从“no place to stay”谈动词不定式作定语

当第一眼看到句子They have no place to stay时,许多老师与同学会说,该句应该在动词stay后加上介词at。那么,究竟应不应该在stay后加介词at呢?我们先别急于下定论,分析一下不定式作定语的情形后再做论断也不迟。
一、主谓关系,即被修饰词是不定式结构的逻辑主语
例如:
1). He was the first to arrive that morning (= who arrived).
2). Do you have any medicine to cure my bad cold?(= which/ that can cure my bad cold)
二、动状关系,即被修饰词可转换为不定式的逻辑状语
能与作定语的不定式构成动状关系的词常是表示方式、方法和时机的名词,如:way,means,chance,occasion,opportunity,time等。例如:
1). This is the best way to learn English. (learn English in this way)
2). We need a moment to rest. (rest for a moment)
三、同位关系,即不定式结构是被修饰词的同位语
如:
1).The boy had an impulse to jump over the fence.
2). Neither of them had any inclination to spend the holiday abroad.
在上述三种逻辑关系中,当不定式与被修饰词是主谓关系时,不定式均用主动语态;当不定式与被修饰词是动状及同位关系时,根据其具体意义来选择不定式的语态形式,即:主动意义用主动语态,被动意义用被动语态。
四、动宾关系,即被修饰词是不定式结构的逻辑宾语
这时,不定式在语态使用等方面大体上可分为以下几种情形:
1.當句中无法找到不定式动作的发出者(或执行者)时,通常用被动语态形式。如:
1). The building to be built next month is their dormitory.
2). She was one of the first women to be admitted to that college.
2.句中虽然没有不定式动作的发出者或执行者,但在更多考虑做动作的人(其逻辑主语多半是说话者)时,多用主动形式;若侧重考虑动作本身则多用被动形式。如:
1). Please give me a list of the people to invite. (for me/us to invite )
2). Please give me a list of the people to be invited. (Its not clear who will invite the people.)
3. 如果不定式所表示的动作是由句中主语或介词for的宾语所发出的,不定式要用主动。例如:1). I want to get something to read during the vacation. 2). There is nothing for you to do now.
4.不定式作“有”动词have的宾语的定语,如果动作是由主语发出的,不定式用主动;如果动作不是句子的主语发出的,则用被动结构。如:
1). I have no documents to type. (… that I need to type);
2). Im going to Beijing next week. Do you have anything to be taken there for your father? (注意:在例2中,不可将不定式的被动形式改为主动结构)
5.在被修饰词与不定式中间插有表示否定意义的副词时,只能用被动。如:
1). This seemed a rule never to be broken.
2). He is a diligent boy rarely to be seen without a book.
6.如果不定式是一个不及物动词,其后需加一适当介词。如:
1). He is looking for a room to live in.
2). Please give me a piece of paper to write on.
在这种情况下,还可以把介词提前,转换为“介词+which+不定式”的形式作定语。如例1)可转换为He is looking for a room in which to live.
尤其是不定式有宾语(这时动词为及物动词)及状语,然后再加介词,这时多采用“介词+which+不定式短语”作定语。如Mary only has twenty dollars with which to buy her husband, John, a birthday present.
五、讨论
通过上述7可知,不定式在与被修饰词有动宾关系时,如果不定式是不及物动词,则其后需加一适当介词。那么,所有不及物动词后均需加上适当介词吗?下面以名词place为例进行讨论:
通过对英国国家语料库的检索发现,在名词place后面跟含有不及物动词的不定式作定语主要有以下这些情况:
第一、place后跟to stay作定语,在语料库中共搜索出51例,to stay后均没有加介词。部分示例如下:
…of you to find me a place to stay, but you must let me give you the money.…
…no money, no place to stay…Ive nothing. She controls everything. “Both….
第二、place后跟to go作定语,共搜索出87例,有8例在to go后加了介词to。部分示例如下:
…, its quite an expensive place to go to, but it would be well worth it, as it …
…at Ruxley, Ruxley is not a good place to go. Oh theres some smashing things…
第三、place后跟to hide作定語,共搜索出21例,只有1例在to hide后加了介词in。语料库中的部分示例如下:
…skull yet) and then had to find a place to hide the dead leaves and twigs that had…
…that time. It was like a place to hide in, a great strong haven holding her…
第四、place后跟to live作定语,共搜索出114例,有27例在to live后加了介词in。部分示例如下:
…discovered that a chromosome is a good place to live if you want to get…
...Tenant? If you rent a place to live in rather to work in, or to run a business…
第五、place后跟to rest作定语,共搜索出12例,有2例在to rest后加了介词in。主要示例如下:
…on three sides, it was a good place to rest, but a poor place to fight. ...
…known and accustomed houses, finding no place to rest in. Mores eloquence…
…set back from the front to give you a place to rest your hands. Its nice to use…
综上所述,当作定语的不定式结构与被修饰词是动宾关系时, 作定语的动词不定式无论是在语态还是在其它方面确实显得较为复杂,因为,语言不是静态的,随着社会及文化的发展,语言也在不断的发展与变化之中。因此,在这种情况下,不定式到底用主动语态还是被动形式不能一概而论,同样,我们也不能因为有“当作定语的不定式结构与被修饰词是动宾关系时,如果不定式是不及物动词,其后需要加上一个适当的介词”这样一条规则,而误以为所有的不及物动词如果后面不加介词都是错误的。
参考文献:
[1]薄冰.高级英语语法[M].北京:高等教育出版社,1991.
[2]张道真.实用英语语法[M].北京:商务印书馆,1995.
【作者简介】孙艳玲,商丘师范学院外语学院。
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