语法(grammar)常被当成英语学习的全部,其实它只是给句子骨架(第 5 章)做变形和扩展的一套规则。本章不堆砌零碎规则,而是给你一张语法的系统地图:动词的变化(时态、语态、语气)+ 句子的扩展(从句)。理解了这张地图,零散的语法点就都有了归属。
学习目标
- 把语法看成一个有结构的系统,而不是一堆孤立规则。
- 掌握英语时态的"时 × 态"二维结构。
- 理解被动语态、情态动词、非谓语动词、三大从句的作用。
- 知道哪些是"主干规则"(必须掌握),哪些是"细节"(用到再查)。
6.1 语法到底在管什么
语法只做两件事:
- 让动词变形,以表达时间、状态、语气、主被动——因为现实世界的动作有"什么时候、做完没、是真是假、谁主动谁被动"的区别。
- 把句子连接、嵌套,以表达复杂的逻辑关系——通过从句和连词。
记住这个框架,下面所有内容都是这两件事的展开。
6.2 动词的变形(一):时态 = 时间 × 状态
英语时态常被说成"16 种",吓退很多人。其实它是一个清爽的二维系统:
- 时间(Time)4 种: 过去 Past / 现在 Present / 将来 Future / 过去将来。
- 状态(Aspect)4 种: 一般 Simple(事实/习惯)/ 进行 Continuous(正在进行)/ 完成 Perfect(已完成、对现在有影响)/ 完成进行 Perfect Continuous(一直在做)。
把"时间"和"状态"两两组合,就得到所有时态。先牢牢掌握下面这 6 个最高频、覆盖日常 90%+ 的核心时态:
| 时态 | 结构 | 表达 | 例 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 一般现在 | do/does | 习惯、事实、真理 | I work here. The sun rises east. |
| 一般过去 | did(动词过去式) | 过去发生并结束 | I worked yesterday. |
| 一般将来 | will do | 将来 | I will work tomorrow. |
| 现在进行 | am/is/are doing | 此刻正在进行 | I am working now. |
| 现在完成 | have/has done | 过去发生、和现在有联系/持续到现在 | I have worked here for 3 years. |
| 过去进行 | was/were doing | 过去某刻正在进行 | I was working at 8 pm. |
中国学习者的两大难点:
现在完成时 vs 一般过去时。 "I lost my key"(单纯陈述过去丢了)vs "I have lost my key"(丢了、现在还没找到、影响现在)。完成时强调对现在的影响或持续,过去时只陈述过去的事。
动词的不规则变化。 go-went-gone, eat-ate-eaten, be-was/were-been... 这批高频不规则动词只能专门背诵(找一张"不规则动词表",是必背清单)。规则动词则一律加 -ed。
学习策略: 先把上表 6 个时态用熟(能听懂、能说对),其余时态(过去完成、将来完成、各种完成进行)理解结构、用到再查,不必一开始死磕。
6.3 动词的变形(二):语态——主动 vs 被动
- 主动语态(active): 主语是动作的发出者。The cat ate the fish.
- 被动语态(passive): 主语是动作的承受者,结构 be + 过去分词。The fish was eaten (by the cat).
- 什么时候用被动: 不知道/不关心谁做的,或想强调承受者。English is spoken all over the world. / The window was broken.
- 各时态都有对应被动形式:is done / was done / has been done / will be done。
6.4 动词的变形(三):语气——陈述 vs 虚拟
语气表达说话人对"真实性"的态度:
- 陈述语气: 陈述事实。She is here.
- 祈使语气: 命令、请求(省略主语 you)。Close the door. Please sit down.
- 与现在相反:If I were you, I would go.(我不是你)
- 与过去相反:If I had known, I would have told you.(其实当时不知道)
- 愿望:I wish I were rich.
6.5 情态动词(Modal Verbs):给动作加"态度"
情态动词(can, could, may, might, must, should, will, would, shall)放在实义动词前,表达可能性、能力、义务、许可等。它们不随人称变化、后接动词原形。
| 情态动词 | 主要含义 | 例 |
|---|---|---|
| can / could | 能力、可能、(could 更委婉)请求 | I can swim. Could you help? |
| may / might | 许可、(不太确定的)可能 | You may go. It might rain. |
| must | 必须、(强烈)推测 | You must stop. He must be tired. |
| should | 应该(建议) | You should rest. |
| will / would | 意愿、将来、(would 更委婉) | I will help. Would you like tea? |
6.6 非谓语动词(Non-finite Verbs):动词的"变身"
一个简单句只能有一个谓语动词。当一个句子里需要用到第二个、第三个"动作"时,多出来的动词要"变身"成非谓语形式,去充当名词/形容词/状语等成分。这是英语简洁表达的关键,也是难点:
- 不定式 to do: 表目的、将来、未发生。I want to learn English. / I came here to study.
