1、1. 不定式是动词的一种非限定形式，通常前面带有小品词 to，有时也可不带 to，它可以和助动词或情态动词构成谓语： They will set up more evening schools next year. 他们明年要办更多的夜校。 We mustnt fall behind the others. 我们一定不要落在别人后面。 也可以作主语(a)、宾语(b)、表语(c)、定语(d)或是状语(e)： aTo scold her would not be just. 责备她是不公平的。 bWe are planning to build a reservoir here. 我们计划在这里修
2、一座水库。 COne of our main tasks now is to mechanize agriculture. 我们当前的主要任务之一是实现农业机械化。 dDo you have anything to declare? 你有什么要申报吗? e. We have come to learn from you. 我们是来向你们学习的。 有时它还可以构成复合结构(类似汉语语法中的主谓结构)，作复合宾语等：He wants all of us to make rapid progress. 他希望我们大家都迅速进步。 不定式在句子里虽能担任种种成分，但它毕竟是一个动词，因此具有动词的许多
3、特点。它可以有自己的宾语(a)或状语(b)，来和它构成不定式短语： aWould you like to tell me how you overcame the difficulties? 你可不可以告诉我你们怎样克服困难的？ bI prefer to go there by bike. 我宁愿骑车去。 还有下面种种形式： 主 动 形 式 被 动 形 式 一般式 to do; to be done; 完成式 to have done; to have been done; 进行式 to be doing; _ 完成进行式 to have been doing; _ 另外，不定式虽然在语法上不
4、能有主语，但由于表示的是动作，在意思上是可以有主语的，这个主语可以称为逻辑上的主语(the Logical Subject)，以区别于语法上的主语。例如在We came to study中，we 是句子里的主语，同时也是 to study 的逻辑上的主语；又如在 Well send him to study abroad中，him 是句子里的宾语，而且是 to study 逻辑上的主语。不定式的逻辑上的主语，可以是句子中的主语、宾语等，也可以由一个用 for 引起的短语表示，例如：It is difficult for a foreigner to learn Chinese. 外国人学汉语是
5、不容易的。2. 作主语、宾语和表语用的不定式 不定式(短语)常用来作主语：To persevere means victory! 坚持就是胜利！ To complete that building in ten months was a great achievement. 那座楼 10 个月就盖成是一个了不起的成就。 To ignore this would be a mistake. 忽视这一点是错误的。 To see is to believe. 眼见为实。 To act like that is foolish. 这样做是愚蠢的。 To err is human, to forgive
6、 divine. 犯错误是人之常情，宽恕才难能可贵。 To know something about English is one thing; to know English is quite another. 懂一点英语是一回事；掌握英语完全是另一回事。但在很多情况下，特别是在口语中，我们常常用代词 it 来代替它作主语，而把它移到句子后部去，这样使句子显得比较平稳： It isnt right to gossip about others. (=To gossip about others isnt right.) 说闲话是不对的。 It is nice not to be depend
7、ent on them. 不依靠他们是好的。 It is not an easy thing to master a language. 学好一种语言是不容易的。 It seems a pity to refuse. 拒绝似乎是很遗憾的。 It only took (us) a year to complete the project. 完成这项工程只花了(我们)一年时间。 What harm can it do to give advice? 给人出主意有什么不好的? How would it be to start tomorrow? 明天动身怎么样? How much did cost
8、(you) to send the telegram? 拍这份电报(你)花了多少钱?“ It made us very angry to hear him talk like that. 听他这样谈话我们非常气愤。 It feels good to be out here for a while. 出来在这儿待一待是挺舒服的。 It was beyond me to help them. 我无力帮助他们。 It was considered impossible to fail. 人们认为失败是不可能的。 It was decided to bring the matter up at the
9、 next meeting. 决定把这问题提到下次会上讨论。 如果要说明不定式表示的动作是谁做的，可以在不定式前加一个 for 引起的短语： It is not hard for one to do a bit if good. 一个人做点好事并不难。 It is a great honour for us to be present at this rally. 我们来参加这个大会是很荣幸的。 It will be a mistake for us not to help them. 我们不帮助他们是错误的。 在以某些形容词(如 kind, good, nice, wise, unwise,
10、 clever, silly, wrong, right, foolish, stupid, careless, considerate, rude, naughty, impolite 等)作表语时，不定式前常可加一个 of 引起的短语，来说明不定式指的是谁的情况： Its kind of you to think so much of us. (=Youre so kind to.) 难为你这样替我们想。 (It is) Awfully good of you to come and meet us. 非常感谢你来接我们。 Its very nice of you to be so con
