練穩(wěn)山
(江蘇省蘇州市職業(yè)大學(xué)外國語學(xué)院 江蘇·蘇州 215100)
英語代詞有格的形態(tài)變化。這主要是就人稱代詞而言,同時(shí)也涉及疑問代詞、關(guān)系代詞等等。英語的人稱代詞有三種格:主格、賓格和所有格即屬格。一般說來,人稱代詞在句中作主語,用主格;作賓語或介詞賓語,用賓格;表示“所有”,用屬格。但實(shí)際使用并非如此簡單。關(guān)于代詞格如何選擇,有以下幾點(diǎn)值得注意。
關(guān)于代詞主格和賓格的選擇,有以下幾個(gè)問題。
(1)人稱代詞在比較狀語從句中作主語,用主格;作賓語,用賓格。例如:
She doesn’t work as hard as he.她不如他那么用功。
I trust you as much as him.我對(duì)你和對(duì)他同樣信任。
但在口語中,人稱代詞在比較狀語從句中作主語,也可用賓格形式。例如:
You can’t expect to play tennis as well as me at your age.你不能指望在你這個(gè)年齡打網(wǎng)球和我一樣好。
但是,為了避免意思混淆,有時(shí)需要用主格。例如:
You hate him as much as I(=as I hate him).你和我一樣都不喜歡他。
比較:
You hate him as much as me(=as you hate me).你不喜歡他,同樣也不喜歡我。
當(dāng)比較狀語從句中的人稱代詞帶有all,both作同位語時(shí),通常都用賓格。例如:
She is more humorous than them both.她比他們兩人都更幽默風(fēng)趣。
(2)人稱代詞在句中作主語,通常用主格,但是在日??谡Z中,當(dāng)人稱代詞用于不帶謂語動(dòng)詞的省略句中作主語時(shí),習(xí)慣上用賓格形式。例如:
A:Does any of you know where Mary lives?
B:Me.
What!Me angry!Surely it’s him with a snub nose you mean,not me.什么!我生氣!你肯定是說那個(gè)鼻子扁短的他吧,而不是我。
(3)當(dāng)人稱代詞在強(qiáng)調(diào)句型中作中心成分時(shí)常用主格。例如:
This time it was I who answered this question.這次這個(gè)問題是我回答的。
但在口語中,作以上用法的人稱代詞,也可用賓格。例如:
It was me that broke the window.打破窗戶的是我。
如果作以上用法的人稱代詞在隨后的 who/that從句中處于賓語地位,就該用賓格。例如:
It was me who she sent to collect the money.她派去籌錢的人是我。
(4)人稱代詞在句中作表語時(shí),根據(jù)傳統(tǒng)語法,應(yīng)該用主格。但是在實(shí)際使用中,習(xí)慣上多用賓格。例如:
A:Who is knocking at the door?
B:It’s me.
If I were him,I would take the job.如果我是他,我就接受這份工作了。
(5)當(dāng)句子主語為“everybody/nobody+but/except+人稱代詞”結(jié)構(gòu)時(shí),由于but/except是介詞,因而根據(jù)傳統(tǒng)語法這種人稱代詞該用賓格。但在實(shí)際使用中,如果人稱代詞出現(xiàn)在主語位置上,也可用主格。但若以上結(jié)構(gòu)被分隔而使“but/except+人稱代詞”這一介詞短語出現(xiàn)在句尾時(shí),則人稱代詞用賓格。比較:
Nobody but he showed much interest in the proposal.
Nobody showed much interest in the proposal but him.
除了他沒有人對(duì)這個(gè)建議很有興趣。
Everybody except she knew the answer.
Everybody knew the answer except her.
