1 句子正误判断(涉及类似sth is easy to do句型)

A: The book is easy to read.

B: The book is easy to read it.

C: The house is too small for us to live in.

D: The house is too small for us to live in it.

E: She is not pretty enough for me to dance with.

F: She is not pretty enough for me to dance with her.

请判断以上句子的正误。动词不定式短语中动词或介词宾语的缺失后现代语法叫作Hollow (non-finite) clause. 这种动宾或介宾的缺失是必须(obligatory)的还是选择性(optional)的?

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最佳答案 2017-08-11 16:50

先给出结论:ACDEF正确,B不正确。

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首先,介词(或动词)宾语缺失的现象本身,名字叫做“介(动)词悬空”或“介(动)宾分离”(Stranding,The Cambridge Grammar p.626);Hollow Clause这个术语指的是在非限定从句中主语以外的名词词组成分缺失的现象(p.1245),它不局限于不定式分句:Your idea is certainly worth [giving some further thought to ___].

这种现象在汉语中也是存在的:“我倒了一杯水喝”,却没有“我倒了一杯水喝它/水”。

不定式的用法是语法研究中一个很大的难点。很少有语法书能讲清楚下面这几种现象是怎么回事:

(1) This book is easy to read.

(2) ※ This book is easy to read it.

(3) This book is too easy to read.

(4) This book is too easy to read it.

(5) ※ This pizza is hot to eat.

(6) ※ This pizza is hot to eat it.

(7) This pizza is too hot to eat.

(8) This pizza is too hot to eat it.

((4)和(8)的地位可能比较边缘,但是语料库中有以下例句:Life is too precious to spend it being miserable. Time is too precious to spend it with a mouse)

在考虑The Cambridge Grammar之前,我们先来看看Quirk等人在A Comprehensive Grammar中是如何处理的。它认为,(1)句这种现象是一种主题的移位:It is easy to read this book → This book is easy to read(条目18.36,p.1394)

这种解释实际上是早期转换生成语法与系统功能语法相糅合的结果。这种移位,在生成语法学中称为tough movement。(这个术语事实上出现在了p.1395)

这种解释合不合理呢?首先我们注意到,这种解释不能说明为什么(7)句可以出现:我们不能说It is too hot to eat this pizza. 它也不能解释为什么(5)句不能出现:A Comprehensive Grammar只是模棱两可地说道“名词词组有时可以前置”。

另一方面,The Cambridge Grammar指出,我们应该把这种现象同其它移位现象放在一起考虑。以前在讨论there be句型结构时,我曾提过一个“抬升主语”现象,这是一种真正的移位:

It seems that Kim has eaten the pizza. → Kim seems to have eaten the pizza.

It seems that it was Kim who ate the pizza. → It seems to be Kim who ate the pizza.

It seems that there is a man eating pizza. → There seems to be a man eating pizza.

但是对于tough movement,我们注意到:

错误:It'll be hard for us to prove ___ to have been Kim who leaked the news.

正确:It'll be hard for us to prove it to have been Kim who leaked the news.

错误:There will be hard for us to prove ___ to have been a conspiracy between them.

正确:It will be hard for us to prove there to have been a conspiracy between them.

(The Cambridge Grammar p.1247)

这就说明,tough movement既不能解释有些hollow clause为何能出现,也不能解释另一些为何不能出现。这就迫使生成语法学放弃tough movement这种解释。

The Cambridge Grammar认为,特定结构中能不能用不定式,不定式能不能转化为Hollow Clause,事实上是一种管辖—约束现象。换句话说,它们是特定的词自身的性质,而非特定结构的性质。(按这本书的术语,这些现象是由特定的词“批准”的)

这个现象其实是很常见的。例如,动词能不能带宾语,是每个动词自身的性质,据此将动词区分为及物和不及物动词;又如,德语中介词的后面用第三格还是第四格,是每个介词自身的性质。

管辖—约束现象的背后无疑存在人类心理的因素,它反映在批准同一现象的词在语义上具有一定的相似性。对于Hollow Clause这一现象,The Cambridge Grammar区分了六大类批准该结构的情况。(pp.1246-1251)第一类和第二类是特定的形容词,它们的共同点是描述的都是说话人对一件事的情感或难易程度的判断。第三类是特定的动词:be, cost, need, require, take,特点是都和“消耗”有关。第四类都与“存在”有关:there, have (got), with, without, yours。第五类都与“限度”有关:too, enough, sufficient(ly)。第六类则是作目的状语的不定式。这些当中,又只有第五类和第六类的介词或动词可以不悬空,第一至四类则是必须悬空。

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其它 1 个回答

刘永科   - 教育出版集团英语总顾问 & 英语系列图书主编
擅长:语法理论,语言学,文化背景

曹老师提出的问题,涉及三大类情况:

1. easy/difficult to do ... 类。

2. too...to do ...类。

3. enough to do ... 类。

我分别概括解答如下:

1. easy/difficult to do ...类:

【特点】用于此结构的形容词有严格限制,动词不定式作补充性状语。句子的主语即是不定式的逻辑宾语。在此情况下,不定式不允许接宾语,不允许使用被动语态,但可以加for sb.引出逻辑主语。例如:

(1) This question is easy to answer. (正)

(2) This question is easy for her to answer. (正)

(3) This question is easy to be answered.(误)

(4) This question is easy to answer it.(误)

2. too...to do ...类:

【特点】用于此结构的形容词基本没有限制,动词不定式表示结果状语。不定式不接宾语时,句子的主语就是其逻辑宾语。在此结构下,不定式还允许接代词(指代句子的主语)作宾语,允许使用被动语态,可以加for sb.引出逻辑主语。注意:动词不定式在被动语态下,可以用by sb.(见句3),但不能用for sb.(见句7)。例如:

(1) This question is too easy to answer. (正)

(2) This question is too easy to be answered. (正)

(3) This question is too easy to be answered by her. (正)

(4) This question is too easy to answer it.(正)

(5) This question is too easy for her to answer. (正)

(6) This question is too easy for her to answer it. (正)

(7) This question is too easy for her to be answered. (误)

3. enough to do ... 类:

【特点】在“主语+ be + 形容词 + enough + 不定式”句式中,用于此结构的形容词基本没有限制,动词不定式也表示结果,它跟too...to do...结构有着同样的用法。注意:动词不定式在被动语态下,可以用by sb.(见句3),但不能用for sb.(见句7)。例如:

(1) This question is easy enough to answer. (正)

(2) This question is easy enough to be answered. (正)

(3) This question is easy enough to be answered by her. (正)

(4) This question is easy enough to answer it.(正)

(5) This question is easy enough for her to answer. (正)

(6) This question is easy enough for her to answer it. (正)

(7) This question is easy enough for her to be answered. (误)

【说明】曹老师提出这个问题,可能是因为纠结(1)和(4)。曹老师认为:在这种结构下,不定式不能没有宾语,所以认为(4)正确,(1)不正确。其实,这两种表达都对,(1)看作是(4)的省略说法。

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  • 曹荣禄   提出于 2017-08-10 19:33

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