11、siderate. 你们想得这样周到是很好的。 Its unwise of them to turn down the proposal. 他们拒绝采纳这个建议是不明智的。 不定式用作宾语的时候特别多：He offered to help us. 他提出要帮助我们。 Mary begged to go with us. 玛丽恳求和我们一道去。 I cant afford to buy a car. 我买不起小汽车。 We will arrange to see him tomorrow. 我们将安排明天见他。 Some people cant bear to watch a bullfight
12、. 有的人不忍心看斗牛。 She determined to study harder. 她决心更加努力地学习。 I did not think (expect) to find you here. 没想到在这儿碰到你。 They proposed to attack the city at dawn. 他们打算在拂晓时对这城市发起进攻。 You should continue to learn as long as you live. 活到老学到老。 They demanded to know what I had been doing. 他们要求知道我一直在干什么。 He failed t
13、o see the other car in time. 他没及时看到另外那辆车。 Children love to listen to fairy tales. 孩子们喜欢听童话故事。 He pledged to stop smoking. 他保证戒烟。 They preferred not to put this on the agenda. 他们宁愿不把这列入议程。 She promised to return in an hour. 她答应一小时后回来。 I am preparing to take the examination on Monday. 我在准备参加礼拜一的考试。 能以
14、不定式作宾语的动词很多，常见的有：want, like, wish, hate, prefer, hope, continue, manage, try, ask, offer, start, forget, promise,mean, pretend, intend, begin, attempt, decide, learn, desire, agree, care, choose, determine, undertake, expect 等。 另外，tell, advise, show, teach, find out, decide, discuss, learn, forget 等
15、动词，常用一个带连接代(副)词的不定式作宾语： They will teach us how to repair farm tools. 他仍将教我们怎样修农具。 We must decide whether to go or stay. 我们得决定去还是留。 He didnt know whether to laugh or to cry when he heard the words. 听了这话他是啼笑皆非。 No one could tell me where to get the book. 没有人能告诉我哪里能找到这本书。 I hope youll advise me what to
16、 do. 我希望你给我出主意怎么办好。 The book explains how to solve the problem. 这本书解释如何回答这个问题。 Dont forget how to unlock it. 别忘了如何开锁。 You can learn how to type there. 在那里你可学习怎样打字。 She considered how to answer the question. 她考虑如何回答这个问题。 另外，在某些复合宾语中，我们常常先用一个 it 代表不定式，而把不定式放到后面去，如：They found it impossible to get every
17、thing ready in time. 他们发现不可能把一切按时准备好。 She thought it unnecessary to argue with him about it. 觉得没有必要和他辨论。 I consider it better not to go. 我认为还是不去为好。 这种结构很有用处，例如下面这类句子就都可以这样翻译： 你难道不觉得这样译好些吗？ Dont you think it better to translate it this way? 这种种烦恼使她不能专心工作。 All these worries made it impossible for her
18、to concentrate on her work. 他规定堂上只能讲英语。 He made it a rule only to speak English in class. 她感到有责任指出这一点。 She felt it her duty to point that out. 间或可以看到下面这种句子: I have long had it in mind to answer your letter. 我一直在想给你回信。 She took it on herself to apologize for me. 她亲自出面替我道歉。 He regards it as important
19、to help his friends. 他认为帮助朋友是很重要的。 注: 在个别的介词后可用“连接代(副)词+不定式“这种结构作宾语，如: Everyone has his own idea of how to do it. 如何做这件事各人都有不同的看法。 不定式有时也可用以用作表语: The problem is to find a solution. 问题是得找出一个解决办法。 Her wish was to become an artist. 她的志愿是成为一个艺术家。 The greatest happiness is to work for the happiness of al
20、l. 最大的幸福就是为大家的幸福而工作。 His job was to make contacts with the local people. 他的任务是联系当地群众。 To do this would be to cut the foot to fit the shoe. 这样做是削足适履。 The most important thing is to put theory into practice. 最重要的是把理论变为实际。 What I like is to swim in the sea and then to lie on the warm sand. 我喜欢的是在海里游泳，然
