有一读者问: begin 有时后接动名词,有时则后接不定式,这到底是怎么回事?
这是一个具有普遍性的问题。对初学者来说,应该记住下列三点:
1. 如表主观意志,二者区别不大,如下面两句都可以说:
(1)He began to read the book yesterday.
(2)He began reading the book yesterday.
如有区别,那就是不定式 to read 强调具体动作的发生,动名词 reading 则强调动作的延续。
2. 如表客观情况(非主观意志),则多后接不定式,如:
(3)It began to rain .
(4)I begin to remember it.
这两句中的 to rain 和 to remember 皆表一客观事实不由主观意志所决定。
3. begin 的进行式 beginning 之后常接不定式,以免重复-ing 形式,如:
(5)You are young people .You are only beginning to live .
(6)It was just beginning to rain as I awoke.
