上周日从医院回来不到10分钟，就接到了一个电话，是学生家长打来的，问我当天能否上课。看来学生及家长还是很心切的，这个心情我理解，所以今天中午我就电话通知了他们，今晚准备给他们上最后一节课，也作为我今年在本地做家教的最后一节课。女儿要走了，我为期一年的陪读任务也就随之完成了，我也该结束这窝窝囊囊的一年，出去工作了，以后本地人就是出具天价也不会听到我讲课的声音了。

   为了表示纪念，给“万杰英语补习中心”划上一个圆满的句号，特将此次讲课内容公开，以备日后观之。

序言

    主谓宾定状补同表插，三三见九，也就是说，英语中总共有九种句子成分。其中只有两种成分被称为主要成分，就是主语和谓语，它们如同一个家庭里面的父母长辈一样，地位不可动摇。一个句子什么都可以没有，不可没有主谓，所谓“国不可缺君王，句不可缺主谓”，说的就是这个道理（当然，祈使句和谓语省略等特殊情况除外）。

    剩下的七种成分，都是平起平坐的小喽啰，可有可无。比如说定语就是一种修饰语，它是对被修饰词在性质、特征上进行描述的。我喜欢把定语比作“花边儿”，亭亭少女身上所穿裙子的美丽花边儿，裙子自然是主体，花边儿是修饰和点缀，当然，这个点缀可美可丑，可多可少。

    东方人和西方人不同，中国人和美国人不同，这些不同表现在形式上，产生在思想里，根植于文化中。语言文字作为记录文化的载体，自然这中文和英文在表达的许多方面就大相径庭。这个矛盾体现在定语上，就是出现了前置定语和后置定语的问题。我经常说这么一句话：汉语里有多少前置定语，英语中就有多少后置定语。我们汉语不管一个名词前的定语有多少有多长，统统放在名词的前面，这就是著名的偏正词组，先偏后正。而英语里则有相当多的后置定语，从而形成了与汉语背道而驰的“正偏词组”，先正后偏。

    同学们能够主动提出这个问题让我来讲解，看来它在一定程度上阻碍了同学们的英语学习，今天我们争取在这两个小时里，从方方面面对后置定语做个透视，把这个问题解决了。

 

一、所有的短语作定语要后置（介短、形短、不短、分短）

1.介词短语作后置定语

the fall of the Roman Empire罗马帝国的灭亡

children under ten 10岁以下的孩子

a thirst for knowledge求知欲

his experience in teaching phonetics 他教授语音学的经验

Then the man in the shop understood what the Frenchman meant.（介词短语）

I see you’ve made some drawings of our defence works.

2. 不定式短语作后置定语

He had no time to think about rest.

3.分词短语作后置定语，在意思上相当于一个定语从句

China stretches across a vast area covering (=which covers ) the cold, temperate and tropical zones.

中国幅员辽阔，包括寒带、温带和热带。

We are brothers sharing (=who share) weal and woe.

我们是患难与共的兄弟。

They live in a room facing (=that faces) the sea.

他们住在一间朝南的房子里。

They are problems left(=which have been left) over by history.

这些是历史遗留下来的问题。

The problem (that was) discussed has been solved.

The amount of work (that was) done can be measured in this way.

The experience (that has been)gained will be of great value to us.

There were very few people living here.(现在分词短语)

Mr.Smith, the boss of a small factory, once hired a young worker called John Hill.(过去分词短语)

4. 形容词短语作后置定语，相当于一个定语从句

He cast it a second time and drew in an old basket full of sand.

He saw a magazine on the table next to him.

word suitable to the occasion 适合这样场合的言辞

a village remote from the madding crowd 远离喧嚣尘世的村庄

sentences difficult to understand 难于理解的句子

a man ready to lend a hand at any time

一个随时乐于帮助他人的人

二、所有的定语从句一律自然后置

Then there is only one thing I can do.

三、甚至许多单个单词也可作后置定语：

 1.形容词作后置定语

①四one、四thing、四body、四where的修饰语（如something, somewhere, anyone, anybody），定语只能后置。

Have you read anything interesting?

Anyone intelligent can do it. 任何有脑子的都能做这事。

There was somebody else in the room besides us.

Let’s go somewhere quiet.

He wanted to get someone reliable to help in this work.

他想找一个可靠的人帮忙做这工作。

This store carries everything necessary for painting.

这家商店卖绘画所需的任何商品。

There is something wrong with my TV. 我的电视出毛病了。

So it’s nothing serious, Doctor?

One day while they were working in the fields, some farmer saw something strange in the sky.

There is something important in today's newspaper. 今天报纸上有条重要新闻。

He wanted to get someone reliable to help in this work. 他想找个可靠的人帮忙做这项工作。

Can you find anywhere quiet?  你能找个清静的地方吗?