- 动名词 doing: 把动作当名词用。I enjoy swimming. / Reading is fun.
- 现在分词 doing: 表主动、进行,作定语/状语。the running water / Hearing the news, she cried.
- 过去分词 done: 表被动、完成,作定语/状语。a broken window / Given more time, I could finish.
这一节很容易混。抓住核心区别:不定式朝向"未来/目的",动名词把动作"名词化",现在分词表"主动/正在",过去分词表"被动/完成"。
6.7 句子的扩展:三大从句
回忆第 5 章——从句就是"用一个完整的句子,去充当另一个句子里的某个成分"。按它充当的成分分三类:
(1) 名词性从句 —— 整个从句当名词用(作主语/宾语/表语)
由 that, what, whether, who, when 等引导。
- 作宾语:I think that he is right.
- 作主语:What he said is true.
- 作表语:The question is whether we can win.
(2) 定语从句(关系从句)—— 修饰名词,相当于一个"形容词"
由关系词 who(人), which(物), that(人/物), where, when, whose 引导,紧跟在被修饰的名词后。
- The man who lives next door is a doctor.(who 从句修饰 man)
- This is the house where I grew up.
- 关键:关系词既引导从句,又在从句中充当成分(who 在从句里作主语)。这是中国学习者的一大难点,需要专门练。
(3) 状语从句 —— 修饰整个主句,表时间/原因/条件/让步等
由从属连词引导:
| 类型 | 连词 | 例 |
|---|---|---|
| 时间 | when, while, before, after, as soon as | Call me when you arrive. |
| 原因 | because, since, as | I stayed home because it rained. |
| 条件 | if, unless | If it rains, we'll cancel. |
| 让步 | although, though, even if | Although he tried, he failed. |
| 目的 | so that, in order that | Speak louder so that everyone can hear. |
读懂长难句的总钥匙(综合第 5、6 章):
找出所有谓语动词 → 有几个,大致就有几个分句。
找连词/关系词 → 它们是分句之间的"接缝"。
确定哪个是主句主干,其余从句各修饰/充当什么成分。
主干 + 嵌套关系一清楚,再长的句子也能拆开。
6.8 怎么学语法才不痛苦
- 别背规则,要在句子里理解规则。 每条规则都回到第 5 章的句子骨架上去看它在改什么。
- 分清主干和细节。 6 个核心时态、五种基本句型、三大从句是主干,必须熟练;各种完成进行时、虚拟语气的全部变体是细节,用到再查。
- 语法靠"大量正确输入"内化,不靠刷题。 题做对了不等于会用。真正的语感来自第 8 章的大量阅读和听力——你见过几百次正确的现在完成时,自然就会用了。
- 输出时容忍错误。 说和写时先求表达出来,再逐步改对。怕错而不开口,语法永远停在纸面。
6.9 参考数据(附录)
完整时态矩阵(时间 × 状态,以 work / go 为例)
行是 4 种时间,列是 4 种状态。先掌握加粗的 6 个核心格,其余理解结构、用到再查。
| 时间 \ 状态 | 一般 Simple | 进行 Continuous | 完成 Perfect | 完成进行 Perf. Cont. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 现在 | work(s) | am/is/are working | have/has worked | have/has been working |
| 过去 | worked | was/were working | had worked | had been working |
| 将来 | will work | will be working | will have worked | will have been working |
| 过去将来 | would work | would be working | would have worked | would have been working |
各时态一句话用法
| 时态 | 用于 | 例 |
|---|---|---|
| 一般现在 | 习惯、事实、真理 | The earth goes round the sun. |
| 现在进行 | 此刻正在/近期安排 | I'm reading now. We're meeting tomorrow. |
| 现在完成 | 过去发生、影响/持续到现在 | I have finished. She has lived here for years. |
| 现在完成进行 | 强调动作持续到现在并可能继续 | It has been raining all day. |
| 一般过去 | 过去发生并结束 | I saw him yesterday. |
| 过去进行 | 过去某刻正在进行(常作背景) | I was cooking when he called. |
| 过去完成 | 过去某动作之前已完成(过去的过去) | She had left before I arrived. |
| 一般将来 | 将来的事/临时决定 | I will call you. |
| 将来进行 | 将来某刻正在进行 | This time tomorrow I'll be flying. |
| 将来完成 | 将来某时点之前完成 | By 2030 I will have graduated. |
常用不规则动词三态表(高频必背)
