众所周知,英语动词有时态。在理论上,每个动词都可以有不同时态;事实上,并不如此。特别要注意的是,有些动词通常不以“进行式时态”(continuous tenses)出现,不管这进行式时态是现在的、过去的、现在完成的等等。
这样的动词是指哪些呢?
㈠ 与“情绪”有关的,如“want, desire, prefer, love, hope, hate, like, dislike, wish, forgive”等。
㈡ 与“五官”有关的,如“see, hear, smell, feel, notice, taste”等。
㈢ 与“拥有”有关的,如“owe, own, belong, possess”等。
㈣ 与“思考”有关的,如“understand, realise, mean, know, remember, forget, believe, suppose, agree, think imagine, recall, recognise, mind”等。
㈤ 接系动词,如“appear, seem, become, get, grow, turn, remain, look, sound”等。
㈥ 助动词,如“be, have”等。
㈦ 其他,如“equal, contain, deserve, need, depend, result, consist, care, doubt, differ, find”等。
因此,避免用(a)这样的句子;可用像(b)或(c)这样的句式:
①a. We are noticing a stranger entering the shop.
b. I noticed him stand near the cashier.
c. Have you noticed anything wrong with him?
②a. I am liking to be honest.
b. You don’t like to be a liar, do you?
c. Yes, we all dislike liars.
③a. You have done something wrong. Are you realising your mistake?
b. Yes, I realise it.
c. It’s really good for you to have realised your wrong-doing.
虽然在习惯上,上述几类动词不以进行式时态出现,但在特殊情况下或动词的意思转变时,有关的动词也可以用进行式的。例如:
⒈当主语意识强烈时或紧密地运用某感官时,与这感官有关的动词这时便可以进行式出现,如:
④ Don’t disturb your parents. They are listening to the news.
⑤ Why are you smelling the fish like that? Do you think it has gone wrong?
⑥ The police are watching the house to make sure that nobody leaves it.
⑦ The doctor is feeling the boy’s forehead with his eyes closed.
⑧ Mother was tasting the soup to make sure if it was nice.
⒉当意思转变时,感官动词可以是进行式时态,如:
⑨ The Selection Committee is seeing the shortlisted applicants now.(面试)
⑩ We have been hearing about his problems. What can we do to help?(获悉)