楊開華

seem用作連系動詞或不及物動詞,意為“似乎、好像、看來”,其常見用法歸納如下:

1.“主語+seem+(to be)+表語 ”

此時seem為連系動詞,后直接接形容詞或to be+形容詞或名詞(短語)作表語,以說明主語的特征或狀態(tài)。如:

Tom seems (to be)a very clever boy. 湯姆看上去是一個很聰明的男孩。

Everything seems easy.一切似乎很容易。

注意:afraid,asleep,awake等表語形容詞不能直接跟在seem 之后,必須和seem to be 連用,如:They seem awake.(誤)應(yīng)改為:They seem to be awake.

2. “主語+seem +不定式(或不定式的完成式)”

此句型中的seem 用作不及物動詞,不用在進行時態(tài)中,其與不定式一起構(gòu)成復(fù)合謂語(不定式作賓語)。如:

a. The moon seems to change its shape. 月亮好像在變換形狀。

b. I seem not to be able to make him happy. 我似乎不能使他高興起來。

c. They seemed to be eating something. 他們好像在吃什么東西。

d. I seem to have caught a cold. 我似乎已經(jīng)感冒了。

注意:seem 后跟不定式(短語)時,要注意不定式所表示動作發(fā)生的時間,以此來確定不定式的時態(tài),如例c、d;seem 后不定式的否定式習(xí)慣上在seem 前加dont ,也可以用seem not to...,如例b也可以說成:I dont seem to be able to make him happy.

3. “seem +分詞”

a. Our teacher seemed stopped by the question. 我們老師似乎被問題難住了。

b. The news seems exciting. 消息似乎令人興奮。

注意:seem后用現(xiàn)在分詞還是過去分詞,取決于分詞本身的邏輯主語,如句子的主語是分詞的邏輯主語,用現(xiàn)在分詞,如例b;反之用過去分詞,如例a。

4. “seem+like+n/v-ing”

like在這里是介詞,此句式等于seem to be結(jié)構(gòu)。如:

It seems like years since I saw you last time.自從上次見到你,好像過了幾年。

The girl seems like /to be a happy bird.那女孩好似一只快樂的小鳥。

5. “seem+ 介詞短語”

They seem in high spirits .他們似乎境界很高。

6. seem 常用于it作形式主語的“It seems /seemed that...”結(jié)構(gòu)中

該結(jié)構(gòu)中it作形式主語,“that...”是真正的主語。此結(jié)構(gòu)可以用seem后接不定式來改寫。如:

It seems that you were lying. 好像你在說謊。

It seemed that he was ill, so I called in the doctor.

=He seemed (to be) ill, so I called in the doctor. 看來他病了,所以我請了醫(yī)生。

注意:It seems that... 從句中,that從句可以用陳述語氣,也可以用虛擬語氣;或者在seem后可以跟一個形容詞。如:

It seems impossible that he will be here tomorrow.他明天在這里好像不可能。

7. seem通常用在“It seems/seemed to sb (that)…”結(jié)構(gòu)中,這種結(jié)構(gòu)用來表示“行為”的主體。如:

It seems to us a good chance. 對我們來說似乎是一個好機會。

It seems to me everything is all right.對我來說似乎一切都不錯。

8. seem也常用于“ There seem(s) to be+名詞”結(jié)構(gòu)中,to be可省略, seem的單復(fù)數(shù)形式要根據(jù)后面主語的名詞單復(fù)數(shù)形式而定。如:

a. There seems to be no need to wait longer.似乎沒有必要再等待了。

b. There doesnt seem to be too much hope of our team beating theirs.看來我們戰(zhàn)勝他們隊沒有多大希望了。

注意:(1)此結(jié)構(gòu)中seem表示 “似乎有;好像有……”,可以和It seems as if...轉(zhuǎn)換。如:

There seem to be a lot of things to do.=It seems as if there are a lot of things to do.

(2)“Thereseem(s) to be +名詞”這一結(jié)構(gòu)的否定形式為“There seem(s) to be +no+名詞”,如例a; 或“There doesnt seem to be +名詞”,如例b。

9. seem常用于由as if/though引導(dǎo)的從句中

a. It seems as if it was/were spring already.好像已經(jīng)是春天了。

b. It seems as though our plan will be perfect.似乎我們的計劃很完美。

注意:這種句式中,如果從句所敘述的事情實現(xiàn)的可能性較大或可以被設(shè)想為事實,從句的謂語用陳述語氣,如例b;若實現(xiàn)的可能性小或根本不可能實現(xiàn),從句用虛擬語氣,如例a。

10. seem 有時和人稱代詞I連用,意為“感到好像,覺得似乎”。如:

a. I seem unable to solve it right now. 看來我無法立即解決它。

b. I seem to have seen him somewhere before.我覺得以前在什么地方見過他。

【鞏固練習(xí)】

選擇填空:

()1. It ______ important for him to understand modern music.

A. seems B. appearsC. looks D. is seemed

()2. —Would you like to have a try?

—Yes, very much. It ______ to be exciting.

A. seemB. is lookingC. seemsD. will look

()3. Your mother seems ______ today. Whats the matter?

A. angryB. angrily C. to angryD. be angry

()4. The window seems ______.Whoit?

A. be broken, broke B. to be broken, broke

C. have brokendown, break D. broken, broken

()5. It ______ that I have seen him somewhere before, but Im not sure.

A. turns B. seems C.looks D. likes

Keys:A C A B B