• 2018.02.07
    星期三

Grammar﹕Participial adjectives

[2018.02.07] 發表
(明報製圖)

【明報專訊】The Chinese New Year is coming. Pat and Dr Panda wonder what the firework display will look like.

Pat: I love the (1) dazzling fireworks! It is one of the things I look foward to in Chinese New Year.

Dr Panda: I'm sure many people share your fascination for fireworks or they won't be so (2) exicited every year at the harbour.

Pat: It's the Year of the Dog. Do you think the fireworks will have the dog pattern this time?

Dr Panda: Oh, I didn't expect you to say so. Aren't you afraid of dogs?

Pat: Well, not all dogs are (3) terrifying. I'm (4) scared only when they bark.

■English highway﹕

Many participles of verb can be used as adjectives. However, the present and the past participles of the same verb describe things differently. The present participles (examples 1 and 3) describe the thing that causes the emotion.

e.g. This rotten cake is disgusting.

The magic show is amazing!

On the other hand, the past participles (examples 2 and 4) describe emotions. They tell us how people feel about something.

e.g. I was surprised to see you here.

Tom was so bored by the book that he felt asleep.

■Now you try

(Answers on next text)

1. Mountain climbing may be ( exhausting / exhausted ), but when you finish, you will feel (satisfying / satisfied ).

2. I was so ( shocking / shocked ) by John's performance. He had never acted in such an ( aspired / aspiring ) way before.

■Glossary

wonder (v) 好奇

dazzling (adj) 炫目的

look forward to (phr v) 期待

expect (v) 預料

[Smarties' Power English 第208期]

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