1. Reforming the system would help both lawyers and their customers.
reforming the system動名詞短語做主語
2. Sensible ideas have been around for a long time, but the state-level bodies that govern the profession have been too conservative to implement them.
to implement them不定式短語作結果狀語
3. I think it is perhaps the case that some people associated with the company have only recently come to realize this.
associated with the company過去分詞短語作后置定語,修飾some people
4.It is financially terrifying, psychologically embarrassing and you
know that support is minimal and extraordinarily hard to get.
In fact, allowing non-lawyers to own shares in law firms would reduce costs and improve services to customers, by encouraging law firms to use technology and to employ professional managers to focus on improving firms’ efficiency.
首先,allowing non-lawyers to own shares in law firms作主語,to own shares in law firms不定式作賓補。在英語中有些動詞要求接動詞不定式作賓補。它表示該動作發生在謂語動詞之后,屬將要發生的動作。有這種用法的動詞常見的有:allow;ask; tell; get; wish; like; want; expect; prefer; enable; teach; know; understand; would like; cause; force; know; intend; permit; request; order; invite; encourage; warn; remind; oblige; forbid; challenge; drive,等。 例如:
Wei Fang asked me to go shopping with her.
(“逛商場”這個動作發生在“叫”之后。)
然后來看一下encouraging law firms to use technology and to employ professional managers to focus on improving firms’ efficiency這一個長的動名詞短語,實際上盡管它非常長,但是它只是介詞by的賓語。其中to use technology and to employ professional managers to focus on improving firms’ efficiency不定式短語是law firms的賓補,to focus on improving firms’ efficiency不定式短語作目的狀語。