interesting可修飾人嗎?請看下面一題:
“_________ do you think of your English teacher?” “Oh, he is an _________ man.”
A. What, interesting?? B. What, interested??? C. How, interesting??? D. How, interested
此題容易誤選D,認為第一空應填how,表示“如何”;第二空應填interested,因為有的書上說–ing形容詞主要說明事物,-ed形容詞主要說明人。其實最佳答案應是A。

首先,英語中表示漢語的“你覺得……如何?”時,可用How do you like ...? 或 What do you think of ...? 注意兩者搭配不同,即 like 與 how 搭配,think of 與 what 搭配。另一方面,有的書認為:-ing形容詞說明事,-ed形容詞說明人。此說法在很多情況下是可行的,但表述欠嚴謹。嚴謹?shù)谋硎鰬撌牵罕硎臼?別)人感到如何, 用-ing形容詞;表示人自己本身感到如何,用-ed 形容詞。

比較:

All the children are interested. 所有的孩子都很感興趣。
All the children are interesting. 所有的孩子都很有趣。

I read an interested expression on his face. 我看到他臉上露出一種感興趣的表情。
I read an interesting expression on his face. 我看到他臉上露出一種有趣的表情。

再比較:

He is frightened. 他很害怕。
He is frightening. 他很嚇人。

He has a frightened look on his face. 他臉上帶有驚恐的神情。
He has a frightening look on his face. 他臉上帶有嚇人的神情。