21、后躺在暖和的沙上。 有时，在一个汉语句子中，如果主语很长而表语很短，在译为英语时，我们可以把两者颠倒过来，用上述结构来表示： 培养学生的独立工作能力是我们现在的主要任务。 Our main task now is to develop the students ability to carry on independent work. 仔细分析当前的形势并从而制定我们的政策，是我们最迫切的任务。 Our most urgent task is to make a careful analysis of the present situation and form our policy on t
22、he basis of such an analysis. 3. 作定语用的不定式 不定式作定语的情况很多，在下面这些类型的句子中常可看到这种用法： a. She usually has a lot of meetings to attend in the evenings 她晚上经常有很多会要开。 Do you have anything more to say? 你还有什么话要说吗? b. I want to get something to read during the vacation. 我想找点书假期看。 The teacher assigned us two exercises
23、to do at home. 老师给我们留了两个练习在家做。 c. Is there anything else to put on the agenda? 还有什么要列入议程的? There are still two more items to include in the programme. 还有两个节目要列入节目单。 d. That will be the only thing to do now. 这恐怕是目前唯一可行的办法。 He is not a man to bow before difficulties. 他不是那种在困难面前低头的人。 eShe was the first
24、 person to think of the idea. 她第一个想到这个主意。 They are always the first to bear hardships, the last to enjoy comforts. 他们总是吃苦在前，享乐在后。 f. We need someone to help with the typing. 我们需要一个人帮助打字。 应当注意，这种不定式很多和它修饰的词有动宾关系(如前四类中的多数句子)。因此，如果这个不定式是不及物动词，它后面就应有必要的介词，如： She has a lot of things to attend to. 她有很多事要管
25、。 Lets first find a room to put the things in. 我们先找一个房间把东西搁在里面。 There is nothing (for us) to worry about. 没有什么值得发愁的。 She is a very nice person to work with. 她是一个很好共事的人。 Is this something to be ashamed of? 难道这有什么见不得人？ 有些名词后常可用一不定式作定语： The workers and peasants felt a pressing need to learn to read and
26、 write. 工人农民那时迫切感到要学文化。 It is already time to start spring sowing. 现在已经是开始春播的时候了。 Is that the best way to solve the problem? 这是解决这问题的最好方法吗? No investigation, no right to speak. 没有调查就没有发言权。 They had no chance to go to school in those years. 那时候他们没有机会上学。 This will be a good opportunity to exchange exp
27、erience. 这将是一个交流经验的好机会。 We are starting a movement to clean up the city. 在开始一个使城市清洁的运动。 We must have the courage to say that we are ignorant. 我们应当有勇气承认自己是无知的。 Only then can we have the motive force to go forward 有这样我们才有前进的动力。能用不定式作定语的名词很多，除了上面这些之外，还有 reason, effort, drive, determination, decision, t
28、endency, struggle, intention, campaign,ambition, wish 等。还有一些动词(a)和形容词(b)后面是经常跟不定式的，它们的同源名词也常用不定式作定语：The enemy failed in their attempt to land on the island. 敌人在岛上登陆的企图失败了。 (The enemy attempted to land on the island.) You havent kept your promise to write us regularly. 你没有遵守给我们经常写信的诺言。 (You promised
29、to write us regularly) I guess they will have to make some changes in their plan to open up rice fields. 我猜他们开发水稻田的计划得做些变动了。 (They areplanning to open up more rice fields) He has the inclination to overlook difficulties. 他有忽视困难的倾向。 (He is inclined to overlook difficulties.) b. You should have confid
30、ence in your ability to fulfil the task. 你们应对自己完成任务的能力有信心。 (You are able to fulfil the task.) In his speech he expressed their determination to achieve their goals. 他在讲话中表达了他们实现自己目标的决心。 (They are determined to achieve their goals.) We could see her anxiety to settle the thing herself. 我们看得出她很想自己来解决这
