在英语词类中，游离着一种既具有动词含义又具有某种特定词类的功能的分词。本文试就这种分词的词类兼容功能进行描述。所谓词类兼容功能即它除了构成时态、语态等外，还兼具其它词类的功能，如名词、形容词、介词等功能。
一、分词的形容词功能
分词充当形容词是分词的词类兼容功能中最基本、最普遍的功能之一。如：
an exciting story
disappointing news
unpromising start
the broken bottle
tired workers
He is clean-shaven.
She is the most charming lady at the party.
等等，实例举不胜举。
在这类分词的形容词功能中，其实分词就是一个动词性形容词，对这种现象，语法界早有定论，本文不再赘述。
二、分词的名词功能
与上面相类似的是，分词的名词功能其实分词就是一个动词性名词。如：
Working in these conditions is a pleasure.
Speaking a language is a most effective way of learning.
It’s no use pretending that you didn’t know the rules.
Have you finished writhing you book?
Nurses are required to look after the wounded.
The injured are taken to hospital immediately
They show no mercy to the beaten.
现在分词充当名词，其实就是动名词，但现在分词与动名词在形式上的一致、功能上的不一致的现象长期以来存在着鉴别上的难度，并因此引起语法界的争论。所以从60年代末开始，国外语法学家索性将此两种功能迥异的词类混而为一，称之为-ing分词。章振邦先生在其《新编英语语法》一书中也是这样处理的。而过去分词充当名词，主要指那些the+ 具有形容词功能的过去分词，用以指一类人或事物。
三、分词的介词功能
在英语语言进化的长河里，分词的词类兼容功能的演变过程各处于不同时期，如传统语法中所指的名词化动词是处于分词向名词演变过程中成熟阶段的一种现象。再如介词during , according to 等原来为分词，现在却是地道的介词，因为它已处于演变过程中的成熟阶段。处于演变过程中成熟阶段的分词已经丧失或部分丧失本身构成时态、语态、或纯粹描述动作的功能。有的语法学家将其称为“独立分词”。但也有处于演变过程的进行中的，因为这些分词在充当介词的同时，仍不同程度地保留其动词的原有含义及特征。
They had a heated discussion concerning certain linguistic problems. (concerning = about)
What did he say regarding our proposals? (regarding =about)
The money must remain in the hands of the trustees, pending the negotiations.
(pending=during)
All religions, not excepting Christianity, run the risk of becoming fossilized.
(excepting=except)
Following the funeral, the lawyer read the will of the dead. (following-after)
All the schools in the area were closed for a week, owing to an outbreak of measles.
(owing to=because of)
具有这种介词功能的分词还有：pertaining to, related (relating) to , owed to, respecting, including, excluding, notwithstanding, comparing, considering, barring等。
四、分词的连词功能
分词还具有连接语句的功能。语法学家已将某些分词列入连词词类中，
它们有：seeing that, providing (that), provided (that), given (that), granted (that), granting (that), supposing (that)等。如：
Seeing that nobody was very enthusiastic about it, they decided to cancel the trip. (seeing that=since)
Provided we draw useful lessons from them, we may turn difficulties into useful account. (provided=as long as)
I’ll come providing that you let me know in good time. (providing that=as long as)
Granted that he say so , what harm can you see in it? Granted=though
此外，有些分词虽然不是连词，但实际上的确起着连接语句的作用，尽管它们的连词色彩是隐性的，但共连词功能是显性的。这类分词多为表示心理及感官活动的词，它们的结构上由分词+that构成，我们可把这种分词称为边际连词。它们有：considering (that), presuming (that), admitting (that), assuming (that), bearing in mind (that), finding (that)等，如：
Considering she’s been studying English for only a year, she speaks very well. (considering-since)
He took up English, finding that he had forgotten most of it.
Bearing in mind that the train was leaving at midnight, he didn’t go to bed that night. (bearing in mind-as, since)
Assuming it rains tomorrow, what shall we do? (assuming =supposing)
这类连词大多引起的是原因、条件或时间状语从句。同时还必须注意上述边际连词所引起的从句与分词所引起的宾语从句同出一辙。
总之，笔者认为鉴别分词词类兼容功能的标准是要看该分词在词类兼容过程中是否具有一定的动词含义。如果具有一定的动词含义，我们认为该分词具有了词类兼容功能。如果无动词含义，那么它就是一个纯粹的名词（如名词化动词就是纯粹的名词）、介词或其它词类。
综上所述，本文对分词的词类兼容功能进行了一定的思考，目的是使我们对分词及其所兼容的词类的概念、语法意义及适用范围有一个更为广泛的了解，并在我们的英语学习及研究中给予足够的重视。
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