英文時態的問題

2013-08-10 7:59 pm
No sooner had the mastiff been led into the hall than it sprang at Zhao Dun, the only one wearing a purple robe. Zhao dodged and ran for his life. He kept running round and round in the hall with the dog in hot pursuit. Officals at the scene stood aghast, not knowing wht to do. Ti Miming, the imperial military chief, Ti struck it down with one blow from his melon-shaped weapon. Then, grasping the dog by its jaws, he tore it into two pieces.


依照上段的句子可知事情是已過去的,請問上段中Then, grasping the dog by its jaws, he tore it into two pieces. 為何用現在進行式grasping?

回答 (4)

2013-08-10 11:06 pm
✔ 最佳答案
'Grasping' is a participle. It functions as an adjective here.

A continuous tense is made up of an auxiliary verb and a present participle (verb+ing). A present participle alone can either be a participle or a gerund.


最近我上載了一些錄像在Youtube,解釋一些基本的文法規則,希望可以幫到你。這個錄像正正回答你的問題
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuJCaiySNU0


2013-08-12 10:42:05 補充:
Why did you say it is 現在進行式, not 過去進行式? If it is 現在進行式, it should be 'is grasping'. If it is 過去進行式, it should be 'was grasping'. Without 'is'/'was', it is not a verb. It is not 進行式
2013-08-10 11:45 pm
這個 grasping 並不是一般的動詞,而是一個 participle 的一部分。

一個 participle 簡單來說,就是將一個「包含動作的完整句子」,變成一句 phrase (你可將它理解成一句「不完整的句子」),用來修飾句子中的元素,如 subject、object 等。

participle 最基本有兩個 form:「主動 (active)」和「被動 (passive)」

「主動」的 participle 表示,被修飾的元素「主動」去做 participle 中描述的動作,當中的「動詞」是用 ing form 的;「被動」的 participle 表示,被修飾的元素「被」做 participle 中描述的動作,當中的「動詞」是過去分詞來的。

故此,participle 中的動詞用 ing form 或過去分詞,是看「被修飾的元素是主動或被動」,而非像一般的 tense 般看時間。


你這句 grasping the dog by its jaws 就是「主動」的 participle (看是否 ing form 和意思來分辨)。

Then, grasping the dog by its jaws, he tore it into two pieces. 這句句子的意思是「然後,他抓住狗的下巴,把它撕開兩件」

事實上,這句其實可寫成兩句完整句子:Then, he grasped the dog by his jaws. He tore it into two pieces.

作者就是把 he grasped the dog by his jaws 變成 participle(grasping the dog by its jaws),用來修飾 he 這個元素,表示「he 主動去抓住狗的下巴」 。

記住,不要因為這件事是過去發生的而寫成「grasped the dog by its jaws」,這樣便會變成「被動」的 participle,意思上完全不通了。


你或許會問:一句 SVO 句不是不能有多於一個動詞嗎?

沒錯,但 participle 並不屬於 SVO 句的一部分,它只是額外的、用來修飾的,沒有了也不影響 SVO 句的文法。 例如 Then, grasping the dog by its jaws, he tore it into two pieces. ,沒了 grasping the dog by its jaws 這個 participle,文法依然正確:Then, he tore it into two pieces.,只是少了意思。

所以,participle 的好處就是能讓意思表達得更簡潔,試想想,如果不用 participle,你這個「然後,他抓住狗的下巴,把它撕開兩件」的意思便要寫成兩句了,但用了 participle 後,一句便搞掂。所以要善用 participle 啊。


希望幫到你。
參考: 自己
2013-08-10 11:39 pm
Then, grasping the dog by its jaws, he tore it into two pieces.= means

While he was grasping the dog by its jaws, he tore it into two pieces.

"grasping the dog by its jaws - not present continuous tense but an adjective phrase telling us what he was doing at the same time.


Grasping the dog by its jaws = adjective phrase (grasping is a gerund in this phrase and normally used in higher forms students - not at primary school
2013-08-10 11:23 pm
Lily,今次這個問題不是時態的問題。
請看Raymond 的解釋。


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