31、个问题。 (She was anxious to settle the thing herself.) His eagernese to get back to work was quite obvious. 急于回去工作这一点是很明显的。 (He was eager to get back to work.) 另外，不定式还可以在下面这类句子中用作定语： Well have more meetings like this in the few weeks to come. 在未来几周内还要开几次这样的会。 In the lectures to follow she will give us
32、some information about the situation in Africa. 在以后几次讲演中，她将谈谈非洲的情况。 Among the men to take part in the work, he is probably the most active. 在要参加这些工作的人中，他恐怕是最积极的。 The conference to take place next month is bound to be a great success. 下月举行的会议一定会很成功。 这时，这些不定式几乎等于一个定语从句(例如 to take part in the work 可以说是
33、 who are to take Part in the work 的紧缩形式)，都表示即将发生的动作。 间或还可以看到下面这种不定式短语作定语： She had no time left in which to pack her things. 她没有时间收拾行李了。 It was a bad season in which to have outings. 这是一个不适于郊游的季节。 Allow me one minute in which to change my costumes. 给我一分钟时间来卸装。 She had a little money in the bank, with
34、 which to help her mother. 她在银行有一点存款，用来帮助她的妈妈。 注： 不定式间或可用作同位语(a)或是引起一个惊叹句(b)： aSoon came the order to start the general attack. 很快下达了发起总攻的命令。 We got no instructions to leave the city. 我们没有接到离开这座城市的指示。 b. To think he knew about it all the time! 没想他一直知道这事！ Oh! To be young again. 哦，要能再年轻就好了。 4. 作状语用的不定
35、式 不定式常可用来作状语，修饰动词，表示行为的目的(a)、结果(b)或原因(c)，如： aThey ran over to welcome the delegates. 他们跑过去欢迎代表们。 The vice-minister cut the ribbon to open the exhibition. 展览会开幕由副部长剪彩。To do a good job, we must have the right tools. 要干好活工具要对头。 We must do everything we can to help them. 我们要尽一切力量帮助他们。 bHe made a long sp
36、eech only to show his ignorance of the subject. 他讲了一大段话，只暴露出他对这门学科一无所知。 What have I said to make you so excited? 我说了什么话使你这样激动? The curtain parted, to reveal a market scene. 帷幕分开，出现一个集市的场面。 She lived to be 100. 她活到一百岁。 He left, never to return. 他走了，再也没有回来。 CWe all rejoiced to hear of your success 听说你
37、们成功了我们都很高兴。 She shuddered to think of her bitter past. 她想起了辛酸的过去真是不寒而栗。 To hear him talk in that manner, you would think him a foreigner. 听他这样说话，你会以为他是外国人。 We jumped with joy to hear the news. 我们听到这消息高兴得跳了起来。 另外，不定式也常用在 so as (to)或 in order (to)后，与它合起来作状语用，表示目的: Lets hurry so as not to be late for t
38、he meeting. 咱们快点走，免得开会迟到。 She decided to work harder in order (so as) to catch up with the others. 她决定加紧学习好赶上别人。 In order to achieve this aim, we must learn from other countries. 为了实现这个目标，我们必须向别的国家学习。 此外，还可和某些不及物动词连用： My blood pressure tends to be high. 我的血压偏高。 They burned to avenge his death. 他们一心要
39、给他报仇。不定式也可用在作表语用由形容词(或过去分词)后面作状语，说明产生这种情绪的原因或是在哪方面存在谓语所表示的情况等： I am sorry (glad) to hear it. 听了这个我很难过(高兴)。 He was annoyed to hear them talk like that. 听他们这样说话他很不高兴。 We are proud to be young people of China. 作为中国的青年我们感到自豪。 We shall be very happy to co-operate with you in the work. 我们将很高兴在这项工作中和你们合作。
40、We were surprised to find him there. 看到他在那里我们感到很惊奇。 We should “not feel ashamed to ask and learn from people below.“ 我们要“不耻下问“。 They are eager to take part in the work. 他们亟于参加这个工作。 We were grieved to learn of his death. 听说他去世我们都很悲痛。 She is always ready to help others. 她总是乐于帮助别人。 Be careful not to ca
