英語講義【42】“疑問詞+不定式動詞”結構

字號:

英語有個很有用的結構,就是:疑問詞+不定式動詞(question word + to-infinitive)。
    疑問詞是疑問代詞“who, whom, what, which, whose”和疑問副詞“when, where, how, why ”。此外,連接詞“whether”也適用。
    “疑問詞+不定式動詞”結構有何功用呢?其主要功用有下列五種:
    ⑴當主語,如:
    ● When to hold the meeting has not yet been decided.
    ● Where to live is a problem.
    ● How to cope with the rising cost of living becomes a daily discussion topic.
    ⑵當賓語,如:
    ● We must know what to say at a meeting.
    ● He could not tell whom to trust.
    ● Do you know how to play bridge?
    ⑶當補足語,如:
    ● The problem is where to find the financial aid.
    ● The question is who to elect.
    ⑷當名詞同位語,如:
    ● Tom had no idea which book to read first.
    ● Do you have a rough impression how to do it?
    ⑸當賓語補足語,如:
    ● Jim is not sure whose to choose.
    ● Mary and John are not certain whether to get married or not.
    適用于“疑問詞+不定式動詞”的動詞包括:“know, see, decide, tell, ask, consider, discover, explain, forget, guess, hear, imagine, inquire, learn, remember, think, wonder, understand”等。
    有點值得特別注意的是:當這結構當賓語時,它的作用等于名詞分句,例如:
    ● I could not decide which dictonary to buy. / I could not decide which dictionary I should buy.
    ● Jack did not know where to find such a good teacher./ Jack did not know where he could find such a good teacher.
    有些動詞,如“ask, show, tell, advise, inform, teach”等,可以先有個賓語,然后才接著加上適當的“疑問詞+不定式動詞” 結構。例如:
    ● The chief technician showed the apprentice how to repair the machine.
    ● Have you told him where to get the application form?
    綜上所述,可見“疑問詞+不定式動詞”結構是個形象清新,既容易用又不容易出錯的特別結構,可以多多運用。