核心问题
“I thought you had planned to practice the piano today.” “I did nothing but ____ letters all day.”
A. write B. to write
C. wrote D. writing(《英语结构难题解释》, 复旦大学出版社, 1995 年, p. 58)
该书给的答案是 A。难道不能选 B 吗？
词典解答
一般的趋向是: 在 can(could), do 之后, but 后边的动词不定式符号“to”是可以省略的。关于这方面的例句, 见 nothing but do/to do 和 but 。但是, 请注意, 这种省略是选择性的, 而不是强制性的。
There was nothing to do but to remain. (Davies) 只能留下来,别无办法。
由此可以看出,上面的试题作为语法结构试题是不恰当的。请参见 but 。那里有大量的实例。
不难证明,下面的英语试题存在着同样的毛病:
I missed the last bus, I could do nothing but ____ in the village for the night.
A.staying B.stayed C.to stay D.stay