在英语里,形容词可以修饰名词，分词(包括现在分词和过去分词)也可以修饰名词。久而久之，很多分词已经转化为形容词。这样的形容词和修饰名词的分词，在意义和用法上，有何不同呢?
㈠从现在分词转化的形容词只反映名词的特点，但现在分词则表示名词的动作。例如：
① It is an interesting story.(有趣的)
② Tom spoke with trembling fingers.(颤抖的)
第一句的“interesting”表示名词“story”的特点，所以是形容词;第二句的“trembling”表示名词“fingers”的动作，所以是现在分词。
㈡现在分词转化的形容词可以冠以“very, extremely, so”等程度副词(adverbs of degree)，而且还可以作比较。例如：
③ That was a very illuminating example.
④ Jim is an extremely promising young man.
⑤ This story book is more interesting than that one.
⑥ The film we saw yesterday was the most moving one we have ever seen.
上述的程度副词和比较式不可加到现在分词去，因此⑦和⑧是错的：
⑦ He spoke with very trembling fingers.
⑧ Her right eye is more sparkling than her left eye.
㈢过去分词转化的形容词表示名词的特色，但过去分词修饰名词时则反映动作的结果。例如：
⑨ Henry is an experienced teacher.
⑩ There are many talented people in China.
11 No one can enter through that locked door.
12 Is Ng Min a spoilt child?
⑨和⑩是转化形容词;╆和╇是过去分词。
㈣由过去分词转化的形容词可以冠以程度副词“too, so, very ”等，如：
13 Hawker centres in Singapore are very crowded places.
14 Samual was too upset to say anything.
15 The winner was so agitated that he could not utter a single word.
此外，有些转化形容词还可以变成状态副词，即有“-ly”的副词，如：
16 determinedly; confusedly; excitedly; expectedly; supposedly.
反之，过去分词既不可以冠以程度副词，也不可变成状态副词。
最后，有些转化形容词里的“-ed”语音和过去分词的不同，如：
17a.blessed/blesid/“神圣的”
b.blessed/blest/“求神保佑”
18a.crooked/krukid/“弯曲的”
b.crooked/krukt/“使弯曲”
19a.learned/l3:nid/“博学的”
b.learned/l3:nd/“学习”
17a, 18a和19a属转化形容词;17b, 18b和19b则是过去分词。
