1.prove的基本意思是“证明”,即以足够、可靠的证据来证明自己的观点或结论是正确的,而对方的论点或结果是站不住脚的。此外,也可表示证实有争议的人或物的品质、实力或适合性等。引申可作“检验”解。
2.prove既可用作及物动词,也可用作不及物动词。用作及物动词时,可接名词、代词、从句作宾语。prove还可接“to be+n./adj./prep.-phrase”充当补足语的复合宾语, to be一般可以省略,但当to be是完成式即to have been时不可省略。prove还可用作系动词,意思是“显现出是,被发现是”,其后可接“(to be)+adj./prep.-phrase”或介词短语作表语。
3.prove的过去分词在英国是proved; 但在美国往往用proven, proven常用作形容词,在句中作定语。

prove to(v.+prep.)
向…证实; 证明 give proof of sth to sb; show sth beyond doubt to sb
▲prove sth to sb/sth
What are you trying to prove to the public?你打算向大家证明什么呢?
Can you prove that to the court?你能向法庭证实这一点吗?
▲prove to sb/sth that-clause
I shall prove to you that the witness is quite unreliable.我将向你证明,证人十分不可靠。
You will have to prove to the police that you were at home that night.你必须向警方证明那天夜里你是呆在家中的。
This will prove to the world that we are right.这将向全世界证明我们是对的。

prove up(v.+adv.)
勘探,探明 explore
▲prove sth⇔up
The geologist proves up a coal deposit.地质学家探明了一个煤矿的藏量。
They proved up the copper deposit.他们勘探了那个铜矿。

用作系动词
▲S+～+(to be) n./adj.
This has afterwards proved to be the correct explanation.后来证明这是正确的解释。
She may prove to be the most suitable person for the job.可能证明她最适合做这工作。
He proved a coward.他证明是个懦夫。
She proved a very strict teacher.结果证明她是一位非常严格的老师。
Mary proved a qualified teacher.玛丽被证实是个称职的教师。
She proved a good wife.她证明是一个好妻子。
He proved a reliable friend of the Chinese people.事实证明他是中国人民的可靠朋友。
I imagined it would prove an easy task.我想它将证明是件容易的工作。
This has proved an effective preventive.这种药证明是很有效的预防剂。
The concert proved a great success.音乐会取得了巨大成功。
His efforts, however, proved a failure.但他的努力结果都失败了。
The report proved to be true.这报告证明属实。
The new typist proved to be useless.那位新打字员终于被发现是无用的。
The plant proved salutary.那植物证明是有益于人体健康的。
The instrument has proved most useful.这种仪器证明非常有用。
The machine proved highly valuable in heart surgery.这种机器做心脏手术证明是非常有价值的。
Her rash marriage proved unhappy.她轻率结婚,很不幸福。
His first attempt proved successful.他的第一次尝试证明是成功的。
These methods have proved quite effective.这些办法证明是很有成效的。
Isotopes also prove helpful in other conditions.事实证明,在其他情况下,同位素也很有用处。
As it happened, my advice proved wrong.当此事发生时,我的意见证明是错误的。
▲S+～+(to be) prep.-phrase
Results from these projects have proved of great value.这些研究的成果证明很有价值。
It has proved of great assistance in such training.事实证明,这类训练很有好处。
It will prove of little use.结果会证明它没有什么用。
This book will prove of some use to you in your studies.这本书对你的研究终将是有用的。
用作及物动词
▲S+～+n./pron.
Who can prove it?谁能证实这一点呢?
This further proved the strength of our economy.这进一步证明了我国经济的实力。
Facts will prove my sincerity.事实将会证明我是真心实意的。
His action proved his kindness.他的行动证实了他的善意。
He proved his courage in action.他以行动证实了自己的勇敢。
This fact proves the necessity of conservation.这一事实证明自然保护的必要性。
In order to prove the servant's honesty she left a bag containing money on the desk.为了考验佣人的诚实,她在桌上留下了一个装着钱的手提包。
She showed her pupils how to prove their answers.她教学生们怎样验算答案。
◇ 用于be ～ed结构
His guilt was clearly proved.他的罪行被清楚地证实了。
It has been proved by evidence.有证据证明它。
▲S+～+that-clause
They proved that he was guilty.他们证明他有罪。
How can you prove that you are right?你如何能证明你是正确的呢?
He has proved that his hypothesis is correct.他已经证明自己的假设是正确的。
The fact proves that the report is false.事实证明那项报告是假的。
These documents will prove that we are telling the truth.这些文件可以证明我们讲的都是事实。
Doesn't this fact prove that you are to blame?难道这事实不足以证明你该受到责备吗?
The marks of the prisoner's fingers on the gun proved that he was the guilty man.囚犯留在枪上的指纹证实了他就是罪犯。
◇ 用于be ～ed结构
It has been proved that the practice can only do good.事实证明这样做只有好处。
It was soon proved that he was the guilty man.不久就证明他是个罪人。
▲S+～+wh-clause
Can you prove where you were on March 2nd? 你能证明你3月2日在什么地方吗?
用作宾补动词
▲S+～+n./pron.+(to be/as)n./adj./prep.-phrase
She proved him to be the thief.她证明他就是那小偷。
I'll prove it to be erroneous.我将证明它是错误的。
He has proved himself to be worthy of revering.他证明自己值得尊敬。
Again history proved them wrong.历史再次证明他们错了。
They proved themselves talented and capable.他们证明自己很有天赋和能力。
One mad action is not enough to prove a man mad.做一件疯事并不足以证明一个人就是疯子。
◇ 用于be ～ed结构
Their calculations have all been proved to be castles in the air.他们的算计证明不过全都是空中楼阁。
They were proved effective after testing in the fields.经过田间试验,证明它们是很有效的。
其他
▲v-ed as Attrib.
She is a woman of proven ability.她已被证明是个有能力的人。

prove, testify
参见testify条。
prove, turn out
参见turn条。

下面三句意思相同：
That proved him progressive.
That proved him to be progressive.
That proved that he was progressive.
那证明他是进步的。

［同义词］   analyse, assay, attest, check, confirm, evidence, experiment, justify, show
［反义词］   discredit, disprove, falsify
［词源］  ＜古法语prover＜拉丁语probare(证实,证明)