以a-开头的表语形容词
一、单个以a-为词首的形容词一般做表语.如：
aglow,ablaze,awake,asleep, ashamed,alone,alike,alight,afraid, afloat等.
The sky was all aglow with the setting sun．夕阳映照,满天通红.
The music is alike to him．所有的音乐在他听来全是一样.
有时,作表语的形容词可用作定语的形容词来表达同样的意思.如：
When he is awake．．．当他醒的时候
In his waking hours．．．在他醒着的时候
Everything that is alive．．．一切生物
all living things．．．所有的生物
二、少数以a-为词首的表语形容词可作前置定语.如：
aloof,alert,aware,alone等（其中alone作前置定语较罕见）.
Would an aware,thinking person say such foolish things?一个懂事而有头脑的人会说这类蠢话吗?
In the large publicgardens in Germany there are special paths for children and“alone ladies”．在德国的大公园里有专供儿童和“单身妇女”行走的小径.
三、当以a-为词首的表语形容词有一状语修饰时,大都可放在名词前作定语.如：
a really alive town一个生气勃勃的城镇
the wide awake patient完全醒着的病人
the fast asleep child熟睡的孩子
a somewhat afraid soldier一个有些惊恐的士兵四、不能用very修饰以a-为词首的表语形容词.如：
asleep,awake,afloat,alight,alone等
以a-为词首的形容词有一些被修饰时,不用 very,而用一些特殊的方式.
very awake（×）fully ／wide awake（√）
very asleep（×）fast ／sound asleep（√）
very afloat（×）safely afloat（√）
very alight（×）all alight（√）
very alone（×）all alone（√）
但afraid,awake,alive,alike,alone和ashamed可被very much修饰,afraid和ashamed可直接被 very修饰.
The fish is very much alive．那条鱼活生生的.
I felt very ashamed of myself．我感到羞愧.
五、一部分以a-为词首的表语形容词（如： afraid,alive,ablaze,alone等）与名词连用,可作后置定语.如：
The hunter caught a bear alive．那猎人活捉了一头熊.
He is the happiest man alive．他是世界上最幸福的人.
作后置定语的表语形容词,其含义往往相当于一个关系分词.
The house ablaze is next door to me．＝The house which is ablaze is next to me．
Look at the snake alive．＝Look a the snake which is alive．
Exercises：Complete the following sentences by ticking the appropriate phrase in the brackets．
1．He was（very alone ／all alone）in the room．
2．There is（an asleep child ／a sleeping child）．
3．I think he is（an alive person ／a person alive）．
4．Tom（is an alert boy ／is alert a boy）．
5．The sky（was aglow／glow）with the setting sun．
Answers： 1．all alone
2．a sleeping child
3．a person alive
4．is an alert boy
5．was aglow