41、tch cold. 小心别着凉了。 I dont feel inclined to accept the invitation. 我不太想接受邀请。 You are very kind to say so. 谢谢你这样说。 能用在这类结构中的形容词和过去分词很多，常见的如：happy，lucky, fortunate, unfortunate, pained, ashamed, surprised, grieved, frightened,shocked, sorry, glad, delighted, able, unable, destined, apt, willing, unwilli
42、ng, worthy, eager, proud, disappointed, angry, right, anxious,content, impatient, fit, ready, clever, unwise, naughty, quick, show, prompt, foolish, rude, thoughtless, (in) considerate, cruel, wrong 等。 另外，在这种结构中还可以用 easy， difficult, hard, comfortable 等形容词，这时作句子主语的除了表示人的词外。还可以是表示事物的词： The girl was ea
43、sy to get along with. 这女孩很容易相处。 He is worthy to take the position. 他配得上做这项工作。 The question is rather difficult to answer. 这问题相当难回答。 A foreign language is as a rule hard to learn. 外国语一般不好学。 The room is comfortable to live in. 这房间住起来很舒服。 This water is not fit to drink. 这水不适于喝。 Thousands of words are i
44、nadequate to express how grateful we are to you. 千言万语也说不尽我们对你的感激之情。 在用这些形容词构成复合宾语时，也能用不定式作状语，如： We found the house very comfortable to live in. 我们发现这房子住起来很舒服。 I dont think him hard to get along with. 我想他不难相处。 上面讲的句子，有些也可以改为下面这种形式： This is a very comfortable house to live in. 这是一栋住起来很舒服的房子。 I think h
45、im a very nice person to get along with. 我想他是一位容易相处的人。 这时不定式就成了定语。 注： 下面句子中的不定式也是一种状语： Take care not to catch cold. 小心别着凉。 He has made up his mind to put his heart and soul into the work. 他决定全心全意投入这项工作。 当一个句子里带有 too 或 enough 这样的词时，我们也常用一个不定式来作状语： She was too young to understand all that. 她太年轻不能理解这些。
46、 We found the room too small to hold so many people. 我们发现房间太小坐不了这么多人。 I am sorry I am too much in a hurry to talk with you. 对不起，我有急事要办不能和你谈话。 We found the room not big enought to hold so many people. 我们发现这房间不够大，坐不了这么多人。 She was not old enough to understand all that. 她年岁不够大，不能理解这一切。 Have you got enou
47、gh room to seat all of us? 你们这儿坐得下我们所有这些人吗? 有时在 so.as (to)这种结构中也可以用不定式作状语： Be so kind as to drop in some time when you are free. 什么时候有空希望来我们家玩。 Was he so conceited as not to believe in the wisdom of the masses? 他会这样高傲，不相信群众的智慧? 注: 有时不定式可以用来说明说话人的态度，对整个句子进行解释： To tell you the truth, I am not in favou
48、r of your plan. 说老实话，我不赞成你的计划。 To be frank, we dont trust him. 坦白地说，我们不信任他。 To be fair, he is not at all an irresponsible man. 说句公道话，他绝对不是一个不负责任的人。 To say the least, their techniques are old-fashioned. 说得再轻点，他们的工艺至少是太老了。 Among writers of his age, he was, so to speak, a giant among dwarfs. 在那时的作家中，他可
49、以说是鹤立鸡群。 这类结构可称为句子状语，也可看作插入语。关于这一点可参阅 520。 5. 在复合结构中用的不定式 不定式可以和名词(或代词)构成复合结构，作动词的宾语，称为复合宾语： I didnt expect you to arrive so early. 没想到你来得这么早。 We shouldnt allow such things to happen again. 我们不应允许再发生这样的事。 They encouraged her to try again. 他们鼓励她再试一次。 Her mother forbid her to go out. 她妈妈禁止她出去。 She asked me to call again. 她请我再去一次电话。 May I request you to be present at the ceremony? 我可否请你出席这次仪式? Would you like us to go with you? 你愿意我们和你一道去吗? Ill leave him to solve the problem for himself. 我将让他自己去解决这个问题。 He wants you to call him back at 11. 他
