BEC商务英语辅导 讨论棘手问题
2008-12-27来源:和谐英语
A tricky meeting讨论棘手问题的会议
Boss: Come in. Ah, Tim, how can I help?
Tim: Erm, well, I think you should read this letter from the watch repairers.
Boss: Oh yes, let me see it? hmm, well, I imagine someone in their office must have made a mistake.
Tim: Perhaps, but this isn't the first time this has happened.
Boss: Well, do you think you might have made a mistake when you took the watch from the customer?
Tim: I don't think so.
Boss: But you're not certain? You could've made a mistake, couldn't you?
Tim: Well, I always check the paperwork.
Boss: Well, let's not worry about it now, but in future, I'll deal with customer complaints. And try to be more careful in future, okay?
Vocabulary (词汇):=
(You are certain that it is NOT the postman)
Modals and past events （情态和过去时）
Must, might, may, could and can't are also used to talk about past probability and possibility, and to make guesses and deductions about things that happened in the past.
For example, after a shopping trip you go to the train station to return home. You can't find your wallet.
Past certainty
I must have left it in the last shop. I don't remember putting it in my pocket. (This means you are certain about something that happened in the past)
I can't have left it in the last shop. I remember putting it in my pocket. (This means you are certain about something that DIDN'T happen in the past)
Past possibility/probability
Someone might have stolen it.
Somebody may have taken it.
I could have dropped it.
Grammar note:
When modals are used to talk about past events, the modal is followed by the perfect infinitive, without 'to'.
The perfect infinitive is made with 'have' + the past participle of the main verb. Here are some examples of modal verbs followed by perfect infinitives:
must have left
might have stolen
may have taken来源:和谐英语网
could have dropped
Remember, if you don't use a modal, then you are giving a fact, for example: I left it in the shop.
Be careful: Modal verbs often have other different meanings. For example, 'could' can be used to show ability as well as possibility. Use the context to help you understand which meaning is being used. 'Can' is NOT normally used to talk about the past: use 'could'.
和谐英语祝大家：Merry Christmas ！
Boss: Come in. Ah, Tim, how can I help?
Tim: Erm, well, I think you should read this letter from the watch repairers.
Boss: Oh yes, let me see it? hmm, well, I imagine someone in their office must have made a mistake.
Tim: Perhaps, but this isn't the first time this has happened.
Boss: Well, do you think you might have made a mistake when you took the watch from the customer?
Tim: I don't think so.
Boss: But you're not certain? You could've made a mistake, couldn't you?
Tim: Well, I always check the paperwork.
Boss: Well, let's not worry about it now, but in future, I'll deal with customer complaints. And try to be more careful in future, okay?
Vocabulary (词汇):=
(You are certain that it is NOT the postman)
Modals and past events （情态和过去时）
Must, might, may, could and can't are also used to talk about past probability and possibility, and to make guesses and deductions about things that happened in the past.
For example, after a shopping trip you go to the train station to return home. You can't find your wallet.
Past certainty
I must have left it in the last shop. I don't remember putting it in my pocket. (This means you are certain about something that happened in the past)
I can't have left it in the last shop. I remember putting it in my pocket. (This means you are certain about something that DIDN'T happen in the past)
Past possibility/probability
Someone might have stolen it.
Somebody may have taken it.
I could have dropped it.
Grammar note:
When modals are used to talk about past events, the modal is followed by the perfect infinitive, without 'to'.
The perfect infinitive is made with 'have' + the past participle of the main verb. Here are some examples of modal verbs followed by perfect infinitives:
must have left
might have stolen
may have taken来源:和谐英语网
could have dropped
Remember, if you don't use a modal, then you are giving a fact, for example: I left it in the shop.
Be careful: Modal verbs often have other different meanings. For example, 'could' can be used to show ability as well as possibility. Use the context to help you understand which meaning is being used. 'Can' is NOT normally used to talk about the past: use 'could'.
和谐英语祝大家：Merry Christmas ！
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