現在分詞的被動式可以用來作定語, 賓語補足語, 狀語及用于獨立結構中.

　　This is one of the experiments being carried on in our laboratory.

　　You’ll find the topic being discussed everywhere.

　　Being asked to give a performance, she couldn’t very well refuse.

　　These are sold at reduced prices, the defects always being pointed out to the customers.

　　完成被動式: 如果表示的動作在謂語表示的動作之前發生, 有時需要用動名詞的完成被動式.

　　I don’t remember having ever been given a chance to try this method.

　　但在多數情況下都避免使用這一形式, 而用一般被動形式代替, 以免句子顯得累贅.

　　現在分詞的完成被動式一般用來作狀語或用于獨立結構中.

　　Having been given such a good chance, how could she let it slip away?

　　The decision having been made, the next problem was how to make a good plan.

　　All the compositions having been written and collected, the teacher sent the students home.

　　句法功用

　　作主語:

　　Walking is good exercise.

　　It’s nice talking to you.

　　There is no denying the fact that the new method has greatly raised labour productivity.

　　作賓語:

　　Your shoes need polishing.

　　You mustn’t delay sending the tractors over.

　　He avoided giving us a definite answer.

　　作介詞賓語: 動名詞作介詞賓語用的時候最多. 它常可以用在某些成語后面, 常見的有: insist on, persist in, think of, dream of, object to, suspect…of, accuse…of, charge…with, hear of, approve of, prevent…from, keep…from, stop…from, refrain from, be engaged in, look forward to, opposed to, depend on, thank…for, feel like, excuse…for, aim at, devote…to, set about, spend…in, get (be) used to, be fond of, be capable of, be afraid of, be tired of, be sick of, succeed in, be interested in, feel (be) ashamed of, be proud of, be keen on, be responsible for.

　　作表語:

　　The real problem is getting to know the needs of the people.

　　動名詞和不定式都可以作主語或表語. 一般說來, 在表示抽象的一般的行為時多用動名詞; 在表示具體某詞動作, 特別是將來的動作時, 多用不定式.

　　作賓語補足語: 分詞可以在see, hear, notice, watch, feel, find, keep, get, have等動詞后作賓語補足語.

　　The words immediately set us all laughing.

　　Once we caught him dozing off in class.

　　His remark left me wondering what he was driving at.

　　在see, hear, feel, watch, notice等動詞后, 及可用現在分詞, 也可用不定式構成賓語補足語. 用現在分詞時, 表示動作正在發生, 用不定式時表示動作發生了.

　　Do you hear someone knocking at the door?

　　Yes, I did. I heard him knock three times.

　　作狀語: 現在分詞作狀語時, 通常都表示主語正在進行的另一動作, 來對謂語表示的主要動作加以修飾或作為陪襯.

　　I ran out of the house shouting.

　　I got home, feeling very tired.

　　Driving to Chicago that night, I was struck by a sudden thought.

　　現在分詞短語有時可以用作狀語表示原因, 相當于一個表示原因的狀語從句.

　　Not knowing her address, we couldn’t get in touch with her.

　　Seeing nobody at home, she decided to leave them a note.

　　Having already seen the film twice, she didn’t want to go to the cinema.