英语中的程度副词与频度副词
1. 程度副词的用法特点
程度副词用于表示程度,常见的程度副词有 fairly, pretty, rather, quite, very, much, too, greatly, highly, awfully, deeply, partly, perfectly, really 等;程度副词主要用于修饰形容词和副词,有的还可修饰比较级(如much, rather 等)和最高级(如quite, much, almost 等)。如:
I'm quite certain of that. 对那事我完全可以肯定。
He speaks very highly of you. 他对你评价很高。
His illness is far more serious than we thought. 他的病比我们想像的要严重得多。
注:quite 有时也修饰比较级,但只用于quite better(身体康复)这一表达。有的程度副词(如quite, rather, almost等)可修饰动词,但有的(如fairly, pretty, very等)则不能修饰动词。
2. 频度副词的用法特点
频度副词表示动作发生的次数,常见的频度副词有ever, never, rarely, seldom, once, often, occasionally, constantly, frequently, usually, continually, always 等。频度副词通常位于实意动词之前,动词be、助动词、情态动词之后(有时为了强调,频度副词也可位它们之前)。如:
The children are seldom ill. 这些孩子很少生病。
Do you often watch television? 你常看电视吗?
I've never been out this late before. 我从来没在外面待到这么晚。
注:有的频度副词可位于句末(尤其受very, only修饰时)。如:
I go there alone very seldom. 我很少一个人去那儿。
You should oil that machine often. 你应当经常给那台机器上油。
注:含有否定意义的频度副词置于句首时,其后要用倒装语序:
Never have I read such books. 我从未读过那样的书。