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seem to be中的to be何时可以省略

Source: 恒星英语学习网    2016-12-22  我要投稿   论坛   Favorite  

seem to be中的to be何时可以省略

一、后接形容词时

当seem后接形容词作表语时,如果谈的是客观事实,即看上去肯定是真实的东西,通常用seem to be;如果谈的是主观印象,则通常只用seem。但由于这种区别在没有上下文的情况下并不总是很清楚,所以在许多情况下两个结构均可以用。如:

He seems (to be) ill. 他似乎生病了。

He seems (to be) quite happy. 他似乎很高兴。

He seems (to be) quite rich 他似乎相当富有。

She seems (to be) very sleepy today. 今天她看上去很困倦。

但在有些情况下,由于其语境比较特殊,可能用其中一个结构比另一个结构更合适,如下面一句中的seems后最好不用to be:

He seems older than he is. 他看上去比实际年龄大。

二、后接名词时

在名词前通常要用seem to be(尤其是当名词前带有定冠词或物主代词修饰时),如以下各句中的to be均不能省略。如:

He seemed to be the owner of the car. 他好像就是车主。

I spoke to a man who seemed to be the boss. 我跟一个人说话,他看上去像是老板。

Washing the car seems to be your main hobby. 洗车似乎是你的主要爱好。

但是,在着重表现主观感受的名词短语前,有时可以省去to be。此时名词前通常会有一个描绘性形容词修饰。如:

It seems (to be) a good idea. 那似乎是个好主意。

It seems (to be) a real bargain. 这东西似乎很便宜。

下面一句中的fool前虽然没有形容词修饰,但a fool本身相当于形容词foolish:

He seems (to be) a fool. 他似乎是个笨蛋。

三、后接非谓语动词时

后接不定式的被动式时,有时可以省略to be,而只保留过去分词(尤其是当其中的过去分词可用作形容词时更是如此)。如:

Ann and Robert seem (to be) made for each other. 安和罗伯特真似天生的一对。

She didn’t seem (to be) convinced by the argument. 这个论点似乎没有使她信服。

但后接不定式的进行式时,通常不能省略to be,因为seem后习惯上不接现在分词作表语。所以,下面各句中的to be均不宜省略:

History seems to be repeating itself. 历史似乎在重演。

He seems to be saying something. 他似乎在说什么。

His health seems to be improving little by little. 他健康状况看来正在好转。

注:如果seem to be doing sth结构中的doing 不是现在分词,而是形容词,则可省略其中的to be。如:

His idea seems (to be) exciting. 他的主意看来令人激动。

She seemed (to be) lacking in enthusiasm. 她似乎缺乏热情。

四、与there be结构连用时

当seem用于there be结构时,其通常的表现形式为There seems to be…,其中的to be可以省略,也可以保留,但以保留为多见。如:

There seems to be something wrong here. 这儿好像有点不大对劲。

There seems to be a mistake in these figures. 这些数字中好像有个错误。

There seemed (to be) nobody about, so I went in. 附近似乎没有人,因此我就走了进去。

There seems (to be) every reason to believe that business will get better. 看来完全有理由相信生意会转好。

注:省略to be后,seem便直接充当了be的作用。

五、后接表语形容词时

在作表语用的以a-开头的形容词前通常不能省略to be。如:

He seemed to be alone. 他似乎是一个人。

The children seem to be asleep. 孩子们似乎睡着了。

The children seemed to be awake when I went into their room. 在我进屋时,孩子们似乎醒了。


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