除了她每個(gè)人都知道這個(gè)答案。
如果上述結(jié)構(gòu)用作句子賓語,那么人稱代詞只能用賓格。例如:
I saw nobody but him.除了他我沒看到任何人。
(6)在由人稱疑問代詞who引導(dǎo)的問句中,疑問代詞的格依據(jù)其在句中的功能而定:在正式場合,作主語用主格;作賓語或介詞賓語用賓格。例如:
Who has borrowed my pen?誰借了我的筆?
Whom do you like best?你最喜歡誰?
但在日??谡Z中,人稱疑問代詞只要在主語位置上,即使作賓語,也可用主格。例如:
Who did you meet?你碰到了誰?
Who else did you dance with besides Mary?除了瑪麗,你還跟誰跳了舞?
如人稱疑問代詞緊跟介詞之后,則只能用賓格。例如:
To whom shall I speak?我對(duì)誰說呢?
With whom did you go?你是跟誰一起去的?
(7)在由關(guān)系代詞whoever引導(dǎo)的名詞性從句中,該關(guān)系代詞的格也是依其在從句中的功能而定:作主語,用主格;作賓語或介詞賓語,用賓格。例如:
Whoever gets the job will have a lot of work to do.不管誰得到這份工作,要做的事情都很多。
She can marry whomever she chooses.她無論選擇誰,都可以與其結(jié)婚。
在口語中,常用whoever代替whomever.例如:
Give it to whoever you like.你喜歡誰就把它給誰。
Whoever you invite will be welcome.隨便你邀請誰,都?xì)g迎。
關(guān)于代詞賓格與屬格的選擇有以下幾個(gè)問題。
(1)當(dāng)動(dòng)名詞的復(fù)合結(jié)構(gòu)在句子中作賓語時(shí),人稱代詞通常用屬格。例如:
I can’t bear his staying up so late.他睡得這么晚,我受不了。
Excuse my interrupting you.請?jiān)徫掖驍嗄愕脑挕?/p>
但在口語中,作以上用法的人稱代詞用賓格的情況也不少。例如:
You say nothing about us calling.你不要說我們來拜訪的事。
I have often heard of him working very hard.我常聽人說他非常用功。
(2)在下列情況下,動(dòng)名詞復(fù)合結(jié)構(gòu)中的代詞多用屬格。例如:
He had no doubt of its being highly agreeable to her.他對(duì)它很適合她的胃口深信不疑。(動(dòng)名詞復(fù)合結(jié)構(gòu)中的it多用屬格its)。
She insisted on their both accepting the invitation.她堅(jiān)持要他們兩人都接受邀請。(both與all之前常用代詞屬格)。
He prided himself upon his dancing.他為自己的舞技感到自豪。(此處dancing可看作名詞化動(dòng)名詞,故前面該用his)。
He encouraged their living in their dormitory.他鼓勵(lì)他們住在他們的宿舍里。(此處謂語之后their living較為正式,口語中多用them to live)。
(3)當(dāng)句子帶有defer,deny,postpone等作謂語動(dòng)詞時(shí),隨后的動(dòng)名詞復(fù)合結(jié)構(gòu)中,人稱代詞通常只用屬格,不用賓格。例如:
My failure to finish the task deferred my taking a holiday.我未能完成任務(wù),所以推遲了我的度假安排。
He doesn’t deny his breaking the rule.他不否認(rèn)他自己違規(guī)了。
You kept postponing your coming.你不斷推遲你的到來。
(4)Forgive,pardon后用代詞賓格還是屬格,句型不盡相同,可以相互轉(zhuǎn)換。比較:
She forgave him for doing it.
She forgave his doing it.
她原諒了他做的那件事。
Pardon me for contradicting you.
Pardon my contradicting you.
原諒我反駁你。
(5)當(dāng)人稱代詞在句子中作賓語,隨后又有現(xiàn)在分詞作補(bǔ)語時(shí),無疑人稱代詞只能用賓格,不用屬格。例如:
She caught me smoking a cigarette.我抽煙被她撞上。
We found him waiting at the gate to receive us.我們發(fā)現(xiàn)他等在門口迎接我們。