有些形容词其本身含有主动的意义,有些则含有被动意义,要特别注意这种语义上的区别。
【例如】
That s a very interesting story.
Children are interested to read the story. interesting是指故事能引起人的兴趣,有主动意义;interested则指孩子对故事感兴趣,有被动意义。判断形容词含主动或被动意义,除从语义上来区别外,在形式上有以下几点:
1)动词分词完全形容词化时是成对的,现在分词表示主动,过去分词表示被动。例如:amusing—amused. exciting—excited. pleasing—pleased. surprising—surprised. tiring—tired. satisfying—satisfied. confusing—confused. puzzling—puzzled等等。
【例如】
This is a tiring journey.这是一次令人疲惫的旅行。
We are tired after long walk.长途散步之后,我们累了。
Yesterday a surprising event happened here.昨天这里发生了一件惊人的事。
We are surprised when we heard the sad news.当我们听到这个悲惨的消息大吃一惊。
但也有不是成对的,如a charming girl,不说a charmed girl;可说encouraging words,不说encouraged words。
2)由动词加后缀而来的形容词,有些在语义上也有主动和被动的区别。一般来说,动词加后缀ful,ous,ent,ant构成的形容词表示主动意义;由动词加后缀able,ible构成的形容词表示被动意义。
【例如】envious羡慕;妒嫉的forgetful易忘的dependent依赖的tolerant能容忍的readable可读的movable可移动的eatable可食的defensible可防御的
同一动词加上表示不同语义的后缀,构成的形容词,其意义也不同。
forgetful易忘的
forgettable可忘的
respectful恭敬的
respectable可敬的
regretful懊悔的
regrettable令人遗憾的
credulous轻信的
credible可信的,可靠的
digestive消化的
digestible易消化的
delightful令人高兴的
delighted感到高兴的
desirous想望的
desirable值得想望的
persuasive打动人心的
persuadable易听人劝告的
Your choice of friends is most regrettable.你的择友标准是令人遗憾的。
We said good-bye to our friends, feeling regretful that we had to leave and would probably never see them again.
He is out of work and dependent on his wife s earnings.
The parents are the most dependable persons for their children.
Such a credulous fool as I was—I should have known better than to believe I d get a contract.
His story is hardly credible, how could all that happened to one person.