形容詞的主動(dòng)性和被動(dòng)性
有些形容詞其本身含有主動(dòng)的意義，有些則含有被動(dòng)意義，要特別注意這種語義上的區(qū)別。
【例如】
That's a very interesting story.
Children are interested to read the story. interesting是指故事能引起人的興趣，interested則指孩子對(duì)故事感興趣，有被動(dòng)意義。判斷形容詞含主動(dòng)或被動(dòng)意義，除從語義上來區(qū)別外，在形式上有以下幾點(diǎn)：
1）動(dòng)詞分詞完全形容詞化時(shí)是成對(duì)的，現(xiàn)在分詞表示主動(dòng)，過去分詞表示被動(dòng)。例如：amusing—amused; exciting—excited; pleasing—pleased; surprising—surprised; tiring—tired; satisfying—satisfied; confusing—confused; puzzling—puzzled等等。
【例如】
This is a tiring journey.這是一次令人疲憊的旅行。
We are tired after long walk.長途散步之后，我們累了。
Yesterday a surprising event happened here.昨天這里發(fā)生了一件驚人的事。
We are surprised when we heard the sad news.當(dāng)我們聽到這個(gè)悲慘的消息大吃一驚。
但也有不是成對(duì)的，如a charming girl，不說a charmed girl；可說encouraging words，不說encouraged words。
2）由動(dòng)詞加后綴而來的形容詞，有些在語義上也有主動(dòng)和被動(dòng)的區(qū)別。一般來說，動(dòng)詞加后綴ful，ous，ent，ant構(gòu)成的形容詞表示主動(dòng)意義；由動(dòng)詞加后綴able，ible構(gòu)成的形容詞表示被動(dòng)意義。
【例如】envious羨慕；妒嫉的 forgetful易忘的 dependent依賴的 tolerant能容忍的 readable可讀的 movable可移動(dòng)的 eatable可食的 defensible可防御的
同一動(dòng)詞加上表示不同語義的后綴，構(gòu)成的形容詞，其意義也不同。
forgetful易忘的
forgettable可忘的
respectful恭敬的
respectable可敬的
regretful懊悔的
regrettable令人遺憾的
credulous輕信的
credible可信的，可靠的
digestive消化的
digestible易消化的
delightful令人高興的
delighted感到高興的
desirous想望的
desirable值得想望的
persuasive打動(dòng)人心的
persuadable易聽人勸告的
Your choice of friends is most regrettable.你的擇友標(biāo)準(zhǔn)是令人遺憾的。
We said good-bye to our friends, feeling regretful that we had to leave and would probably never see them again.
He is out of work and dependent on his wife's earnings.
The parents are the most dependable persons for their children.
Such a credulous fool as I was—I should have known better than to believe I'd get a contract.
His story is hardly credible, how could all that happened to one person.