He has been sent to somewhere particular. 他已被派到某个特殊的地方去了。

 

②某些以-able或 –ible结尾的形容词若与有限制性较强的定语.如only, all, any, every或形容词最高级连用，表示暂时的特征或现象时，常后置。

We must save the patient by every means imaginable.

It’s the best performance possible. 这是再好没有的表演了。This is the best solution possible.

That’s the only star visible now. 那是颗现在唯一可见的星。

There’s only a little money available for the trip.

这趟旅行只有少数的钱可供花用。

He was the only actor suitable. 他是唯一合适的演员。

It's the only solution possible. 这是唯一可能采取的解决办法。

Are there any tickets available? 还有票吗?

That's the only star visible now. 那是颗现在唯一可见的星星。

 

③两个或两个以上的形容词词组作定语、修饰泛指意义的名词时常后置，以加强语气。如：

I have never seen a film more interesting and instructive.

我还从未看过这样有趣又有教育意义的电影。

All villagers, young and old, went out to harvest the crops.

老少村民都去收割庄稼了。

We like the teachers both knowledgeable and humorous.

我们喜欢知识渊博又有幽默感的老师。

 

④有少数几个以a- 开头的表语形容词作定语，如alive, alone, ablaze 等和present, absent, concerned, involved等表示短暂性特征时，通常放在它们所修饰的名词之后。如：

They are the happiest children alive.

All the members present are from Africa.

all the students present所有在场的学生

The people involved were not here.

the only person awake 唯一醒着的人 catch a lion alive活捉狮子

There’s only a baby asleep in the room.

屋子里只有一个熟睡的婴儿。

He was the only person awake at the moment. 他是那时唯一醒着的人。

He is one of the few workers alive today who took part in the strike.他是参加过这次罢工当今还活着的少数工人之一。

 

⑤enough作定语修饰的名词前无冠词时，要后置。例如：

I don’t have wine enough for five persons.

我的酒不够给5个人喝。

I was fool enough to accept his offer.

我接受他的建议可真够傻的。
I haven't time enough to do the work．我没有足够的时间做那件工作。
He hasn't man enough to admit his mistake．他没有勇于认错的大丈夫气概。

⑥proper作“本身的、严格意义上的”讲时必须放在所修饰的名词之后。如：

After the introduction we started the meeting proper.

 

2.方位副词作后置定语：here，there，in，out， above，below，home，abroad，before，yesterday

He is on his way home．他在回家途中。
Can you tell me something about the social system there？你能给我讲讲那里的社会制度吗？
It had been fine the day before．前一天的天气很好。
They could see the enemy entering the village in the valley below.
This book here is most useful.

Could you tell me the situation there? 你能告诉我那儿的情况吗？

The pressures above were too great.

The clouds above moved fast.头上的云快速移动。

Please explain the sentence below.

in the court below在下级法院

He told us about the trip abroad.

I met an old friend of mine on my way home.

在回家的路上我遇到一个老朋友。

I’ll come over to see you on my next day off.

我下次休假时再来看你。

Is there anything on tonight? 今晚有什么活动吗？

The buildings around are mostly of modern construction.

附近的建筑物多数上现代化建筑。

3.else用在疑问代词和不定代词/副词之后

Nothing else happened.没有其它的事情发生。

Who else went there?还有谁去了那儿？

What else did she ask?她还问了什么？

You must have left your letters somewhere else.

你一定把你的信放在其它某个地方了。

How else could we have done it?

不那样做，我们当时又能怎样呢？

There is little else you can do to improve yourself.

除此之外，能使你进步的方法几乎没有。

Did you see anybody else? 你还看到别人了吗?

Little else remains to be done. 没剩下什么事要做的了。

Who else wanted to go there? 还有谁想去那儿?

4.分词作定语强调分词本身的动作而不是比较永久的特点时,要后置。如:

Most of the people singing are the students. 唱歌的人多数是学生。

Their high standard showed the progress made. 他们的高水平表明了他们取得的进步。

5.所修饰词前面有加强语气的the one时须后置。例如：
This is the one thing needful．这是唯一需要的东西。

6.在某些固定搭配中的后置定语

secretary general 秘书长    court martial 军事法庭

the sum total 总数      the third person singular 第三人称单数

the president elect 当选总统         notary public公正人

     当然，中学生学习英语的终极目标是能够使用这种语言----听说读写，但眼下目标还是会做题，能得分。后置定语这一部分是英语语法中一个比较独特的现象，但是不太好命制试题，所以重点还不是这个地方。关于定语这一部分的重点还是放在诸如多个形容词的排序、形容词作状语、以-ly结尾的形容词、形容词的级别这些问题上。