英语中的不定式（to + 动词原形）和动名词（动词 -ing）是一对容易被混淆的结构。它们与特定的动词搭配可分别组成 “动词 + to do” 以及 “动词 + doing” 的形式。如果将动词后的不定式换成动名词，句子的意思通常会随之发生改变，反之亦然。

一般判断方法是：在表示不真实、抽象或未来发生的动作时，多用不定式。比如：

She wants to eat. 她想吃东西。

但也不排除在一些固定搭配中，尽管动作未发生，但仍应使用动名词而非不定式，比如:

“fancy doing something” 想要做某事。

Do you fancy going out this evening?

今晚你想不想出去？

Fancy meeting you here!

竟然在这儿遇到你！

What do you fancy doing, anyway?

你到底想干什么？

It was very tasteless. Fancy talking like that so soon after his death

这真是太不得体了。真想不到在他尸骨未寒时就那么说话。

Do you fancy going to see a movie sometime?

你想不想有空去看场电影？

在表示真实或已完成的动作时，多用动名词。比如：

He enjoys playing computer games. 他很喜欢玩电脑游戏。

同理，有一些已完成的动作，则需要使用不定式而非动名词，比如 “manage to do something” 成功做成某事,想方设法做某事。

He always manages to say the wrong thing.

他总是哪壶不开提哪壶。

Somehow, he'd managed to persuade Kay to buy one for him...

不知用了什么方法，他成功说服凯给他买了一个。

I managed to pull myself up onto a wet, sloping ledge

我终于爬上了一块潮湿倾斜的暗礁。

Let's assume for the sake of argument that we manage to build a satisfactory database

为了便于讨论，不妨假定我们成功地建立了一个令人满意的数据库。

I should manage to square accounts with the bank before the end of the quarter.

我应在本季度末前到银行结账。

训练：

1. Even though it was raining heavily, we managed _______ dry under the umbrella.

a) stay

b) staying

c) to staying

d) to stay

2. Do you fancy _______ a film tonight?

a) to watch

b) watching

c) watch

d) to watching

3. I sometimes enjoy _______ late because I can concentrate better when there’s no one in the office.

a) working

b) to work

c) work

d) having worked

4. My parents used to make me _______ my homework as soon as I came home from school.

a) be doing

b) doing

c) to do

d) do

5. He sent me a message on Facebook, but I forgot _______ him my reply.

a) to send

b) to be sending

c) send

d) sending

6. It’s Chen’s birthday next week. How about _______ a table at her favourite restaurant?

a) to book

b) book

c) booking

d) having to book

7. I enjoy _______ to just lie on my sofa reading a good book after a long, hard day at work.

a) able

b) to be able

c) to able

d) being able

8. If you need to get up early tomorrow, I suggest you _______ the alarm clock.

a) fix

b) to fix

c) fixing

d) to be fixing

答案

1) d, 2) b, 3) a, 4) d, 5) a, 6) c, 7) d, 8) a.