
I’d really like to visit Spain. |
後面連接動名詞 -ing 的常見英語動詞:
enjoy |
I enjoy going to the cinema. |
finish |
I finished studying and then went to the pub. |
imagine |
Can you imagine living in that palace? |
mind |
Do you mind helping me with this bag? |
Spend (time) |
She spends a lot of time uploading photos to the internet. |
suggest |
She suggests going to bed an hour earlier. |
avoid |
I’d avoid going that way -- there’s traffic jam! |
請注意:連接不定式的動詞數量比動名詞多。因此,在不肯定的情況下,嘗試使用不定式未嘗不是好辦法。
如何用英語動詞組成否定句
組成否定詞時,我們會在動名詞或不定式前加入 ‘not’:
例如:
I don’t mind not going to the beach today -- we can go tomorrow.
I learnt to not always believe what I see on the internet.
基本上,您可以做的只有記住哪些動詞能配搭使用。不過,您亦可以學習一些實用的規則,幫助自己使用正確的英語動詞。
務必使用英語動名詞 (動詞 + -ing) 的情況:
-
在英語介詞和短語動詞後面:
She’s interested in learning more.
He took up running and now he is training for a marathon.
- 當英語動詞是句子的主語時:
Learning to read can take a long time.
Doing yoga is good for your health.
務必使用英文不定式的情況:
- 表達目的或說明您做某件事的原因:
例如:
I’m learning English to get a better job.
She’s wearing a suit to make a good first impression.
-
在形容詞或修飾語後面:
It’s difficult to understand why people behave that way.
It’s lovely to be by the sea in summer.
英語動詞的例外情況和變體
表示喜好和厭惡的動詞後面可以連接動名詞或不定式,但含義會稍有不同。
I like going to the cinema whenever I can.(我享受看電影這件事)
I like to go to the cinema once a month.(這個習慣對我來說很重要)
I love eating sushi (我享受吃壽司這件事)
I love to eat sushi with a cold lemonade.(我喜歡以這個特殊的方式吃壽司,這個習慣對我來說很重要)
部分動詞後面不論連接動名詞或不定式,意思都相同。最常見的例子包括 begin, bother, prefer, start, continue:
Verb |
With Infinitive |
With gerund |
bother |
Don’t bother to come to the party if you don’t want to see her. |
Don’t bother coming to the party if you don’t want to see her. |
continue |
He continued to work hard and passed the course. |
He continued working hard and passed the course. |
prefer |
I prefer to eat earlier in the day. |
I prefer eating earlier in the day. |
start |
I’ll start to study nearer the exam. |
I’ll start studying nearer the exam. |
部分動詞後面可以連接動名詞或不定式,但含義會隨之改變。最常見的例子包括 remember, try, stop.
動詞 |
連接不定式 |
連接動名詞 |
remember |
I remembered to buy milk last night, on my way home from work.
(您回憶起最近發生的事情。您想起要做的事,並採取了行動) |
I remember going to the beach every summer when I was young.
(您回憶起更久遠的往事。您先是去了海灘,然後在這一刻回憶起這件事。) |
try |
Try to listen more in class.
(強調上課時要努力聆聽,帶有要求的意味。) |
Try doing some exercise early in the morning
(嘗試做某件事,看看自己喜不喜歡,表示語氣較溫和的建議) |
stop |
I stopped studying to have a coffee break.
(我一開始在溫習,然後換了另一個活動。喝完咖啡後,我大概會繼續溫習) |
I stopped smoking and now I feel much healthier.
(我以前曾經吸煙,但現在已徹底戒煙) |
動詞 let and make 後面也會連接原形動詞,而非不定式 + to。
使用英語動名詞和不定式的常見語法錯誤
最常見的錯誤是選錯動詞詞態。記住以下的英語語法規則會有所幫助:
- 英語短語動詞後面一定是連接動名詞。
- 只有句子中的第一個動詞會出現詞態變化。無論動詞時態如何,第二個動詞都保持不變:
例如,
We really enjoyed went to the cinema. x
We really enjoyed going to the cinema.✓
另一個常見的錯誤是誤用不定式 + to,而非原形動詞:
例如:
We must to finish our homework tonight. x
We must finish our homework tonight.✓
Fifi made me to eat the last piece of chocolate cake! x
Fifi made me eat the last piece of chocolate cake!✓
電影和音樂中使用英語動詞的著名例子
電影導演喜歡在電影片名中使用動名詞。著名的例子包括以下作品:Being John Malkovich, Driving Miss Daisy, Finding Nemo.
相比之下,以不定式為片名的電影較為少見,而 1980 年代的警匪驚悚片 To Live and Die in LA. 正是其中之一。說到音樂,不妨聽聽 Celine Dion 的人氣單曲 'To Love You More'
以動名詞為歌名的熱門歌曲亦不少,當中包括:
'Dancing Queen' by ABBA, 'Waiting for a Girl Like You' by Foreigner.‘Begin Again’ by Taylor Swift.至於較近期的作品,Chappell Roan 的歌曲中亦有這樣的一句:“Dancing at the Pink Pony Club...”
小測驗
請找出以下句子中有關英語動詞的錯誤,並加以修正。事不宜遲,馬上開始:
- Did you remember going to the shop?We haven’t got any coffee.
- My parents wouldn’t let me to go to the party last night
- To learn English is very difficult.
- We stopped having a break at 11, and eat a snack.
- Jenny is capable of to go to school alone now.
Answers:
- Did you remember to go to the shop?We haven’t got any coffee.
- My parents wouldn’t let me go to the party last night
- Learning English is very difficult.
- We stopped to have a break at 11, and eat a snack.
- Jenny is capable of going to school alone now.