虚拟语气的四种表现形式和试题特点

虚拟语气的四种表现形式和试题特点

陈觉法

高中英语辅导网（）

一、用“情态动词+动词完成式”表“虚拟语气”，此结构表示与事实相反或可能相反的虚拟假设。常考的情态动词有should, ought to, be to, can (could), needn’t等，分别表示“本应该；本可以；本不必”，其中对过去事实的虚拟假设是最主要的考点。

例1（2004全国卷III）：

M r. white ____ at 8:30 for the meeting, but she didn’t show up.

A. should have arrived

B. should arrive

C. should have had arrived

D. should be arriving

分析由于客观上“没有露面”，所以“应该到达”只是一种虚拟假设；同时假设的事发生在过去，所以答案是A。值得一提的是，表对过去事情的推断，要用“情态动词+不定式完成式”，这是高考推断类试题中的热点。

例2（2006陕西卷）：

As you worked late yesterday, you ____ have come this morning.

A. needn’t

B. mayn’t

C. can’t

D. mustn’t

分析注意句子间的逻辑关系：由于你昨晚工作得太晚，所以今天上午就“不必”来了。这种分析符合逻辑；同时空格后是完成时态，可见说此话时“你”已经来了，所以这里说的只是一种虚拟语气。答案是A，needn’t have done sth.“本不必做某事”（实际已经做了）。

二、虚拟条件句。表与事实相反或可能相反的虚拟假设，其谓语（以do为例）在条件句和主句中的表达形式分别如下：

高考英语中的虚拟条件句常常以省略if的形式命题，考生必须知道，这时条件句中的主、谓语要用倒装结构。

例3（2006湖北卷）：

____ fired, your health care and other benefits will not be immediately cut off.

A. Would you be

B. Should you be

C. Could you be

D. Might you be

分析四个选项都是倒装式，但是句子并没有用问号，可见这是一种特殊的语法倒装现象。我们学过的情态动词置于句首的语法知识中只有一种情况，即省略if的虚拟条件句。根据上面虚拟条件句的表达式可知只有B符合条件，所以答案是B，这时省略了if的语将来事实可能相反的虚拟条件句，也可改成Were yo u to be或者Were you。这道题还有一个特点，条件句是虚拟语气，主句是表述真实事实的陈述句。这也是近年来高考命题的一种趋势：将虚拟语气和非虚拟语气结合起来命题，让考生根据具体的语境进行判断，值得注意。

例4（2006福建卷）：

If it were for the fact that she ____ sing, I would invite her to the party.

A. couldn’t

B. shouldn’t

C. can’t

D. might not

分析整个句子看上去是一个与将来事实可能相反的虚拟假设，但是that所引导的同位语从句表述的却是事实，所以答案应该是C。

三、用“should +动词原形”表虚拟语气。通常可用于以下几种场合：

1、在动词insist, order, command, suggest, advise, propose, demand, require, request, want（要求）, ask（要求）作谓语的宾语从句中，谓语动词用“should+动词原形”表虚拟语气，此时should通常可以省略。

例5（2005江浙四市联考）：

Recently quite a lot of experts ____ that another law on wildlife protection ____ as soon as possible.

A. suggested; must be passed

B. have suggested; be passed

C. were suggested; was passed

D. suggested; being passed

分析做这道题，除了注意题干中的时间副词Recently（告诉我们须用完成时态）外，还得采用语法分析法，对各个选项两空之间的相互联系进行分析：由于suggest后面的宾语从句要用“（should）+ 动词原形”表虚拟语气，所以答案是B。又如：

The Chinese Government demanded that the U.S. be responsible for the whole matter.

中国要求美国对事件负全部责任。

2、在It is suggested / ordered / proposed / important / necessary / a pity / a shame等结构后的主语从句中，以及在expect, imagine, believe, think等动词的否定或疑问形势后的宾语从句中，谓语动词用“should+动词原形”，表惊奇和意外。

例6（2001上海卷）：

You can’t imagine that a well-behaved gentleman be so rude to a lady.

A. might

B. need

C. should

D. would

分析答案是C，should在句子中表惊奇。

四、在wish, as if, would rather, Would you mind, It’s time等后面的从句中，以及在If only

开头的强调句中，谓语动词要用过去式（表现在的事）或过去完成式（表过去的事）表虚拟语气。

例7（2002上海春卷）：

How I wish every family ____ a large house with a beautiful garden!

A. has

B. had

C. will have

D. had had

分析答案是B，如上所述，wish后的宾语从句其谓语动词要用过去时态表虚拟语气。

例8（1995全国卷）：

When a pencil is partly in a glass of water, it looks as if it ____.

A. breaks

B. has broken

C. were broken

D. had been broken

分析答案是C，were broken是系、表结构。这里谈的是非客观事实的表面现象，所以在as if引导的表语从句中，要用一般过去时态表虚拟语气。

及时巩固根据语境，选择最佳答案填入空格，然后参见题后的参考答案。

1. ____ the flight be out of control, stay calm and listen for instructions from the cabin crew.

A. Should

B. Would

C. Can

D. Might

2. — Look at the black clouds. It ____ soon.

— Sure. If only we ____ out!

A. is raining; didn’t come

B. is to rain; won’t start

C. will rain; haven’t started

D. is going to rain; hadn’t come

3. — We ____ to the camping place; it is beneficial to our health.

— Yes. A drive was not at all necessary.

A. should have walked

B. needn’t have walked

C. might walk

D. could have walked

4. Order came that all the army supply ____ to the front before daybreak.

A. be sent

B. should send

C. were sent

D. should have sent

5. It is strange that my watch ____ nowhere!

A. is found

B. has been found

C. should be found

D. should have found

6. He’s always talking so much about the Antarctica as if he ____ there.

A. had been

B. has been

C. has gone

D. was

7. The suggestion has been made ____ the basketball game ____ put off.

A. for; to

B. that; be

C. which; should be

D. to; being

8. ____ to travel in space, I would take as many pictures of our beautiful country as possible from space.

A. If I am

B. I were

C. Should I

D. Were I

9. If it were not for the fact that you ____ too busy, I would ask you to help me do this right now.

A. were

B. had been

C. are

D. have been

10. —It’s really a miracle! You’re still alive at all after such a terrible accident!

— Thank goodness! But for the stick of the big tree, I ____.

A. would have been killed

B. had been killed

C. be killed

D. was killed

Key: 1—5 ADAAC 6—10 ABCCA