英語受動詞形態變化規則的限製，一個句子往往隻運用一個動詞，而其他的動詞往往轉化為非謂語動詞、名詞、介詞或弱化和虛化了動詞，因而降低了動詞的使用頻率。英語傾向於靜態（static）：preponderance of nouns over verbs。而漢語無動詞形態變化限製，無非謂語動詞；多個動詞可充當句子的各種成分，亦可連用甚至重複、重疊、合成並用。因而漢語傾向於動態（dynamic）：preponderance of verbs over nouns。那麼英語的靜態傾向表現在那些方麵：
（一）名詞化（Nominalization）所謂名詞化是指用名詞來表達動作、行為、變化、狀態、品質、情感等概念。名詞化可使英語表達簡潔，造句靈活，行文自然，亦便於表達較為複雜的思想內容。
例1.他們違反在赫爾辛基達成的協議，在國內侵犯基本人權，因此受到各地熱愛自由的人們的譴責。譯文1：Freedom-loving people everywhere condemned them because they violated the agreement reached at Helsinki and abused basic human rights in their own country.譯文2：Theabuseof basic human rights in their own country inviolationof the agreement reached at Helsinki earned them thecondemnationof freedom-loving people everywhere.譯文1整體呈動態；而譯文2多運用名詞來代替動作意義，整體傾向於靜態。譯文2更符合英語多靜態的特點，更地道流暢。
例2.醫生迅速到達，並非常仔細地檢查了病人，因此病人很快就康複了。
譯文1：The doctor arrived extremely quickly and examined the patient uncommonly carefully；the result was that he recovered very speedily.譯文2：The doctor's extremely quickarrivaland uncommonly carefulexaminationof the patient brought about his very speedyrecoverey.譯文1用了多個動詞做謂語，傾向於動態。譯文2則用名詞代替動詞，整體呈靜態，因而更像英語該有的表達方式。但英語中過分使用或濫用名詞的習慣（noun habit）或（nominal style）會使文句冗長（wordy）、含糊（vague）、缺乏活力（lifeless）。凡事得有個度！
例3.寫作時過分使用名詞，勢必給動詞增加太多的負擔，因而阻礙思路暢通。譯文1：The effect of theoveruseof nouns inwritingis theplacingof too muchstrainupon the verbs and the resultantpreventionofmovementof thethought.譯文2：One who overuses nouns in writing places too much strain upon the verbs and as a result prevents the thought from moving along.以上譯文1缺乏動態感。唯一一個軟弱的謂語動詞“is”卻要拉動一個滿載名詞的主語，還必須推動兩個滿載名詞的表語，累啊。因此不少英美語言學者主張多用活潑的動詞來簡化句子結構，分擔句子的負擔，化靜態為動態。但總體來說，英語常用名詞，少用動詞，屬靜態。O.Jespersen指出：It seems possible to express ideas with greater precision and adequacy by means of nouns than by means of the more pictorial verbs……When we express by means of nouns what is generally expressed by finite verbs,our language becomes not only more abstract,but more abstruse,owing among other things to the fact that in the verbal substantive some of the life-giving elements of the verb（time,mood,person）disappear.While the nominal style may therefore serve the purposes of philosophy,where,however,it now and then does nothing but disguise simple thoughts in the garb of profound wisdom,it does not lend itself so well to the purposes of everyday life.
（二）用名詞表示施事者（Agentive noun），以代替動詞英語除了用抽象名詞表示行為和動作（如realize-realization,complete-completion）外，還常用含有行為和動作意義的普通名詞代替動詞（如a hard worker,a slow walker,a good thief and a bad sailor）既表示施事者，又保留原來動詞的意義，構成靜態結構。而漢語由動詞加後綴構成的名詞（如讀者、教師、打字員、修理工）用來指人，不再表示行為和動作，因而像a hard worker這樣的名詞要轉換成漢語動詞：（他）工作勤奮。
例1.He is a goodeaterand a goodsleeper.譯文：他能吃能睡。
例2.He was anonsmokerand ateetotaler譯文：他既不喝酒，也不抽煙。
例3.She is the besthaterI've ever known.How she got to hate me so much!譯文：我所認識的人中，她最會記仇。她怎麼這麼恨我呢？
例4.I used to be a bit of afanciermyself.譯文：過去我也常常有點喜歡胡思亂想。
例5.You're allclock-watcherstoday!譯文：你們今天老是看著鍾表等待下班啊！
例6.The computer is a far more careful and industriousinspectorthan human beings.譯文：計算機比人檢查得更仔細、更勤快。
例7.Litmus paper can be used as anindicatorof the presence or not of acid in a solution.譯文：石蕊試紙可用於指示溶液中是否含有酸。
（三）用名詞代替形容詞，構成標題式短語（Headline phrase）報刊標題為了節約版麵，盡量省去虛詞和其他次要的詞，把具有刺激性的詞語（stimulating words）擠壓在一起，因而名詞連用成了一種“free-and-easy habit”。如：