在《語態(tài)：主動(dòng)與被動(dòng)的關(guān)系》一文里，提到有些動(dòng)詞有主動(dòng)語態(tài)之形，但卻有被動(dòng)語態(tài)之意。

這些動(dòng)詞包括及物的(transitive verbs)、不及物的( intransitive verbs)、動(dòng)名詞(gerunds)和不定式動(dòng)詞( infinitives)。這些動(dòng)詞很特別，但數(shù)目不多。例如：

Ⅰ及物動(dòng)詞① That house is building (= being built).

② The trumpets are sounding ( = being sounded).

③ The film is showing now (= being shown now).

④ The guns are firing (= being fired).

⑤ The drums are beating ( = being beaten).

Ⅱ不及物動(dòng)詞⑥ The middle house won’t let.

⑦ Porcelain sinks clean easily.

⑧ Such potatoes peel well.

⑥-⑧中的“出租”、“清洗”和“削”都有“被”的意思。

Ⅲ動(dòng)名詞⑨ Your office needs cleaning (= to be cleaned).

⑩ The computer wants servicing (= to be serviced).

11. This watch requires winding up ( = to be wound up).

12. That good point bears repeating (= to be repeated).

Ⅳ不定式動(dòng)詞13. This is an apartment to let.

14. Give him a chair to sit down.

15. There is nothing to do for the time being.

16. You are to blame.

13-16中的不定式動(dòng)詞都有被動(dòng)之意，情況和⑥-⑧中的不及物動(dòng)詞類似，都是具有主動(dòng)語態(tài)之形，含有被動(dòng)語態(tài)之意。然而，這種用法雖很特殊，卻不普遍。當(dāng)這些動(dòng)詞回到本來的性質(zhì)時(shí)，還是有被動(dòng)語態(tài)的， 只是含義有些不同。例如17和18中的(a)和(b)的含義便有些不同：

17.a) His books sell well.

b) His books are sold well.

18.a) Your shoes have worn well.

b) Your shoes have been worn well.

(a)的句子表示“書的銷路好”和“鞋子耐穿”，都是因?yàn)橹髡Z有內(nèi)在的優(yōu)點(diǎn)。至于(b)的句子，它們只把事實(shí)反映出來，沒有別的含義。

最后，當(dāng)感官動(dòng)詞當(dāng)接系動(dòng)詞用時(shí)，它們也是有主動(dòng)語態(tài)之形，被動(dòng)語態(tài)之意：

19.Honey tastes sweet.

20.Glass feels smooth.

21.Perfume smells good.

22.The sky seems to appear dark.

23.The weather has turned hot.