此時seem為連系動詞,后直接接形容詞或to be+形容詞或名詞(短語)作表語,以說明主語的特征或狀態。如:
Tom seems (to be)a very clever boy. 湯姆看上去是一個很聰明的男孩。
Everything seems easy.一切似乎很容易。
注意:afraid,asleep,awake等表語形容詞不能直接跟在seem 之后,必須和seem to be 連用,如:They seem awake.(誤)應改為:They seem to be awake.
“主語+seem +不定式(或不定式的完成式)”
此句型中的seem 用作不及物動詞,不用在進行時態中,其與不定式一起構成復合謂語(不定式作賓語)。如:
a. The moon seems to change its shape. 月亮好像在變換形狀。
b. I seem not to be able to make him happy. 我似乎不能使他高興起來。
c. They seemed to be eating something. 他們好像在吃什么東西。
d. I seem to have caught a cold. 我似乎已經感冒了。
注意:seem 后跟不定式(短語)時,要注意不定式所表示動作發生的時間,以此來確定不定式的時態,如例c、d;seem 后不定式的否定式習慣上在seem 前加don’t ,也可以用seem not to...,如例b也可以說成:I don’t seem to be able to make him happy.