瞬間動詞
表示一個動作發生在一瞬間,非常短暫,比如late(遲到);亦稱終止性動詞。
常見的有begin, start, finish, go, come, leave, find, get up, arrive, reach,get to, enter, hear, stop, open, close, become, buy, borrow, lend, happen,join, lose, renew, die, take away, put up, set out, put on, get on/off等。
持續性動詞
表示一個動作可以持續一段時間或更長時間。常見的有study, play, do, read, learn, drive, write, clean, sleep, speak,talk, wait, fly, stay, write, sit, stand, lie, keep等。
持續性動詞在完成時中能與表示持續一段時間的狀語連用,而瞬間性動詞則不能。
另一個常見的錯誤說法:
I joined the team for 5 years.
join 也是瞬間動作,正確說法是:
I joined the team 5 years ago.
我5年前加入這個團隊。
瞬間性動詞在完成時中如要與表示持續一段時間的狀語連用,通常有兩種方法:
①
用it is…since…結構來替換瞬間動詞
例如:
電影已經開映5分鐘了。
It’s five minutes since the film began.
這本書我還給圖書館已有兩周了。
It’s two weeks since I returned the book tothe library.
他離開倫敦已有3天了。
It is three days since he left London.
②
用意思相當的持續性動詞來替換
例如:
He has been in the army/a soldier for three years.
他參軍已有3年了。
(不能用has joined)
She has been up for quite some time.
她起床已有好久了。
(不能用has got up)