一、英语的行为动词有持续性动词和瞬间性动词之分，使用中应注意两者的区别。
一、持续性动词:表示一个动作可以持续一段时间或更长时间。常见的有study, play, do, read, learn, drive, write, clean, slean, sleep, speak, talk, wait, fly, stay, write, sit, stand, lie, keep等。
二、瞬间性动词:表示一个动作发生在一瞬间，非常短暂。亦称终止性动词。常见的有begin, start, finish, go, come, leave, find, get up, arrive, reach, get to, enter, hear, stop, open, close, become, buy, borrow, lend, happen, join, lose, renew, die, take away, put up, set out, put on, get on/off等。以上已集中了初中教材的大部分持续性动词及瞬间性动词。
三、用法:1、以上两类动词都能用于现在完成时，表示动作到现在为止已结束，例如：
He has studied English for three years.（他学英语已有3年了。）
He has joined the Party.（他已入党了。）
Mum isn’t at home. She has gone to the library.（妈妈不在家，她去图书馆了。）
2、持续性动词在完成时中能与表示持续一段时间的状语连用，而瞬间性动词则不能。例如：
His parents talked with the teacher for half an hour.（他的父母跟老师谈了半个小时。）
My mother has lain in bed for 3 days.（我母亲生病卧床已经三天了。）
My parents have lived in Shanghai since 1950.（我父母亲从1950年起就住在上海了。）
3、瞬间性动词在完成时中如要与表示持续一段时间的状语连用，通常有两种方法：（1）用意思相当的持续性动词来替换，例如：
He has been in the army/a soldier for htree years.（他参军已有3年了。）不能用has joined
She has been up for quite some time.（她起床已有好久了。）不能用has gotten up
Has your brother been away from home for a long time?（你哥哥离家已有好久了吗？）不能用has left
初中课本中的常用瞬间动词相应持续性动词关系如下：1、go——be away 2、come——be here 3、come back——be back 4、leave——be away（be not here） 5、buy——have 6、borrow——keep 7、die——be dead 8、begin——be on 9、finish——be over 10、open——be open 11、close——be closed 12、lose——be lost 13、get to know——know 14、turn on——be on 15、get up——be up 16、sit down——sit/be seated 17、join——be in（…）或be a…member18、become——be；还有一种常见的瞬间动词和持续性动词——start to do、start doing的持续性表达是do，而stop doing的持续性表达是haven't/hasn't done。
（2）用it is…since…结构来替换瞬间动词，例如：电影已经开映5分钟了。（两种方法）The film has been on for five minutes. It’s five minutes since the film began.他离开上海已有3天了。（两种方法）He has been away from Shanghai for three days. It has been three days since he left Shanghai.这本书我还给图书馆已有两周了。（一种方法）It’s two weeks since I returned the book to the library. 他找到他妹妹已有多久了？（一种方法） How long is it since he found his sister?
如果since后面接的是持续性动词的一般过去式，则表示从动作结束时算起，如：
How long has it been since he smoked?
他戒烟已有多长时间了？
There has been a lot of changes since I lived here.
自从我不住在这儿以来，发生了很大的变化。
It has been three years since my mother was a teacher.
我母亲不当教师已经三年了。
4、瞬间动词的否定形式可以与表示一段时间的状语连用，例如：I haven’t seen you for a long time.（好久没见到你了。）这句话常常简略说成：Long time no see.
希望我能帮助你解疑释惑。
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