先来看几个错误的句子:
1 Remote working is beneficialto save commuting time.
2More and more countries attach great importanceto reduce carbon emissions.
3One of the approachesto reduce carbon dioxideis to shop with recyclable bags.
这几句话都犯了一个错误:将介词to当成了不定式。正确的写法是改为动名词:
1 Remote working is beneficial tosavingcommuting time.
2More and more countries attach great importance toreducingcarbon emissions.
3One of the approaches toreducingcarbon dioxide is to shop with recyclable bags.
很多同学都记得有is adj to do sth结构。当这种结构用于对事情的性质进行描述时,句子主语必须是形式主语it,即It is adj to do sth.。
这类形容词有:important/essential、beneficial、helpful、useful、possible、difficult/easy、interesting、convenient等等,用于修饰事情/动作的性质。
将It is adj to do sth.还原成原始语序就是:To do sth is adj.由此可见,这里的形容词adj与to do sth是分开的两个独立成分。
不过,有几类形容词后面可以接to do sth。主要有:likely/prone/inclined(可能的趋势)、slow/quick/right/wrong(人物动作)、eager/glad/reluctant/afraid(人物情绪)等等。如:Many companies are prone/slow/relunctant to adopt remote working.很多公司倾向于/迟迟没有/不愿意采用远程工作。
1回到开头的第一句话:
Remote working is beneficialto save commuting time.(X)这句话对应的中文意思是:"远程工作对节省通勤时间有帮助。"
"对…有帮助(is beneficial to)"就类似于一个动作,而"节省通勤时间(save commuting time)"是这个动作的宾语,因此要变成ing形式。这与上面的It is adj to do sth.是两种完全不同的结构。
在英文写作中,be important to doing sth、be beneficial to doing sth等结构虽然语法上完全正确,但是用的相对较少,经常是转化为其他更自然的结构。为了避免结构过于生硬,有些形容词后则改用了介词for/in。如:be important to doing sth→play an important part/role in doing sthbe beneficial to doing sth→help (to) do sth、be helpful in/for doing sth
be useful to doing sth→be useful for doing sth
2再看开头的第二句话:
More and more countries attach great importanceto reduce carbon emissions. (X)这里的reduce carbon emissions同样是作宾语,作attach great importance to的宾语,即“对…给予重视”,同样存在“对…”这层意思。放在介词to后面作宾语,动词要变成v-ing。
类似的短语还有:pay attention to、look forward to、contribute to、dedicate…to等等。后面的动词都要加ing。
这样教大家一个简单的区分方法:一般来说,如果一个以to结尾的短语后面经常接名词,那么这个to就是介词。当这个to后面要接动词的话,就要变成v-ing。比如上面的几个动词短语,多数情况下后面都是接名词:
pay attention tothis issue、look forward toyour reply、contribute toeconomic prosperity、dedicate much time toresearch。
3再来说一下approach to后面为什么要加动名词,而不能是动词原形。
One of the approachesto reduce carbon dioxideis to shop with recyclable bags.(X)大家都知道有way to do sth。但是way表示方式时,并没有way to sth这种用法。也就是说这里的to是不定式。way可以视为英文中的一个特例。而所谓的way的"同义词",如approach/solution/method/remedy,后面都是可以接名词的,而且多数情况下是接名词。如:approach to education、solution to this problem。那么如果后面要接动词,就要变ing:One of the approaches toreducingcarbon dioxide is to shop with recyclable bags.
(method/remedy后面则不用to,用for,即method/remedy for sth/doing sth)