怎样学好英语的虚拟语气

第七章虚拟语气

语气是一种动词形式，用以表明说话人对行为或事物的看法或态度。虚拟语气表示说话人的主观态度、假设、猜测、建议、命令、甚至是与事实相反的空想等。

一、时态转换法

1.虚拟条件句：条件句有两类，一类是真实条件句，句中假设的情况是可能发生的，谓语通常都用陈述语气；第二类是虚拟条件句，表示纯粹假设的情况或是发生的可能性不大的情况。

a. 表示与现在事实相反，其条件从句用did，表示结果的主句用would/should + do．动词是be时，单数和复数人称都用were。

If I knew the answer, I would help you solve the problem now．

如果我知道答案，我现在就会帮助你解决这个问题。

If I were you, I would never make the same mistake again．

如果我是你，我永远也不会再犯同样的错误。

If there were no air, there would be no life on the earth．

如果没有空气，地球上就不会有生命。

If I knew German, I would read the book in the original.

如果我懂德文，我就要看这本书的原著了。

What would you do if you were in his place?

要是你处在他的位置，你会怎么办？

b. 表示与过去事实相反，其条件从句用had + done, 表示结果的主句用would/should + have done．

If it had not rained heavily, we would have visited the museum．

如果那时没有下大雨，我们就参观博物馆了。

If he had adopted a correct method, he would have succeeded．

如果他采取了正确的方法，他就成功了。

If they had made full preparation, they would not have failed．

如果他们准备很充分，就不会失败了。

c. 有时条件从句的动作和主句表示的动作，发生的时间并不一致，这时要根据表示的时间调整谓语动词的形式，也叫做混合虚拟式。

You would not feel so sleepy this morning if you had gone to bed early last night．

如果昨晚你早点睡觉的话，今天早晨就不会觉得困了。

If you had started earlier, you would not be in such a hurry now.

如果你早点出发的话，现在就不用这么匆忙了。

d.在这两类虚拟条件句中，主句的谓语除了用would构成外，有时还可能用might或could。在第一人称后有时也可以用should。另外，如果条件从句中包含有were, had, should,could，有时可以省略if，把这些助动词放在主语前面（这些结构在口语中较少使用）：

Had they not foreseen the danger, they would have been ambushed.

若非他们预见到这一危险，他们就会被伏击了。

Had it not been for the reservoir, we’d never have been able to beat the drought.

如果没有水库，我们绝不可能战胜这次干旱。

2.含蓄条件句

英语中有时假设的情况并非由if明确表达出来，而是通过一定的词汇手段、句子结构、上下文或其他方式暗示，这类句子通常就叫做含蓄条件句。

a．用介词短语表示虚拟条件。

With more support from the military, the design would be better．

如果军方提供更多的帮助，这个设计会更完善。

But for your assistance, we should not have succeeded．

没有你们的帮助，我们就不会成功。

The change could not have taken place without a solid industrial foundation．

没有坚实的工业基础，就不会发生日新月异的变化。

Under more favorable conditions, we could have done a better job．

如果条件更好一些，我们本可以把工作干得更好些。

b．用动词不定式表示虚拟条件。

It would be a mistake not to adopt a correct attitude towards others’ criticism．如果对别人的批评意见不采取正确的态度，那将是个错误。

It would only be foolish to ask a man like him for help．

向他那样的人求助是愚蠢的。

c．用比较级表示虚拟条件。

A more responsible person would not have left the work half done．

一个更负责的人不会让工作半途而废。

A less brave man wouldn’t have swum across the river．

一个不那么勇敢的人绝不敢横渡那条河。

d．用连接词表示虚拟条件。

I would have attended the party yesterday, but I had a cold．

昨天晚上我本想参加晚会，但是我感冒了。

I was so busy yesterday, otherwise I would have gone with you．

昨天我太忙，否则我就和你一起去了。

3.“宁可、宁愿”句型中

Henry would rather that his house were on the third floor．

亨利宁愿他的房间在三楼。

I would just as soon that you did not take these important documents with you．