分词起形容词和副词的作用，在句中做定语或状语。在概念上应清楚：

　　·现在分词表示主动，表示动作在进行。

　　·过去分词表示被动，表示动作结束了的状态或结果。

　　1.分词做定语，弄清现在分词与过去分词的区别

　　分词短语做定语相当于省略了的定语从句，考生应掌握：

　　(1)现在分词与被修饰词之间具有主动意义。如：

　　It’s easy to blame the decline of conversation on the pace of modern life and on the vague changes taking place in our ever-increasing world.(相当于the changes which take place...)

　　There was a very interesting remark in a book by an Englishman that I read recently giving what he thought was a reason for this American characteristic.(相当于which gave...)

　　How many of us attending, say, a meeting that is irrelevant to us would be interested in the discussion?

　　(相当于How many of us who will attend...)

　　(2)过去分词与被修饰词之间具有被动意义。如：

　　Good news was sometimes released prematurely, with the British recapture of the port announced half a day before the defenders actually surrendered. (相当于…recapture of the port which had been announced…)

　　Just as the value of a telephone network increases with each new phone added to the system, so does the value of a computer system increase with each program that turns out. (相当于…each new phone which is added to…)

　　The author gave a detailed description based on his personal observation of nature. (相当于…description which was based on…)

　　(3)下列不及物动词也以过去分词形式做定语或表语，但不具有被动意义：

　　deceased, departed, elapsed, faded, fallen, gone, grown-up, retired, returned, risen, set, vanished, much-travelled, newly arrived, recently come。如：

　　an escaped prisoner逃犯 a retired worker退休工人 a faded curtain褪了色的窗帘 a newly arrived student新来的学生