我的整理: 三个作用:名词、形容词、副词
其中,作为副词: 表示目的,可以和 in orderto 互换 前面没有comma的infinitive: 观察以下三个例子: ① The contractorsDEMOLISHED the building tokeep it from falling down accidentally. verb是主动语态,todo的逻辑主语和句子主语保持一致。 (The subject of themain verb demolished is the noun contractors, which is also the implied subject of the infinitive tokeep, which expresses the purpose of the demolition. The object it refers to the building.)
② The building WASDEMOLISHED to avoid falling downaccidentally. verb是被动语态,暗示了bysomeone, 这时候to do的逻辑主语应该是这个someone。但是avoid falling down应该是针对这栋楼干的事情,而不是拆楼的人避免自己倒了。(这里我和曼哈顿理解有点不一样)
③ The building WASDEMOLISHED to keep it from falling down accidentally. 此时被动语态的动作发出者someone是真正地在keep it (the building) from fallingdown.
"comma + infinitive" "comma +infinitive"是adverbial modifier。而我们知道adverbialmodifier的位置可以很灵活,通常可以放前面、后面甚至中间。 To get a high score, we study hard. We study hard to get a high score. 以上句子没问题,对吧? 但如果这个句子复杂点,怎么办? To get a high score, we do a lot of practices andanalyze the questions. We do a lot of practices and analyze the questions,to get a high score. 这个时候,注意第2句话,"toget a high score"前面就有个逗号。 若没有逗号:We do a lot ofpractices and analyze the questions to get a high score. 则引起歧义"questionsto get a high score",infinitive好像在修饰名词。 “但是commma+不定式不是错的么”我想说,从来就没有这个规则!"comma + infinitive"作adverbial modifier在英语里很普遍,比如就我上面那个句子:We do a lot of practices and analyze the questions, to get ahigh score.
但是!注意主系表结构的句子。 Formembers of the seventeenth-century Ashanti nation in Africa, animal-hideshields with wooden frames were essential items of military equipment, to protectwarriors against enemy arrows and spears. 这里to protect 不能作adverbial modifier, 因为adverbial modifier是修饰的整个sentence/clause的意思,而这个句子主干是:Shields wereessential items of military equipment,和"toprotect"不搭调。
判断能否作为adverbialmodifier,有个简单的办法,就是像下面这样提问,看能否answer the how/why/where/when questions. 造个新句子:Members ofAshanti nation developed shields as essential items of military equipment, toprotect .... 句子主干:Members developedshields. Question: why did they develop shields? Answer: To protect .... Because "toprotect ..." answers the "why" question, it is regarded as anadverbial modifier.
当你这么检验的时候,你就会发现"toprotect" CANNOT answer the how/ why/ where/ when questions for"Shields were essential items of military equipment".
这和抽象同位语a method一样,你想要修饰整个句子,你可以说做一件事情是个method,但是主系表结构只是在谈论主语的性质,不涉及动作。 只有主系表接comma-ing才可以继续描述主语的其他性质。(OG12-30)
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