格式:原形 — 过去式 — 过去分词
A-A-A(三态同形)
cost-cost-cost cut-cut-cut hit-hit-hit let-let-let
put-put-put read-read-read(读音变 /riːd-red-red/) set-set-set
shut-shut-shut hurt-hurt-hurt spread-spread-spreadA-B-B(过去=过去分词)
buy-bought-bought bring-brought-brought think-thought-thought
catch-caught-caught teach-taught-taught seek-sought-sought
make-made-made have-had-had hear-heard-heard
say-said-said pay-paid-paid lay-laid-laid
find-found-found feel-felt-felt keep-kept-kept
sleep-slept-slept leave-left-left lose-lost-lost
build-built-built send-sent-sent spend-spent-spent
sit-sat-sat stand-stood-stood understand-understood-understood
win-won-won hold-held-held meet-met-met
tell-told-told sell-sold-sold get-got-got(美 gotten)A-B-C(三态全变)
be-was/were-been do-did-done go-went-gone have-had-had
begin-began-begun drink-drank-drunk swim-swam-swum sing-sang-sung
ring-rang-rung run-ran-run come-came-come become-became-become
eat-ate-eaten give-gave-given take-took-taken shake-shook-shaken
write-wrote-written drive-drove-driven ride-rode-ridden rise-rose-risen
speak-spoke-spoken break-broke-broken choose-chose-chosen freeze-froze-frozen
fly-flew-flown grow-grew-grown know-knew-known throw-threw-thrown
draw-drew-drawn show-showed-shown see-saw-seen fall-fell-fallen
wear-wore-worn tear-tore-torn bear-bore-born forget-forgot-forgotten
hide-hid-hidden bite-bit-bitten forbid-forbade-forbidden情态动词细微差别(可能性强弱)
推测一件事时,确信度从高到低:
must (几乎肯定) > will/would > should/ought to (应该) > can/could (可能) > may (也许) > might (说不定)| 功能 | 现在/将来 | 过去(modal + have + 过去分词) |
|---|---|---|
| 肯定推测 | He must be home. | He must have been home.(当时一定在家) |
| 可能 | It may/might rain. | She may/might have left.(也许已经走了) |
| 建议/责备 | You should rest. | You should have told me.(你本该告诉我,却没有) |
| 能力/许可 | Can I go? | I could swim at five. |
三大从句速查
| 从句 | 充当成分 | 引导词 | 例 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 名词性从句 | 主/宾/表/同位语 | that, what, whether, if, who, when, why, how | I don't know what he wants. |
| 定语(关系)从句 | 修饰名词(形容词性) | who, whom, whose, which, that, where, when | The book that I bought is good. |
| 状语从句 | 修饰主句(副词性) | when, while, because, if, although, so that, as | When you're ready, call me. |
动手实践
- 时态对比。 用 "I (work) here" 这个框架,分别写出 6 个核心时态的句子,并说出每个表达什么时间/状态。
- 主被动转换。 把 5 个主动句改写成被动句(注意时态对应),体会什么时候被动更自然。
- 从句改写。 把两个简单句,分别用名词从句、定语从句、状语从句各合并一次。例如 "I know it." + "He is honest." → "I know that he is honest."
- 拆长句。 找一个含两个以上从句的长句,按上面"读懂长难句的总钥匙"四步拆解,画出主干和从句结构。
- 建不规则动词表。 抄一份高频不规则动词三态表(go/went/gone 类),放进 Anki 开始背。
小结与下一步
语法只做两件事:让动词变形(时态=时间×状态、语态、语气、情态、非谓语)和让句子扩展(三大从句)。抓住主干(6 个核心时态、三大从句),细节用到再查,靠大量正确输入内化而非刷题。
至此,从声音到语法的"零件"都齐了。但单个词会读、句子会写,不等于"听得懂、说得地道"——下一步要处理"词连起来说"的语流问题。进入 第 7 章:连读与口语语流。