非谓语动词包括不定式、动名词和分词,非谓语动词可在句中作主语、宾语、补语、定语和状语。
一、非谓语动词作主语
1.不定式作主语
(1)不定式作主语表示某一次的具体动作、将来的动作或一般情况。作主语的不定式有时态和语态的变化,而且谓语动词的数通常用单数。
To hesitate means failure.
犹豫不决就意味着失败。
To know everything is to know nothing.
样样皆通,样样稀松。
To smoke so much is not very good for you.
抽这么多烟对你身体很不好。
(2)有时候为了保持句子平衡,也可以用it作形式主语,而将作真正主语的动词不定式后置。
It is our duty to give as much help as possible.
提供尽可能多的帮助是我们的职责。
(3)不定式的复合结构由"for/of sb.to do"构成,"介词+sb.(sth.)"表明不定式动作的发出者,为不定式的逻辑主语。
It's difficult for us to finish the work.
对我们来说,完成这项工作是困难的。
It's clever of you to work out the maths problem.
你真聪明,解出了这道数学题。
[名师点津]
若形容词是描述事物,不是对不定式行为者的品格进行评价,用for;若形容词是描述不定式行为者的性格、品质的,用of。
[即时训练1] 单句语法填空
(1)用所给词的适当形式填空
① To stop (stop)the work now seems already impossible.
②To finish (finish)the work in ten minutes is very hard.
③It was foolish of you to give (give)up what you rightly owned.