much做修饰语的几个重要功能

一、修饰比较级

这是much用作副词时最常见的用法。“much + 比较级”的意思是“更……”“……得多”。如：

It’s much colder today than it was yesterday. 今天比昨天冷得多。

It was much worse than I thought. 它比我想像的还要糟得多。

We will be a much better football team next year. 明年我们将会成为一支更好的足球队。

二、修饰最高级

much修饰最高级应置于最高级前的定冠词之前，而不是之后。“much + the + 最高级”的意思是“最最……”“绝对是最……”。如：

This is much the most difficult. 这是最最难的。

That’s much the best plan. 那绝对是最好的计划。

Of the three boys Nick is much the cleverest. 这三个男孩中，尼克最最聪明。

三、修饰形容词的原级

much修饰形容词原级的情形主要见于那些由过去分词转化来的形容词。如：

I was much annoyed. 我很不高兴。

She wasn’t much surprised. 她并不太惊讶。

注：有个别非分词转化来的形容词有时也可用much修饰，但这种用法很有限，通常只见于good, different等少数几个形容词。如：

I don’t think this battery is much good. 我并不认为这种电池非常好。

The new school isn’t much different from the old one. 新学校与老学校区别不太大。

四、修饰介词短语

much主要用于修饰由like, in, to等少数介词所构成的介词短语。如：

The baby doesn’t look much like you. 这婴儿长得不大像你。

They’re very much in love with each other. 他们彼此在热恋中。

Much to my surprise, she did it by herself. 让我极为惊讶的是，这竟然是她自己做的。

五、修饰副词too

much too 为习语，其中的much修饰副词too；much too可视为too的加强说法，其语气比单独用too更强。如：

He spoke much too fast. 他说话说得太快了。

This is much too heavy for you to lift. 这东西太重，你拿不起来。

注意：much too与too much词序不同，用法也不同。从句法功能上看，much too的用法与too相同，但比too的语气更强；而too much在用法上则与much相同，但比much 语气更强。比较：

He drives much too fast. 他开车开得太快了。

The shoes are much too small for me. 这鞋子我穿太小了。

There is too much rain. 雨水太多了。

You have given me too much. 你已经给我太多了。

六、修饰动词

much修饰动词时，通常只用于否定句或疑问句中，一般不能用于肯定句中（除非前面有 very, too, so 等之类的修饰语）。如：

正：She doesn’t like him much. (用于否定句，故正确)

正：She doesn’t much like him. (用于否定句，故正确)

正：Does she like him much? (用于疑问句，故正确)

正：Does she much like him? (用于疑问句，故正确)

正：She likes him very [too, so] much. (其前有修饰语，故正确)

注意以下误句：

误：She likes him much. / She much likes him. (因为它用于肯定句，且其前没有修饰语，故不正确)

但是，不带修饰语的much有时也能在肯定句中修饰动词，但这通常只限于admire, affect, appreciate, dislike, enjoy, look forward to, prefer, regret等少数动词，且much通常只能放在句中，不放在句末。如：

We much appreciate your invitation. 我们非常感激你的邀请。

We would much prefer to be given money. 我们还是更喜欢有人给我们钱。

These factors have much affected the building of nuclear plants. 这些因素极大地影响了核电站的建立。

七、修饰as

much as 可视为习语，其意为“虽然”，用法与though相似。如：

Much as I’d like to help, there isn’t a lot I can do. 尽管我愿意帮忙，却没有很多事我能做。

Much as he admired her looks and her manners，he had no wish to marry her. 虽说他很欣赏她的外貌和仪态，他却无心和她结婚。

八、修饰the same

much 修饰the same，从表面上是加强了the same的语气，但实际上是缓和了其语气，其意为“情况大致相同”“几乎差不多”“没什么变化”。如：

The patient is much the same this morning. 今天早上病人情况几乎没什么变化。

Whichever method you use, the result is much the same. 不论你用哪一种方法，结果都差不多。

They eat much the same thing for breakfast every day. 他们每天吃的早餐几乎都一样。