seem和seem to be后接补语时，用法和意思有何共同点和不同点。
关于seem和seem
to be及其补语
■西安 倪肖丁
seem与seem to be都可以跟形容词、名词或介词短语等作为补语。这类补语经常表现出具有同一性的特征，以至于使人产生seem和seem to be可以任意互换的印象。但从惯用法角度讲，seem和seem to be的用法(及意义) 并非完全一致：有时两者可以互换，有时不可以。
无论从语义还是句法角度讲，seem和seem to be要表达的侧重点都可能略有不同。作为系动词，seem侧重于根据主语呈现出的某些特征做出的主观性判断；但seem to be则回归于be，侧重于表达客观性情形，只是seem (to)的加持弱化了be的客观性色彩。
在Quirk看来，seem to可视为准情态动词(也有人把seem视为提升链接性动词raising-catenative)
。从这个角度讲，seem to be的主动词是be(而不是seem) 。这一因素对两者的使用有一定的影响(文中将会有针对性的具体解读) 。但有时候主观性和客观性的界限并不清晰可辨。因此，这种影响也是有限的。选择seem还是 seem to be更多地属于英语的习惯用法。
本文介绍英语语法和惯用法专家的相关论述，并结合英语的实际使用，对seem和seem to be的习惯用法谈点个人学习心得。
seem和seem to be的补语主要为(但不限于) 形容词(短语) 、名词(短语) 和介词短语。本文以这三个结构为线索，讨论seem和seem to be用法和语义的异同，并顺带提及句法因素对此造成的一些影响。
1. 当补语为形容词时
1.1 当补语为形容词时通常用seem，最好避免to be。这是J.B. Heaton在Longman
Dictionary of Common Errors(1996) 中提到的。Heaton指出：When seem is
followed by an adjective, to be is usually avoided. 其典型例句如下：
(01) ? She seemed to be sorry for causing so much trouble.
(02)√She seemed sorry for causing
so much trouble.
(03) ? Even the teacher seemed to be unable to answer the question.
(04)√Even the teacher seemed
unable to answer the question.
(符号?表示可接受性存疑。)
1.2 但Heaton的上述观点并没有得到普遍认同。John Sinclair(2004)
在谈到这一问题时指出：Seem is usually followed by
an adjective. If someone gives the impression of being happy, you can say that they seem happy. You can also say that they seem to be happy. There is no difference
in meaning.
从Sinclair的论述和提供的例句看，形容词前用seem比较多，但用seem to be的也为数不少。同时，Sinclair非但没有提及后者可接受性存疑，更直接指出两者意思没有区别。例如：
(05) Even minor problems seem important.
(06) He always seemed old to me.
(07) You seem to be very interested.
(08) They seemed to be very good at reading.
其它seem to be跟形容词的例句也并不罕见：
(09) He seems (to be) ill.
(10) He appears / seems (to be) quite rich.
甚至Heaton自己在同一著述的早期版本中也曾出现过。例如：
(11) He seems (to be) angry.
1.3 由此看来seem
+ adjective和seem to be +adjective两种用法都实际存在。但是两者真的没有任何区别，什么情况下都可以互换吗？显然也不是。
1.3.1前文提到，seem侧重于主观印象，seem to be侧重于客观实际。对此，Swan (2016)是这样说的：
