具副词功能的现在分词短语

　　在英语里，我们可以用现在分词（present participles）或现在分词短语（present participial phrases）充当副词修饰动词。这是英语中一种极为普遍的句子结构，在书面语中，用得甚多，表示的意义也有好几种。现在分述如下：

　　⒈表示办事方法或行动方式，如：
● Feeling his way along the rocks, the mountaineer reached the peak of the hill.
● Flinging her arm before her face, the small girl pretended to burst into tears.

　　⒉表示伴随状况，如：
● The two men shook hands, smiling at each other.
● The demonstrators marched through the street, chanting political slogans.
● Irene saw her husband glance toward her, disapproving.
● A few friends of the victim stood outside the house, still with a sense of shock, conversing quietly.

　　⒊表示原因，如：
● Living in a city, we enjoy a lot of modern amenities.
● Meeting with a cold reception at his relatives' house, the old man left in a rage.
● Having heard the story before, Joelle did not heed it any more.
● Being written in a hurry, the essay was fraught with errors.

　　⒋.表示时间，如：
● Reaching the dilapidated castle, they slowed down their pace.
● Finding the hidden treasure , they discussed how to divide it.
● Arriving at the seaside , the picnickers pitched their tent for the night.

　　这里要注意的是：用来表示时间的分词短语必须摆在句首，用以说明分词短语中的时间一过，谓语动词的时间便开始。

　　如果要强调分词短语的时间比谓语动词的时间早些过去，那末分词短语里的时态就要用完成时态（perfect tense），如：
● Having realised that they had lagged behind , Tom and Harry started to quicken their pace.
● The couple, having seen their son off, returned home without saying anything.

　　⒌表示“目的、结果”的意思，如：
● The two parties sat down to talk, hoping to avoid further conflict.
● We have talked a lot about language teaching, often forgetting that it is learning that really matters.
● The old man's hair came out by the roots, leaving him bald.