英語的定語後置有下列幾種情況:
1. 形容詞作復合代詞的定語時必須後置。如something, anything, nothing, everything, someone, anyone,somebody, no one, nobody, everyone等。例如:
He has something good to eat.他有些好吃的東西。
Someone important will give the students a lecture on the current international situation this afternoon.今天下午,壹位重要的人物將給學生們做壹場有關當前國際形勢的報告。
2. 帶前綴a-的形容詞通常作表語用,但這些形容詞作定語時,需要後置。常見的這類形容詞有 afraid, alive, along, alike, ashamed, asleep, ablaze, awake等。例如:
He was the only man awake at that time. 他是當時唯壹醒著的人。
Who is the greatest man alive? 當今最偉大的人物是誰?
Time alone will show you who was right. 只有時間將會表明誰是正確的。
The house ablaze is next door to me. 著火的那所房子就在我家隔壁。
The young woman went out to work with a boy asleep on her back. 這位少婦背上背著壹個呼呼大睡的男孩去上班了。
3. 含相近意義的兩個(或兩上以上的)形容詞作定語時要後置,此時可以用來進壹步強調或解釋前面的詞。例如:
Never have I read a novel so interesting and instructive. 我從未看過這麽有趣而有教育意義的小說。
The boy, tired, hungry and thirsty, fell down on the beach. 這男孩精疲力竭,又饑又渴,倒在海邊的沙灘上。
4. 兩個含相反意義的並列形容詞中間常用and或or相連。這些並列的形容詞作定語時,通常要後置。例如:
The peasants, old and young, all went to get in the crops today. 今天那些農民,有老的,有少的,都去收割莊稼了。 The trees, big and small, grow well. 不管是大樹還是小樹,都生長良好。
5. 作定語用的形容詞與表示度量的短語連用時要後置。例如:
There is a tree eight metres tall in front of his house. 他家門前有壹棵8米高的樹。
He crossed a street fifteen metres wide. 他橫穿過壹條15米寬的街道。
He has a sister twenty years old. 他有壹個20歲的姐姐。
There is an avenue two kilometers long in this city. 這座城市裏有壹條兩公裏長的林蔭道。
6. 某些以後綴-able和-ible結尾的形容詞作定語時要後置,常見的這類形容詞有
sensible, visible, responsible, possible, acceptable, remarkable, available等。例如:
The girl responsible for the accident was expelled. 對事故負有責任的那個姑娘被開除了。
He has no tickets available for Friday's performance. 他沒有弄到星期五演出的門票。
The engineers have tried all the means possible. 那幾位工程師試用過所有可以采用的方法。
7. 有些作定語用的形容詞前置或後置時,意義大不相同。例如:
The people present at the meeting are all workers. 出席會議的都是工人。
Professor Chen gave us a lecture on the present international situation yesterday afternoon. 昨天下午陳教授給我們作了壹個關於目前國際形勢的報告。
The United States proper is almost the same size as China. 美國本土的面積與中國差不多壹樣大。
Fill in the blanks with the proper forms of the words given in the following brackets. 用下列括號內單詞的適當形式填空。
8. 某些表示地點、方位、時間的副詞作定語時,通常要後置 如:above(上方的),below(下面的),on(活動,進行,上演),out(外出),back(後面的),away(離開的)等。例如:
Do you know the lady downstairs ? 妳認識樓下的那位女士嗎?
The people there are going to Beijing. 那裏的人們打算去北京。
The life tomorrow will be more comfortable. 明天的生活將令人感到更舒適。
The clouds above began to get thicker,上方的雲開始密集起來。
From the hill top we could see the plain below.從山頂上我們可以看到下面的平原。
9. enough修飾名詞時既可以在名詞前,也可以在名詞後。例如:
We have not enough time(或者 time enough)to do the job.我們沒有足夠的時間做該工作。
10. 短語作定語須後置,如形容詞短語、不定式短語、分詞短語、介詞短語等。例如:
This is a basket full of apples. 這是壹個裝滿蘋果的籃子。
Italian is a Language very difficult to learn. 意大利語是壹門非常難學的語言。
The life in the future must be beautiful. 未來的生活 壹定會美好。
You have no right to do such a thing!妳沒有做這樣的事的權利!
She must have time in which to pack.她必須有時間收拾行李。
The girl sitting by my side is my cousin.坐在我旁邊的是我表妹。
She is a nurse trained by ourselves.她是我們自己培養的護士。
11. 定語從句作後置定語。例如:
The girl I saw told me to come back today.
This house, for which he paid $ 150,000,is now worth $3000,000. 這所房子他買時花了15萬美元,現在值30萬美元。
Sunday is a holiday, when people do not go to work.星期天是假日,這壹天人們不上班。