what用法面面观夏金彪在高考英语中,考查或涉及what一词用法的试题频频出现,只把它对译成汉语的“什么”是不够的。
现将其用法归纳如下:一. what 作疑问代词,意为“什么;哪个,哪些”。
在句中作主语、宾语、表语或定语。
例如:What happened to him?(主语)他发生了什么事?What did you say?(宾语)你说什么?Now what is this?(表语)那么这是什么?What colour are your curtains? (定语)你的窗帘是什么颜色的?What country do you come from?(定语)你来自哪个国家?有时what前面可以带上介词。
例如:For what did you do it?(=What did you do it for?)你为何做这件事?On what will you depend?(=What will you depend on?)你将依靠什么?By what means did they get the information?他们是用什么方法得到这个信息的?In what circumstances will they sign the treaty?他们将在什么情况下签订条约?At what time did he finished the work?他在什么时间完成这项工作的?二. what 用作关系代词,相当于the thing (s) that / which ;the place that / which;the person that / who,引导名词性从句,what 在从句中也充当句子成分。
例如:What she saw (= The thing that she saw )gave her a fright. (引导主语从句)她看到的情况吓了她一跳。
I want to tell you what I hear. (引导宾语从句)我想告诉你我听到的。
He isn’t what he used to be. (引导表语从句) 他不是以前的他了。
I lived in what (= the place that) you call ancient Greece. (引导宾语从句)我生活在你们称之为古希腊的地方。
There arose the question what you did last night?(引导同位语从句)这就产生一个问题:你昨天晚上做什么了?三. what 引导感叹句。
例如:What a good heart you have! 你的心肠真好!What bad weather it is! 多糟糕的天气呀!What nonsense you talk! 你说什么糊涂话!感叹句的主语、谓语有时可省略。
例如:Oh, What a beautiful picture! 噢,多漂亮的一幅画!四. what 用于固定结构中。
1. what about 表建议或征求对方意见,意为“……怎么样?”。
例如:Of course I'll come. What about Friday? 我当然要来,星期五怎么样?What about sending him a copy? 送他一本怎么样?2. what if 意为“要是……怎么办?”或“即使……又有什么关系”。
例如:What if the weather is really bad? 要是天气真的不好怎么办?What if he gets angry? 即使他生气又有什么关系?3. (and) what's more 意为“而且”。
例如:It's a useful book, and, what is more, not an expensive one.这是一本有用的书,而且价钱也不贵。
We invited a new speaker and, what's more, he was happy to come.我们邀请了一位新的演讲者,而且,他很乐意来。
4. what … for 意为“为何;为什么”。
这一固定结构常用于口语中。
例如:What's that button for? 那个按钮是作什么用的?What did you do that for? 你这样做干什么?— I'm going to Shanghai. 我要去上海。
— What for? 去干什么?5. what with(=because of ;as a result of)意为“因为;由于……的结果”;what with… and (what with ) …意为“部分因为……,部分因为……”。
例如:She has been depressed,what with losing her job and having to move.她由于丢了工作还要搬家而感到沮丧。
What with overwork and what with hunger, he became sick at last. 一半由于工作过度,一半由于饥饿,他终于病倒了。
6.So what?what of it? 表示不感兴趣或认为不重要,意为“那又怎么样? ”例如:—I know Sally is your best friend. 我知道萨利是你最好的朋友。
—So what? 那又怎么样?—He isn’t satisfied with your plan. 他对你的计划不满意。
—Well, what of it? 那又怎么样?7. and what not; and what have you (=and so on ;etc)意为“以及各种其它东西;诸如此类;等等”。
例如:I bought sugar,tea,eggs,and what not. 我买了食糖、茶叶、鸡蛋之类的东西。
The shelves were crammed with books, documents, and what have you. 书架上塞满了书、文件之类的东西。
8. what is called,what we call,what you call,意为“所谓的”。
例如:He is, what is called , a living dictionary. 他就是所谓的活词典。
It is what you call a “new fashion”. 这就是你所谓的“新潮”。
9. what’s what, 意为“真相;具体情况”。
例如:This meeting is to discuss what’s what. 这次会议是要讨论一下具体情况。
Shirley’s been there before, she’ll tell you what’s what. 雪莉以前到过那里,她会告诉你怎么回事。
10. guess what, 用于说出令人感到惊讶的事情前,意为“猜猜发生了什么事;告诉你一个消息”。
例如:Guess what! The thief was caught on the spot. 告诉你一个消息,小偷被当场抓住了。
11. I tell you what, 用于提出意见或建议,意为“我有个主意;你听我说”。
例如:I tell you what, I’ll give you £20 for it.你听我说,那件东西我给你20英镑。
12. what the hell, 用于表示决定做某事,意为“管他呢!”例如:What the hell! It’s your birthday, let’s have beer! 管他呢!今天是你的生日,我们和啤酒吧!13. come what will(may),意为“不管发生什么事;不管怎样”。
例如:Come what will (may),I will always stand by you. 不管发生什么事,我将永远支持你。
14. What’s wrong? What’s the matter? 意为“怎么啦?发生了什么事?”例如:You look unhappy today. What’s wrong?你今天看上去不高兴。
怎么啦?15. what’s with, 美国口语,意为“……怎么啦?”例如:What’s with you people? 你们这些人怎么啦?16. have what it takes, 意为“具备成功的必要条件”。
例如:I reckon Jordi has got what it takes to be an international footballer. 我认为乔迪已具备作为世界级足球运动员的条件。
五. what 用于惯用句式中。
1. “What be …like?” (1)表示“情况怎样”,多指天气或气候。
(2) 表示“像什么;什么样,什么模样,怎样的”,指人或事物。
例如:What is the weather like today?今天天气怎么样?— What is your teacher like?— She is very kind and beautiful.—“你老师是怎样一个人?” —“她既善良又美丽。
”What will life be like in the future ?未来的生活是什么样子呢?另外,What… look like?只能指外表。
例如:—What does she look like?—She is tall and glamorous.She looks like a fil m star.—她长什么样儿?—她个子很高,很有魅力。
看上去像个电影明星。
2. “What do you think of…?”用于询问对方对……的看法或评价,意为“你认为……怎么样?”例如:What do you think of the idea?你认为这个主意怎样?What did you think of that film?你对那场电影评价如何?注意:“ What do you think of…?”是惯用搭配,不能改为“How do you think of…?”。
但我们可以说:How do you feel about the idea (that film)?或者How do you like/find the idea (that film)?3. what 与do with连用,意为“(怎样)处理、安排或对付等”。
what常有较灵活的翻译,常用结构是:“what …do with sth./sb.?”或“what to do with sth./sb.” 例如:What will you do with the letter?你将把那封信怎样处理?The kids do not know what to do with themselves on rainy days.孩子们不知道雨天干什么好。