混淆的动词形态

　　以前谈过了动词形态的错误，这种错误屡见不鲜，是英语错误中常见的一种。因为这缘故，很多英语考试，都会有一项动词形式选择或改正的试题。

　　从观察所得，动词形态错误的一个原因是不规则动词的混淆所引起的。

　　这里便举些例子谈谈。

　　㈠ Hang

　　这动词有两个主要意思，就是"悬挂"和"吊死"。前者的过去式和过去分词是hung，如：

① Mr Lim hung a newly bought oil painting on the wall.

② Who has hung the dirty clothes on the tree?

　　Hang当"吊死"时用，它的过去式和过去分词是hanged，如：

③ The prisoner hanged himself in the prison.

④ Drug-traffickers, if arrested, will be hanged.

　　如果贸贸然用hung代替hanged或以hanged取代hung就会令人莫名其妙，如：

⑤ The murderer was caught and hung.

⑥ How can such a nice painting be hanged in the kitchen?

　　㈡ Lie

　　这动词的常见意思是"说谎"和"躺下"。前者的过去式和过去分词是lied；后者的是lay和lain。

　　若不小心，把两个动词的形式搞乱了，很可能会有这样的错误：

⑦ The puppy lied on the carpet and slept.

⑧ Have you lain to your good friend?

　　⑦里的应为lay；⑧里的是lied.

　　提到lay，它也是原动词，意思是"生产"或"摆设"；过去式和过去分词都是laid，如：

⑨ That hen has laid its first egg.

⑩ Mother laid the table for dinner.

　　㈢ Speed

　　当"急驰"时，这动词的过去式和过去分词是sped；和up连用当 "加速"解时，则用speeded，如：

The boy ran out of doors and sped down the main road.

The new scheme has speeded up the administrative process.

　　㈣ Bear

　　这动词有几个意思，包括"生产"和"出生"，过去形式是bore ，过去分词是born/borne，如：

Pat has borne two lovely children.

Lily was born after Singapore's independence.

　　Born只用在"出生"这意思上，其余的要用borne，如：

The Government's investments abroad have borne fruit.（结果）

David has borne with the unfriendly criticisms with tremendous courage.（忍受）

关键字:英语讲义
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