有一读者问： 有这样一句话：
(1)The cows and their owners, most of them farmers' sons or daughters who had been given a calf to raise when it was born, were walking around the ring.
them之后是否少了动词were? them指代什么？
上述句（1）中的most of them farmers' sons and daughters...when it was born并没有少掉了动词were，而是一种无分词独立结构。看来你对不含分词的独立结构比较陌生，所以我们愿意在此比较详细地讨论一下。无分词独立结构的形式大致可分为四类： 名（代）词+名词；名（代）词+形容词； 名（代）词+小品词（或唤作“介副词”）或副词； 名（代）词+介词短语。现分别举例说明如下：
第一类由“名词或代词+名词或名词短语”构成。上述句（1）中的most of them farmers' sons and daughters...即属于这一类。（其内部的who had been given a calf to raise when it was born是一修饰farmers' sons and daughters的定语从句，此定语从句又内含一时间状语从句when it was born。）属于这一类的无分词独立结构并不罕见，再如：
(2)Masses of men had been killed, most of them Negroes .
(3)Master Hong often receives guests, many of them foreigners .
(4)Look how easily you have given me your love and confidence, me an utter stranger .
(5)He looked up at her, his handsome face all affection and life .
第二类由“名词或代词+形容词”构成，这一类在英语中也不乏其例，如：
(6)His plane lands at six-thirty, God willing .
(7)There were many varieties, none of them too expensive .
(8)She, her eyes hard and cold , stepped past him and went out.
(9)He entered the room, his nose red with cold .
下面一句中则含有两个相连的“名（代）词+形容词”无分词独立结构：
(10)The train moved off and she sat there, her eyes bright and shining , her little boy stiff and resolute .
第三类由“名词或代词+小品词或副词”构成，为数不少，较为常见，如：
(11)The lecture over , we left the hall.
(12)He was laid face down on the table.
(13)She walked by his side, all her heart and soul a flutter .
这一类结构往往已变成固定说法，如：
(14)He put on his socks (the)wrong side out .
(15)Everything is turning upside down .
(16)Moments later my child came head foremost into the world.
(17)I found we were going to win hands down .
第四类由“名词或代词+介词短语”构成，为数很多，十分普通。它又可分为下列几小类：
1）“零冠词+名（代）词+介词+零冠词+名词”，为数较多，如：
(18)She came in, book in hand .
(19)He stood there, pipe in mouth .
(20)Everybody at home , we sat down to dinner.
(21)They met face to face .
2）“零冠词+名（代）词+介词+限定词+名词”，也不罕见，如：
(22)She sat down at a table, pen in her hand .
(23)Hand over the receiver , Cleveland said, “What luck?”
(24)She thanked him, relief in her voice .
(25)They wrote about their view of the city, some with an historical perspective .
3）“限定词+名（代）词+介词+限定词+名词”，也不罕见，如：
(26)He leant back in the chair, his hands in the pockets of his coat .
(27)He marched briskly up the slope, the blanket across his shoulder .
(28)I came into the room, a carton of cigarettes in my hands .
(29)I waited, every nerve upon the stretch .
上述四类独立结构可被综合使用，如：
(30)He sat at the table, collar off, head down , and pen in position , ready to begin the long letter. （collar off与head down为第三类，pen in position为第四类）
(31)He strutted, his head up , his brow stern , his hands crossed behind his back . （his head up为第三类，his brow stern为第二类，his hands crossed behind his back为分词独立结构）
(32)A slight sound behind the three men caused them to turn; Pete and Robert with a start , Sam deliberately . （Pete and Robert with a start为第四类，Sam deliberately为第三类）
介词with亦可引导无分词独立结构，如：
(33)She is lonesome with her husband so much away .
(34)With conditions in every way favorable , he might succeed.
(35)She was completely taken aback, with her mouth wide open .
还须指出，上述无分词独立结构中大都可插入现在分词being而不改其意义，如上述句（3）即可改为：
(36)Master Hong often receives guests, many of them being foreigners.
但要注意being有时有“因为”的含义，如：
(37)His father being a soldier , he wants to go into the army.
这里的being显然就不是可有可无的了。
