有一读者问：高中英语第一册有这样一句话：
(1)There, on the shore, were nine savages, sitting round a fire.
我认为这里的分词短语sitting round a fire是一定语，但有人则认为是一主语补足语，不知您的看法如何？
这里的分词短语sitting round a fire之前如无逗号，问题就简单了，自然应作为定语看。但当这种分词短语之前有了逗号时，语法家们的看法就不一致了。有的认为它是非限制性定语（这恐怕是为初学者最容易接收的），有的则认为它是主语补足语（强调其与主语的补充关系），也有的认为它是同位语（强调其与其前的名词的同位关系）。我们认为对这种分词短语可采取多种不同的分析法，不必非有一种统一的分析法不可。对学习英语的人来说，重要的是要掌握这种分词短语的用法，即其位于名词之后的其前具有逗号的用法。这种分词短语可置于句末，除上述句（1）中的sitting round a fire之外，还有如：
(2)He was a great realist, writing about ordinary men and women in their misfortunes and struggles.（he指代鲁迅）
(3)I feel it as a rare occasion, occurring as it does only once in many years.
(4)Approaching, he could hear, as always, the cries of infants, ranging in pitch and volume from full-lunged, anguished howls to tentative falsettos.
但请注意，这种分词短语之前的名词必须是它的逻辑主语，否则，这种分词短语就是状语了，如下面一句中的pulling it off即是伴随状语：
(5)He transfers cigarette and stick to his left hand, takes off hat and transfers it to left hand, and at the same time grips fingers of right glove, pulling it off!（pulling的逻辑主语并非其前的名词glove，而是全句的主语he）
然而，似乎在较多的情况下，这种以其前的名词为逻辑主语的分词短语，都是位于主语与谓语之间，如：
(6)I, leaning over the edge of the boat, looked down into the sea.
(7)Li, playing her first major international tournament, had her fast pushes and hits at their best and Mika simply scrambled.
(8)Motor cars, gliding by with their dimmed blue headlight,became few and far between.
但应注意，这种位于主、谓之间的分词短语有时却暗示原因，有点像是原因状语，尤其是分词being引导的短语，实例如：
(9)He, being a good Christian, steadily refused.
(10)The fifth, being a tall man, passed his hand over the elephant's ear, and said emphatically, “He's like nothing so much as a large fan.”（the fifth相当于the fifth blind man）
(11)Some media people, thinking they would be celebrating their victories, rushed to their residence for stories. （they与their皆指代中国运动员）
