在英语语法书和中学英语教科书中，一般对及物动词和不及物动词只作了简单的解释，即需要跟宾语的动词叫及物动词，不需要跟宾语的动词叫不及物动词。但是，在实际运用中，有一些及物动词后面又不允许带有宾语。故初学者对错句The box is too heavy to carry it. 的it为什么要去掉才是正确的，他们不知道其理由。那么，究竟在什么情况下，及物动词才用作不及物动词呢？本文就谈谈笔者的一点见解，同大家探讨。

　　一、某些及物动词"单独"使用时，其后可以不带有明显的宾语，但不会影响对句子意思的正确理解。例如：

　　1. May I smoke?

　　May I smoke a cigarette?

　　2. I wrote to my penfriend.

　　I wrote a letter / an email etc. to my penfriend.

　　3. Help me wash up.

　　Help me wash up dishes.

　　4. The Greens always ate at the stone table.

　　The Greens ate all their meals at the stone table.

　　5. He always reads in the morning.

　　He always reads newspapers in the morning.

　　6. I don't drink.

　　I don't drink alcohol.

　　二、某些反身动词，不用反身代词做其宾语，仍具有反身的涵义(但不是内含反身动词时，不带反身代词作其宾语，句子就不能成立)。例如：

　　1. We wash ourselves before breakfast.

　　We wash before breakfast.

　　2. The boy hid himself behind the door.

　　The boy hid behind the door.

　　3. Tom dressed himself quickly and went downstairs.

　　Tom dressed quickly and went downstairs.

　　4.I always shave myself before breakfast.

　　I always shave before breakfast.

　　但：①Make yourself at home.

　　不能说：Make at home.

　　②Help yourself to some fish.

　　不能说：Help to some fish.

　　③The boy cut himself just now.

　　不能说：The boy cut just now.

　　三、及物动词(包括短语动词)的不定式在句中作状语，修饰表语形容词，且与句子主语有逻辑上的动宾关系时，用作不及物动词，其后不再带有自己的宾语。例如：

　　1. The stone is very heavy. I can t lift it.

　　The stone is too heavy for me to lift.

　　2. They read the novel with great interest.

　　The novel is interesting for them to read.

　　3. Look at the new watch. How nice it is!

　　The new watch is nice to look at.

　　四、及物动词(包括短语动词)的不定式在句中作定语，修饰名词，并与所修饰的名词有逻辑上的动宾关系时，用作不及物动词，不再带有宾语。例如：

　　1. I decided to mend the shoes.

　　There are some shoes to mend.

　　2. It is difficult for you to teach the boy.

　　He is a difficult boy for you to teach.

　　3. We are looking after five blind children.

　　We have five blind children to look after.

　　五、及物动词(包括短语动词)的不定式，在句中作表语，与句中主语有逻辑上的动宾关系时，用作不及物动词，后面不再带有自己的宾语。例如：

　　1. We must dismiss those who are not fit for their offices.

　　Those who are unfit for the offices they hold are to be dismissed.

　　2. You should decide it by yourself.

　　It is for you to decide.

　　3. They often blame their tools.

　　No one is to blame for it.

　　六、及物动词(包括短语动词的动名词)作表示"需要、值得、忍受、经得起"等意义动词的宾语，与句中的主语有逻辑上的动宾关系时，用作不及物动词，不再带有自己的宾语。例如：

　　1. We want to look after the children.

　　The children wants looking after.

　　2. I stopped winding my watch and started to work.

　　The watch needs winding up.

　　3. I hate thinking it over.

　　The problem requires thinking over.

　　4. It is the fine morality of the Chinese people cherishing the young and respecting the old.

　　The old deserve respecting.

　　七、及物动词(包括短语动词)的动名词，作形容词worth的宾语、作介词beyond等的宾语，又和句子的主语有逻辑上的动宾关系时，用作不及物动词，不再带宾语。例如：

　　1. It is worth while reading the book.

　　The book is worth reading.

　　2. It is difficult for us to teach Tom.

　　Tom is not worth teaching.

　　3. Did he make ready for solving the problem?

　　This problem is beyond his solving.

　　(文/黄延萍；英语辅导报初中教师版04~05学年第03期；版权归英语辅导报社所有，独家网络合作伙伴新浪教育，未经许可，不得以任何形式进行转载。)