形容词用来修饰名词;副词用来修饰动词、形容词、其他副词或整个句子。可是,有时形容词和副词容易混淆。例如“A fast train reached the destination fast”中的第一个“fast”是形容词,第二个就是副词。此外,有些词既能是形容词,也能是副词,有些词义不变,另些词义不同;有些形容词加上后缀“-ly”构成的副词和原来的形容词意思相近,但有一些意义则相差甚远;更有些形容词,除自己本身能兼而充当副词之外,又可以再加上后缀“-ly”构成派生副词,若不小心,容易引起混淆。
下面分别举例说明:
⑴可作形容词又可作副词,词义不同如:
①a. Joelle is a pretty child.(形容词) b. Tom will be back pretty soon.(副词)
②a. The old man has been ill for some time.(形容词) b. Don't speak ill of others.(副词)
⑵既是形容词,也是副词,句子中的语法功能不同,但意义一样,如:
③a. What a deep ocean it is !(深的) b. The boy dug deep into the ground.(深)
④a. Look at the high mountain!(高的) b. Birds fly high in the sky.(高)
⑶形容词可以充当副词,又可以加上后缀,构成派生副词。在某些场合,两者相近,可以通用(如例⑤和⑥);在另一些场合里,两者意思有异,不可混为一谈(如例⑦和⑧):
⑤a. Hold it tight, please! b. Hold it tightly, please!
⑥a. Please read slower. b. Please read more slowly.
⑦a. John came late yesterday.(迟) b. John has been working hard lately.(最近)
⑧a. Jason works hard.(努力地) b. Susan hardly works.(几乎不)
⑷有些形容词或副词,同时有多个意思,如:
⑨a. Hard labour(苦工) b. Hard times(艰难时代)
⑩a. The baby is fast asleep.(睡得熟) b. Run fast, please!( 请快跑) c. Hold the rope fast!(紧握绳索)
⑸同词根的派生形容词和形容词及分词间,意思虽甚接近,但容易引起混乱,如:
11a. The child is sleepy.(昏昏欲睡) b. The child is still asleep.(还在睡眠中) c. Why are you looking at the sleeping child?(睡着的)
12a. Diana feels lonely/ lonesome in the big house.(感到寂寞) b. Mary was alone in the office last night.(独自)
13a. Irene was awake the whole night last night.(整夜未眠) b. Tom had a wakeful night last night.(整夜未眠) c. What did you do during your waking hours last night?(醒着的时刻)
(a)和(b)意思相近,但(a)的 awake 只能作补足语;(b)的 wakeful 则没有这个局限。(c)里的 waking 现在分词和(a)及(b)的两个形容词也似同非同,不易随意取代。 |