seem的用法是什么?

seem相当于系动词 在英语所有的连系动词中,除了be这个最常见的外,seem应该算是最常见的连系动词之一.而对于seem的用法,许多同学有个误解,就是以为seem后接表语时,表语前可随意地加上to be,也可随意地去掉to be.其实,seem后to be的省略和保留有不少讲究和值得注意的地方,本文归纳以下五种情况,供同学们参考.一、后接形容词时 当seem后接形容词作表语时,如果谈的是客观事实,即看上去肯定是真实的东西,通常用seem to be；如果谈的是主观印象,则通常只用seem.但由于这种区别在没有上下文的情况下并不总是很清楚,所以在许多情况下两个结构均可以用.如：He seems (to be) ill.他似乎生病了.He seems (to be) quite happy.他似乎很高兴.He seems (to be) quite rich 他似乎相当富有.She seems (to be) very sleepy today.今天她看上去很困倦.但在有些情况下,由于其语境比较特殊,可能用其中一个结构比另一个结构更合适,如下面一句中的seems后最好不用to be：He seems older than he is.他看上去比实际年龄大.二、后接名词时 在名词前通常要用seem to be(尤其是当名词前带有定冠词或物主代词修饰时),如以下各句中的to be均不能省略.如：He seemed to be the owner of the car.他好像就是车主.I spoke to a man who seemed to be the boss.我跟一个人说话,他看上去像是老板.Washing the car seems to be your main hobby.洗车似乎是你的主要爱好.但是,在着重表现主观感受的名词短语前,有时可以省去to be.此时名词前通常会有一个描绘性形容词修饰.如：It seems (to be) a good idea.那似乎是个好主意.It seems (to be) a real bargain.这东西似乎很便宜.下面一句中的fool前虽然没有形容词修饰,但a fool本身相当于形容词foolish：He seems (to be) a fool.他似乎是个笨蛋.三、后接非谓语动词时 后接不定式的被动式时,有时可以省略to be,而只保留过去分词(尤其是当其中的过去分词可用作形容词时更是如此).如：Ann and Robert seem (to be) made for each other.安和罗伯特真似天生的一对.She didn’t seem (to be) convinced by the argument.这个论点似乎没有使她信服.但后接不定式的进行式时,通常不能省略to be,因为seem后习惯上不接现在分词作表语.所以,下面各句中的to be均不宜省略：He seems to be saying something.他似乎在说什么.History seems to be repeating itself.历史似乎在重演.His health seems to be improving little by little.他健康状况看来正在好转.注：如果seem to be doing sth结构中的doing 不是现在分词,而是形容词,则可省略其中的to be.如：His idea seems (to be) exciting.他的主意看来令人激动.She seemed (to be) lacking in enthusiasm.她似乎缺乏热情.四、用于there be结构时 当seem用于there be结构时,其通常的表现形式为There seems to be…,其中的to be可以省略,也可以保留,但以保留为多见.如：There seems to be something wrong here.这儿好像有点不大对劲.There seems to be a mistake in these figures.这些数字中好像有个错误.There seemed (to be) nobody about,so I went in.附近似乎没有人,因此我就走了进去.There seems (to be) every reason to believe that business will get better.看来完全有理由相信生意会转好.注：省略to be后,seem便直接充当了be的作用.五、后接表语形容词时 在作表语用的以a-开头的形容词前通常不能省略to be.