1. 表示“找到”,其后可接双宾语;若双宾语交换位置用介词 for引出间接宾语。如:
Can you find me a hotel?=Can you find a hotel for me? 你能给我找一家旅馆吗?
We found him a good job.=We found a good job for him. 我们为他找了份好工作。
比较下面一句(found 后为复合宾语):
We found him a good teacher. (=We found that he was a good teacher.) 我们发现他是位好老师。
2. 表示“发现”时,其后可接各种形式的复合结构:
(1) 宾语+名词作宾语补足语。如:
You’ll find it a difficult book. 你会发现它是一本难懂的书。
有时可在宾语补足语前加上to be。如:
You’ll find it to be a difficult book. 你会发现它是一本难懂的书。
(2) 宾语+形容词作宾语补足语。如:
He found the room empty. 他发现房间是空的。
I found the book easy. 我觉得这书读起来比较容易。
有时可在宾语补足语前加上to be。如:
We find the story (to be) very interesting. 我们发现这个故事很有趣。
(3) 宾语+副词作宾语补足语。如:
Did you find her in? 你发现她在家吗?
I went to her house but I found her out. 我到她家发现她不在家。
用作宾语补足语的副词通常只能是in, out, up, down, upstairs, downstairs等表示处所的副词小品词,而不能是其他普通副词。
(4) 宾语+不定式作宾语补足语。如:
He found the patient to be a small boy. 他发现病人是一个小男孩。
用作宾语补足语的不定式通常为to be(且通常可以省略),但当find用于被动语态时,可以用其他动词。如:
Her blood was found to contain poison. 她的血液里被发现有毒。
He was found to have helped himself to public money. 他被发现挪用了公款。
(5) 宾语+现在分词作宾语补足语。如:
I found him lying on the floor. 我发现他躺在地板上。
I found him standing at the door. 我发现他正站在门口。
(6) 宾语+过去分词作宾语补足语。如:
He found the door locked. 他发现门锁上了。
He found the city much changed. 他发现这个城市发生了巨大的变化。
(7) 宾语+介词短语作宾语补足语。如:
We found her in tears. 我们发现她在哭泣。
We found the map quite out of date. 我们发现这地图已完全过时。
另外还要注意“find+形式宾语it+宾语补足语”结构。如:
I find it easy to get on with her. 我发现她很容易相处。
He found it easy to earn extra money. 他发现赚点外快很容易。
I found it interesting being back at school again. 我发现再次回到学校很有意思。
3. 其后有时可接 that 从句。如:
I found that the book was very interesting. 我发现这本书很有趣。
They found that he was no longer working there. 他们发现他已经不在那儿工作了。
He found (that) no one could answer his question. 他发现没有人能回答他的问题。
When he arrived, he found that she had gone. 当他到达时,他发现她已经走了。
后接 that 从句时,只要句型适合且不影响原意,有时可转换成复合结构,如上面的前面两句可转换为:
I found the book very interesting.
They found him no longer working there.
但是,上面的最后两句不适合这种转换,因为从句中用了情态动词或完成时态。
4. 用于 find oneself, 主要用法:
(1) 后接宾语补足语,含有出乎意料的意味,表示(突然)发现自己处于某种状态或来到某地方。如:
He woke up and found himself in hospital. 他醒来时发现自己在医院里。
He returned to England to find himself famous. 他回到英国,发现自己竟出了名。
(2) 表示发现自己的真实能力、性格、愿望等。如:
Mary tried several jobs but at last found herself as a teacher. 玛丽试做了几种工作,但最后发现自己还是适合于当老师。
(3) 指某人身体方面的自我感觉。如:
How do you find yourself today? 今天你觉得身体怎样?