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重点中学英语语法讲义-虚拟语气

2017-09-15来源:和谐英语

重点中学英语语法讲义-虚拟语气

一、概说

英语有三种语气,即陈述语气、祈使语气和虚拟语气。陈述语气用于陈述事实、提出看法或问题等,祈使语气用于表示请求、命令或警告等,虚拟语气则表示假想或主观愿望:

He is honest. 他很诚实。(陈述语气)

Don’t be late next time. 下次别迟到。(祈使语气)

If I were you I wouldn’t go. 我要是你,我就会去。(虚拟语气)

I wish I had a lot of money. 要是我有很多钱就好了。(虚拟语气)

二、带虚拟条件的虚拟语气

1. 真实条件句和非真实条件句

条件句有真实条件句和非真实(虚拟)条件句两种。真实条件句所表示的假设是有可能发生的,而非真实条件句则通常表示一种假想,与事实相反或不大可能会发生:

If I have time, I will go with them. 假若我有时间,我就同他们去。(陈述语气)

If I were you, I would go with them. 假若我是你,我就同他们去。(虚拟语气)

2. 虚拟条件句的三种基本类型

(1) 若与现在事实相反,条件从句的谓语用过去式(be通常用were),主句谓语用“should (would, could, might)+动词原形”:

If you took a taxi,you’d get there quicker. 如果你坐出租车去,你可以快一点到那里。(但你不坐)

If I knew her number I could ring her up. 要是我知道她的电话号码,我就可以给她打电话了。(可惜我不知道)

(2) 若与过去事实相反,条件从句的谓语用过去完成时(had+过去分词),主句谓语用“should (would, could, might)+have+过去分词”:

If I’d left sooner,I’d have been on time. 要是我早点动身,我就准时到了。(但我动身太迟了)

If we had found him earlier we could have saved his life. 要是我们当时早点找到他的话,我们就可以救活他。(可惜我们找到他太晚了)

(3) 若与将来事实相反,条件从句的谓语用过去式(be通常用were),主句谓语用“should (would, could, might)+动词原形”:

If he went,would you go too? 如果他去,你也去吗?(大概他不会去)

If I asked him,I’m sure he’d help us. 如果我向他提出要求,肯定他会帮助我们。(不过我不打算这样做)

注:① 主句谓语中的should主要用于第一人称后。would, might, could的大致区别是:would表示结果,might表示可能性,could表示能力、允许或可能性。比较:

If you tried again you would succeed. 要是你再试一试,你就会成功的。(would表结果)

If you tried again you might succeed. 要是你再试一试,你可能会成功的。(might表可能)

If you tried again you could succeed. 要是你再试一试,你就能成功了。(could表能力)

② 条件从句的谓语动词为be时,不管其主语为单数还是复数通常都用were,但在口语或非正式文体中的单数第一人称和第三人称后,也可用was,不过在 If I were you这样的表达中,通常还是以用were为宜。

③ 有时条件从句用would表示愿意:

If he would live on with me, I would be his better half. 要是他还愿意跟我过,我仍会做他的妻子。

④ 对于与将来事实相反的情形,请注意以下几点:一是这里说的与将来事实相反,实为对将来情况的推测;二是此用法中的条件从句谓语除用过去式外,有时也用“should+动词原形”(表示可能性极小,常译为“万一”)或“were to+动词原形”(表示与将来事实相反的假设);三是当条件从句使用“should+动词原形”这样的谓语时,主句谓语除可用“should (would, could, might)+动词原形”这样的虚拟语气外,也可用陈述语气或祈使语气:

If it should rain tomorrow, don’t expect me. 万一明天下雨,就不要等我了。

I should see him, I’ll tell him. 万一我见到他,我就告诉他。

3. 错综时间虚拟条件句

所谓错综时间虚拟条件句即条件从句与主句所指时间不一致,如从句指过去,而主句即指的是现在或将来,此时应根据具体的语境情况,结合上面提到的三种基本类型对时态作相应的调整:

If it had rained last night, the ground would be wet now. 要是昨晚下过雨的话,现在地面就会是湿的。

You would be much better now if you had taken my advice. 假若你当时听我的话,你现在就会好多了。

注:条件从句用 if I were…时,既可指现在也可指过去。如:

If I were you, I would go. 假若我是你,我就去。

If I were not busy, I would have come. 假若我不忙,我早就来了。

也可用 if I had been you也表示过去:

If I had been you,I’d have taken the job. 我要是你,我就接受那份工作了。