prepositional phrase (介係詞片語)

prepositional phrase as subject (介係詞片語作主詞)

問：To Beijing is not very far.
到北京不很遠。
如何分析上面的句子?

答：現代英語文法學家們已承認介係詞片語有資格充當主詞, 例如:

1. From Boston to New York is two hundred miles. 從波士頓到紐約有200 英里。
2. From racing to politics was a short step. 從賽馬到政治只是一步之隔。
3. On the table is where I left it. 桌子上就是我放它的地方。
4. After the exams is the time to relax. 考試後是輕鬆一下的時間。

(參見from4)

prepositional phrase as prepositional complement(用作介係詞受詞的介係詞片語)

問：Then I look my watch from under the pillow.
這裡為什麼用兩個介係詞, 如何分析這樣的句子?

答：使用兩個介係詞能夠精確地表示空間或時間等關係。假如上面的句子只使用from, 而不使用under, 那就不能明確地表達是從枕頭的什麼位置取出了手錶。遇到這種情況, 可把介係詞片語(under the pillow) 看作是第一個介係詞的受詞。在英語裡兩個介係詞並用的情況是很多的。例如:

1. He picked up the gun from behind the counter. 他從櫃檯後面拿起了槍。
2. We didn’t meet until after the show. 我們直到演出後才見面。
3. They were mostly elected from among the workers. 他們大多數是從工人中選出來的。
4. The weather has been fine except in the north. 除了北部, 天氣很好。
5. He did not see her till within a few weeks of his death. 他一直到去世前的那幾個星期才看到她。