① look指從外表上看。appear指表面看起來(lái)“似乎”,給人以某種印象,但有時(shí)事實(shí)上并非如此。seem指主觀上看法的“似乎”,常暗含有一定的判斷,此判斷往往近乎事實(shí)。
She looks like his mother. 她看上去像他母親。(兩人相像)
She seems to be his mother. 她像是他母親。(說(shuō)話人的判斷)
Things are not always as they appear to the eye. 事情并不全是你從表面上看到的那樣。
It appears/seems that the book is too difficult for them. 看來(lái)這本書(shū)對(duì)他們來(lái)說(shuō)太難了。
It appears/seems as if it is going to rain. 好像天要下雨。
It seems uninteresting at first,but it grows upon you. 它起先看來(lái)似乎沒(méi)有趣味,但漸漸會(huì)得到你的歡心。
I seem to have seen him somewhere before. 我似乎曾經(jīng)在什么地方見(jiàn)過(guò)他。
That plan appears very plausible. 那個(gè)計(jì)劃看起來(lái)好像很合理。
He appears to know more than he really does. 他看起來(lái)懂得很多,其實(shí)懂得沒(méi)有那么多。
② appear和look后均可接 as if 引導(dǎo)的表語(yǔ)從句,appear的形式主語(yǔ)要用 it,而look的形式主語(yǔ)可以是 it,也可以是其他人稱代詞。
It looks as if we'll stay here for the night. 看起來(lái)我們要在這里過(guò)夜了。
She looked as if she had suffered a lot. 她看上去好像遭受過(guò)許多苦難似的。
It appears as if it is going to rain. 看起來(lái)要下雨了。
③ appear和seem后可接 that從句,而look則不可。
It appeared to me that you are mistaken. 我覺(jué)得你錯(cuò)了。
It seems that something is wrong. 好像出了什么錯(cuò)了。
It appears that the research is progressing smoothly. 研究進(jìn)行得似乎很順利。
④ appear和seem可用于 there appears/seems 句型中,而look則不可。
There appears to be only one room. 好像只有一個(gè)房間。
There seemed something wrong with her feet. 她的腳似乎不對(duì)勁。
There seemed to be thousands of people on the square. 廣場(chǎng)上似乎有成千上萬(wàn)的人。
⑤ appear和seem后常接 to be,而look后接 to be 為美式英語(yǔ)用法。
He seemed to be in a great hurry. 他似乎很匆忙。
Judging by her letter,she looks to be the best person for the job.從信上判斷,她好像是做這項(xiàng)工作的最佳人選。