核心问题
“I thought Bob was going to join the navy.”“Didn’t you hear? He failed ____ the physical examination.” A. passing B. to pass C. in passing D. to have passed(TOEFL) 答案为 B(to pass)。但我认为 C(in passing) 也是正确的。
词典解答
fail to + 动词原形, 是一个没有争议的最常见的用法。一般考生知道这一点就足够了。英语教师则应了解: 对于 fail + in + 动名词这一用法, 语言学家是有争议的。例如, 有的语言学家指出, He failed in doing it. 是错误的, 应改为 He failed to do it. 但是, 实际上, 我们有时也会遇到 fail in doing 的用法:
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The chairman failed in trying to persuade the committee to share his opinion. (LDPV) 主席未能说服委员会同意他的观点。
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I failed in understanding what they meant. 我未能理解他们的意思。
练习题
请做下面的英语试题：
We citydwellers often fail taking advantage of our many opportunities for cultural enjoyment. (TOEFL)