英语中大量的动作并非都用谓语动词来表示，许多是以非谓语的形态出现而不受主语的人称及数的限制，其主要形式为:不定式、动名词或分词、现在分词及过去分词，可以做多种句子成份，并可与句子中的相关成份有逻辑上的主语和宾语关系，如：

Generally speaking, in a BOT investment project, there should be a lead company in charge of negotiation with the government, concluding license contract, undertaking the preparation，financing, seeking contract company for designing and construction and finally seeking operation or management company to take up operation and management for the whole project. 此句中多次出现了动词的动名词形式，在句中做介词短语in charge of的宾语，同时又是lead company的逻辑谓语；换句话说，除了 designing作 介词for的宾语外，lead company是划线部分动名词的逻辑主语，这些动名词的动作是由一个共同逻辑主语来完成的。动词不定式短语to take up operation and management做状语。正确的理解有助于准确的翻译。而正确的理解又建立在准确分析的基础之上。

When the government decides to adopt the BOT way of investment on certain infrastructure project, the first thing to be done is legislation, to be followed by issuance of license, looking for target of cooperation, conducting negotiation and then concluding contract. 这句中出现了不同功能的非谓语动词形式。不定式to adopt做decide的宾语。to be done是不定式的被动形式，做后置定语，修饰the first thing。不定式的被动语态 to be followed by 做状语。现在分词短语 looking for，condcuting 及 concluding在句子中做状语。正确分析句子中各个部分之后，翻译就有了根基，有了理论，知道该如何去把握句子，表达句意。