very/much ¹

very 和 much 在作形容词或副词的修饰语时有一个很重要的区别: very 只能用于修饰形容词或副词的原级, 而不能用于修饰非形容词用法的分词; 而 much 则可用来修饰形容词的比较级和最高级以及分词,而不能用来修饰形容词或副词的原级(偶尔可与少数几个形容词原级连用):

1. Vesta was very ill. (Dreiser) 维斯塔病得很重。

2. The job was very easy. (CGEL) 这项工作很容易。

3. I was much annoyed. (OSD) 我很恼火。

4. In person, Rita Skeeter is much warmer and softer than her famously ferocious quill-portraits might suggest. (J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) 现实中，丽塔·斯基特比她远近闻名的羽毛笔下尖锐笔锋所描述的形象所表现出来的要热心温柔得多。（《哈利·波特与死亡圣徒》）

5. I wasn't much surprised. 我没有太感惊讶。

6. Byron is much admired in Greece. (LEG) 拜伦在希腊很受敬仰。

7. This is much the best. (Palmer) 这是最最好的。

8. We were very much surprised when the snake charmer suddenly began to play jazz tunes and popular modern songs. (New Concept English, Book 2, L.42) 当玩蛇者突然改吹爵士音乐和现代流行歌曲时我们感到十分惊奇。

应当注意,当 v-ed 用作形容词的时候,或者说 v-ed 表示状态或性质的时候,一般是用来修饰的:

1. We are all very excited and are looking forward to the Olympic Games because they have never been held before in this country. (New Concept English, Book 2, L. 37) 我们都十分兴奋，盼望着奥运会，因为奥运会还从来没有在我国举行过。

2. I suddenly felt very worried, but could not say anything. (New Concept English, Book 2, L.48) 我突然感到非常着急，但却什么也说不出来。

3. You make me very ashamed in front of him. 你会使我在他面前感到很羞愧的。

4. Mrs Ramsay got very worried. (New Concept English, Book 3, L. 19) 拉姆齐太太非常担心。