begin
1.begin后面的动词所表示的意思假使是有意志的，用不定式和动名词都普通，如He will soon begin to write a novel和He will soon begin writing a novel。begin后面的动词所表示的意思假使是没有意志的，通常用不定式，较少用动名词，如She began to like novels at twenty比She began liking novels at twenty普通得多。写作一本小说是有意志的，爱好小说是没有意志的。可是写作一本小说在那作者是有意志的，但在那小说的本身是没有意志的。所以通常说The novel began to be written last year，而不说The novel began being written last year。凡begin后面的动词属于被动语态的，这动词通常作不定式，很少作动名词。关于“有意志”和“没有意志”，再举几个例子在下面：
- He began to teach(或teaching)English at the age of eighteen.
He began to know(通常不用 knowing)English at the age ofeighteen. - I began to correct(或correcting)my mistakes as soon as theywere pointed out.
I began to realize(通常不用 realizing)my mistakes as soon asthey were pointed out.
教英语是有意志的，懂英语是没有意志的；改正错误是有意志的，认识错误是没有意志的。
但注意下面两句：
- A cold wind began to blow（或blowing）as we stood at the bus stop.
- When Mary heard the report of a gun, her heart began to beat（或beating）furiously.
风和心脏当然都没有意志，但风的吹动或心脏的跳动都可能被当作有意志的动作一般，所以用动名词也很自然。
即使对于表示有意志的动作，在is beginning，was beginning等后面可以说总是用不定式，不用动名词，这显然为了避免...ing的重复。如He is beginning to teach English几乎不可改作He is beginning teaching English。
2.begin是“开始”，begin with是“以…开始”，如I shall begin this book today是“我今天将开始读这本书。”I shall begin with this book today是“我今天将先读这本书（然后读别的）”。
3.begin后面通常不接from，绝对不可接from...to...。通常不说：
- The journey begins from Shanghai. （最好把from改作at）
- The conference will begin from Monday. （最好把from改作on）
绝对不可说：
- The journey begins from Shanghai to Beijing. （该改作The journey begins at Shanghai and ends at Beijing。）
- The conference will begin from Monday to Thursday. （该改作The conference will begin on Monday and end on Thursday。）
不过begin at the beginning（从头开始）和begin from the beginning都普通。
4.把begin用在被动语态的时候，该注意勿犯双重被动的毛病，如He began to read the book last Sunday是对的，但The book was begun (by him) to be read last Sunday却不对。It was begun (by him) to read the book last Sunday在语法上不错，但不合习惯，像begin to...这种结构实际是不能成为被动语态的。The book began to be read (by him) last Sunday是可以说的，但这句里用began，是主动语态。
5.把begin用作被动语态，往往不及用作主动语态合乎习惯。例如：
- The play begins（通常不用is begun）at eight o'clock.
- The dinner began（通常不用was begun）as soon as all the guests arrived.
- The argument began（通常不用was begun）over a small matter.
- The discussion did not begin（通常不用was not begun）till late in the afternoon.
6.中国学生往往在该用begin的场合不用它。把表示持续动作的动词跟表示时刻（point of time）的词语用在一起是不合习惯的，如rain（下雨）是表示持续动作的动词，three o'clock是表示时刻的词语，所以不可说It rained at three o'clock。在这种场合该用begin。例如：It began to rain at three o'clock.
7.下面各句里的begin原来是美国用法，现在在英国也普通：
- I felt I did not begin to understand him. （我觉得我一点也不了解他。）
- Your suggestion dose not begin to meet the difficulty. （你的建议一点也不解决这个困难。）
- Nothing has begun to interest her so much as folk music. （没有什么东西曾经像民间音乐一样引起她的兴趣。）
8.begin和commence意思相同，但begin普通得多，尤其在口语里极少用commence。19世纪英国小说家George Eliot在某书里有Things never began with Mr..., they always commenced这一句，是讥笑那位先生不肯用通俗的文字。commence只用在正式些的文字里，如commence hostilities和Hostilities commenced late that year。还有两点该注意：1.commence后面通常接动名词，很少接不定式。2.commence多用在有意志的事而很少用在没有意志的事。
9.begin有时用现在式指未来的事，如The show begins next week。
