怎样识别非谓语动词?

英语中的并列连词不多,常见的只有and, or, but, yet等,并且其用法也不复杂,在高考英语中直接考查并列连词用法的考题比较少见.但是,这并不意味着你就可对并列连词“置之不理”,因为命题者虽然不会直接考查并列连词的用法,但他们却经常把并列连词作为一种设计陷阱题的工具,把一些本来很容易的考点设计成难题,甚至陷阱题.本文拟就如何巧借并列连词破解非谓语动词难题或陷阱题作一分析.


一、借并列连词识别平行结构

根据英语语法习惯,用并列连词连接的两个语法成分通常应是平行的、对等的.若并列连词连接的是两个非谓语动词,原则上说它们应是同一形式——同为不定式,或同为-ing分词,或同为-ed分词.如：

Going to bed early and getting up early is a good habit. 早睡早起是一个好习惯.

Shops were open, especially places which sold things to eat and to drink. 店铺都开着,尤其是卖饮食的店铺.

To mean to do something and to do something actually are two different things. 打算做一件事和实际上做一件事完全是两回事.

有些用than连接的非谓语动词也往往需要一致的形式.如：

Friendship is like money: easier made than kept. 友谊像金钱——挣来容易维持难.

“Why don’t you get yourself a job?” “That’s easier said than done.” “你怎么不找个工作呢?”“说起来容易,找起来难哪!”

请看一道高考题：

It is worth considering what makes “convenience” foods so popular, and _________ better ones of your own. (北京卷)

A. introduces B. to introduceC. introducingD. introduced

此题答案为C.句中的并列连词and连接的是两个对称的并列成分,由于其前的considering…为动名词,所以空格处也要用动名词.

请再看两道相关的考题：

1. The purpose of the scheme is not to help the employers but _________ work for young people.

A. provide B. to provide C. providingD. provided

答案为B.not…but连接两个不定式作表语,所以选B.句意为：这个计划的目的不是为了帮助雇主,而是为了给年轻人提供工作机会.

2. The purpose of new technologies is to make life easier, _________ it more difficult. (zn)

A. not makeB. not to makeC. not makingD. do not make

答案为B.空格处填不定式是为了与前面的to make life easier保持一致.句意为：新技术的目的是为了使生活变得更容易,而不是为了使生活变得更困难.

3. Fishing is his favorite hobby, and _________. (上海卷)

A. he’d like to collect coins as well

B. he feels like collecting coins, too

C. to collect coins is also his hobby

D. collecting coins also gives him great pleasure

答案为D.并列连词and连接两个结构平行的句子构成一个并列句,比较前后两个句子结构,显然只有D最合适.


二、借并列连词识别非谓语动词考点与并列句考点

有的考题从表面上看是在考查非谓语动词,而实际上是在考查并列句的有关知识,此时若能充分注意到句中的并列连词,同时结合并列连词对句子结构进行分析,问题往往可以迎刃而解.请看下面一道高考题：

_________ the website of the Fire Department in your city, and you will learn a lot about firefighting. (湖南卷)

A. Having searched B. To searchC. Searching D. Search

此题初看一眼,完全像是一道非谓语动词考题,因为四个选项中有三项为非谓语动词.粗心的考生很可能会据此最先排除选项D,因为它不是非谓语动词.其实,此题的答案正是D.做好本题的关键是要注意到句中的并列连词and,由and可知这是一个并列句,and的后面是句子,其前面也应是句子.由于句首无主语,可推断它是祈使句,所以选动词原形,即答案为D.

与上面的情况相反,如果两个“句子”间没有并列连词,那么其中有个“句子”就肯定不是“句子”,因为它没有完整的谓语.如下面这道高考题：

The country has already sent up three unmanned spacecraft, the most recent _________ at the end of last March. (山东卷)

A. has been launchedB. having been launchedC. being launched D. to be launched

由于两个“句子”间没有并列连词,所以空格处不可能填一个完整的谓语,据此我们可以最先排除选项A.又由于动作于去年的三月底就已经发生,所以不能选表示未来动作的不定式,即不能选D；又由于句子用了具体的过去时间状语(at the end of last March),故不能选完成式,即不能选B.所以答案为C.其实the most recent being launched at the end of last March为独立主格结构.

请再看下面一题：

The children went home from the grammar school, their lessons _________ for the day. (重庆卷)

A. finishing B. finishedC. had finished D. were finished

由于两个“句子”间没有并列连词,所以空格处不可能填一个完整的谓语,据此我们可以最先排除选项C和D.再根据句意,由于lessons与动词finish之间为被动关系,故要用过去分词,即选B.其实,their lessons finished for the day也是独立主格结构.

我们最后再来看两道题,这是两道很容易混淆的考题：

1. He wrote a lot of novels, none of them _________ into a foreign language.

A. translatingB. translatedC. were translated D. had translated

2. He wrote a lot of novels, none of which _________ into a foreign language.

A. translatingB. translated C. were translated D. had translated

我们先来分析第1题,根据前面的思路我们可以推知,空格处不能填一个完整的谓语,因为这两个“句子”之间没有并列连词,所以可以排除C和D；再根据“小说”与“翻译”之间的被动关系可以确定答案为B而不是A.

我们再来看看第2题,其实这一题与第1题只有一个词的差别,那就是将第1题中的them改成了which.粗心的考生很可能会忽略这一差别,仍将答案确定为A.但事实上,由于将句中的them改成了which,就使得第2题的句子由简单句变成了复合句,因为none of which…在此引出一个定语从句；而定语从句作为“句子”,它就必须要有完整的谓语,同时结合“小说”与“翻译”之间的被动关系,我们可以确定此题的答案为C而不是B.