虛主詞 it (用法 十一)

虛主詞it (用法 十一)：

Not until …… 助 S. V.

be S.

(直到……才……)

It is / was not until …… that ……

說明：until之後出現的是時間副詞 (字、片語或子句)，是否定開始，故主要子句要倒裝。

例句：

1.      Not until then did he realize that he was mistaken.

＝ It was not until then that he realized that he was mistnaken.

 (直到那時他才體會到他錯了。)

2.      He did not know it until I told him.                                            

＝ Not until I told him did he know it.

＝ It was not until I told him that he know it.

 (直到我告訴他，他才知道此事。)

虛主詞 it (用法 十)

虛主詞it (用法 十)：

It is / was / true that …… but …… (誠然……但……)

＝ Indeed ……… but ……

說明：提出反面意見，重點在but之後。

例句：

1.      It is ture that (＝ Indeed ) he is old, but he is still strong.

 (不錯，他是老了，但也仍然很強壯。)

2.      It is true that money makes the mare go, but it is also the root of all evils.

 (有錢能使鬼推磨，但錢也是萬惡的根源。)

研究：

句型與 (al)though……同義，先承認別人(或一般)的看法，再提出自己的主張。(al)though不得與but并用。本句型可用to be sure。but 亦可用 yet, still,

例如：He is old, to be sure, but he is still strong.

虛主詞 it (用法 九)

虛主詞it (用法 九)：

It take (sb) 時 to V.

It costs (sb) 錢 to V.

Sb spend (時/錢) (in) Ving

               on Sth

說明：某人花多少時間或金錢去做某事，或某事物花了某人多少錢或時間。

例句：

1.      It took him ten years to finish writing the book.

→ Writing that book took him ten years.

2.      It cost him one million dollars to buy that car.

→ Buying that car cost him one million dollars.

3.      He spent most of his time (in) teaching.

                    money (in) buying books.

                    earnings on food.

研究：

1.      有時時間與錢不一定是具體的。

It cost hime his life to save her. (他為了救她，他自己的命都丟了。)

2.      不特別指某人時，則省去人。

It takes courage to do that job. (做那工作需要勇氣。)

3.      通常有意地去花費才用spend，

不能說 He spent two weeks to get over his cold. (×)

虛主詞 it (用法 八)

虛主詞it (用法 八)：

It will be (long) before S. V.    要很久才

It won’t be (long) before S. V.   不久將 ……

說明：時態可用過去式或未來式。long之處可換成其他時間。注意連接詞用before，解釋成「……才……」或「……就……」。

例句：

1.      It will be long before we see each other again. (我們要很久才能再見面。)

It won’t be long before we see each other. (我們不久就能再見面。)

虛主詞 it (用法 七)

虛主詞 it (用法 七)：

It makes no / little / some / much / a lot of difference wh子句

It doesn’t matter wh子句

說明：說明某事有沒有什麼關係或差別。

例句：

1.      It makes no diffeence to me whether it rains or not.

(下雨與否對我沒有什麼差別。)

2.      It makes a lot of difference who the umpire is. (誰當裁判有很大的關係。)

3.      It doesn’t matter how long you live, but how. (活多久不重要，重要的是怎麼活。)

研究：

本句型兩句之差別在於一是講 (有無)「差別」，一是講「關係」的大小 後者常見於否定句中。誇張一點時說 make a world of difference (有天淵之別)。

虛主詞 it (用法 六)

虛主詞 it (用法 六)：

1.      It (never) occur (red) to somebody that S. V.

         It (never) occur (red) to somebody Wh S. V.

         It (never) occur (red) to somebody  to V.

2.      An idea occurs to /strikes somebody.

3.      Sb hits upon an idea.

說明：表達「某人突然想起……」的意思的表達法。

例句：

1.      It never occurred to me that she is your sister. (我從未想到她是你妹妹。)

2.      Does it ever occur to you to go to see her ? (你有沒有想到要去看看她。)

3.      An idea struck me on my way here.

＝ I hit upon an idea on my way here. (我來此的路上想到一個主意。)

又，表示「突然明白」之意 ：

It dawned upon me that she was making use of me. (我突然明白她是在利用我。)

虛主詞it (用法 五)

虛主詞it (用法 五)：

S. + think/find/consider/believe/count/guess + it + N./adj. + (Ving)/to V./that SV

說明：it做虛受詞，代替句末的不定或子句。後面的名詞或形容詞是受詞補語。本句型中之動詞不能直接以不定詞或子句為受詞。

例句：

1.      It find it easy to study English. (我發覺學英文很容易。)

It find it a pleasure to study English. (我發覺學英文是件樂事。)

2.      I think it necessary that you go and help him. (我想你必須去幫助他。)

3.      He considers it avirtue to be punctual. (他認為準時是一種美德。)

He considers it important that one should keep one’s promise. (他認為一個人守信很重要。)

4.      I want to make it clear to you that money is no object. (我要你明白，錢我們不計較。)

研究：

1.      理論上it亦可代替動名詞，但見到的機會不多。

2.      除表列動詞外，其他較少用到的還有suppose (認定), imagine (想像), feel (覺得), deem (認為), prove (證明), declare (宣稱) 等。

3.      部分動詞以名詞為受詞時，則不加虛字it，即有不定詞在後時，才加it，例：(1) His investment makes our plans possible. (他的投資使我們的計劃成功。)

 it possible for us to go on with our plans. (他的投資使我們得以繼續我們的

計劃。)

(2) He makes it a rule/practice/point to keep early hours.

＝ He makes a rule /practice/point of keeping early hours.

(他把早睡早起當做習慣/重點。)

4.      部分動詞在補語前要加一個as ：

He regards/looks upon/thinks of/refers to/acknowledges it as a natural right to

protecthimself. (他認為自衛是應有的權利。)

同理，若後面無不定詞時，亦不用it：

He regards/looks upon you as his best friend. (他把你看成他最好的朋友。)

5.      少數動詞＋介詞後，可加虛受詞it而接非wh之子句：

I count/rely/depend on it that you will help me. (我指望你幫助我。)