very 用法面面观
1. 用作形容词,意为“正是”“恰是”,通常要与 the, this, that, my, your 等连用。如:
The very idea [though]. 真是个馊主意。
You are the very man I want to see. 你正是我想要见的人。
At that very moment the phone rang. 就在那时电话铃响了。
2. 用作副词,表示“很”“非常”,注意以用法:
(1) 主要用来修饰形容词或副词的原级,但不能修饰比较级。如:
我的头疼好多了,那些药片确实有效。
误:My headache’s very better. Those tablets really are effective.
正:My headache’s much better. Those tablets really are effective.
注意,very 不能修饰比较级,但有时可用来修饰最高级(放在定冠词之后)。如:
I want to give my children the very best education I can afford. 我想给我的孩子们提供我所能提供的最好的教育。
但是,这样用的very通常不能修饰由 most 构成的最高级。
(2) 用于修饰 own, first, last, next, same 等词,加强语气。如:
She was wearing the very same shoes as me. 他与我穿的鞋子完全一样。
You can keep this for your very own. 你可以把这个留作你自己用。
I found the sentence on the very next page. 我就在下一页找到了这个句子。
(3) 有些形容词(如alone, asleep, awake, worth, known等)在需要加强语气时习惯上不用very修饰,而应改用其他副词。如:
I was wide awake then. 我当时完全是醒的。
He was fast asleep with his mouth wide open. 他睡得很熟,嘴巴大大地张开着。
He’s well known in the art world. 他在艺术界很有名气。
The town is well worth a visit. 这个城镇很值得一看。
(4) 有时可修饰某些介词短语(主要是用作表语的介词短语)。如:
She is very like her mother. 她很像她母亲。
This machine is very out of date. 这台机器已经很过时了。
The play is very near the end. 戏很快就要结束了。
(5) 有人认为very不能受how, so修饰,其实这是一种误解。如:
How very cheeky! 脸皮真厚!
How very much they suffered! 他们受的苦真是太多了!
I was so very happy. 我真的太高兴了。
(4) 不要根据汉语意思用 very 去修饰动词。如:
我们很喜欢这个小男孩。
正:We like the boy very much.
误:We very like the boy.
我很想留在这儿。
正:I want to stay here very much.
误:I very want to stay here.
我会非常想念你们的。
正:I shall miss you very much.
误:I shall very miss you.
3. very, much, very much的用法区别
(1) 原则上说,very主要修饰形容词或副词,much和very much主要用于修饰动词。但是,修饰副词too,要用much。如:
It is much too expensive. 这太贵了。
(2) much修饰动词时,通常只用于否定句或疑问句,而不用于肯定陈述句,除非其前有very, too, so等之类的修饰语,如:
She doesn’t like him much. 她不太喜欢他。
Does she much like him?=Does she like him much? 她很喜欢他吗?
但习惯上不说:He likes the film much.
不过可以说:He likes the film very (so, too) much. 他很(太)喜欢这部电影。
(3) 单个的much(即没有修饰语)有时也可能在肯定句修饰动词,但这只限于regret, admire, prefer, appreciate等少数动词,且此时的much应置于句中,而不是句末。如:
We much appreciate your invitation. 我们非常感激你的邀请。
(4) very much是much的强调说法,从理论上说,可用much的地方就可用very much。