虚拟语气总结：be型和were型

目录：
学习虚拟语气的三个必知
一、were式虚拟
二、be式虚拟
三、几个特殊的句式
学习虚拟语气必须明确了解以下三点：
1、英语的所谓“虚拟语气”，从用途上区别有三种：一种用来表达与实际情况相反的虚构假设，一种用来表达“祈使愿望”的口气，另一种满足特殊的句式需要。

虚拟语气并不全是在表达虚构的情况，理解这一点非常重要。

2、虚拟语气从句式表现上有三种：表达与实际情况相反的虚构假设用were式虚拟，表达“祈使愿望”的口气be式虚拟，在特殊句式中的照句式要求而定。

3、学习虚拟语气，其目的不在于单纯解决语法问题，更不能停留在应试的层面上。

掌握虚拟语气的用法对英语的阅读理解非常重要，尤其是进入大学以后，这一点更为重要。

一、were式虚拟
英语中，被叫做“were式虚拟”的这种虚拟语气，通过扭曲时态形式来表示与实际情况相反的虚构假设，具体的做法是将时态的形式“倒推一个时态”。

这样的表述也许不太准确，但是非常实用，也极容易理解。

具体的做法，就是将现在时态变成过去时态，将过去时态变成“过去的过去”。

在这种虚拟语气的用法中，动词be至少要倒退一个时态成为“过去时态”的were（在虚拟语气中一般不用was，is、am、are倒推一个时态以后都写成were）。

因此，这种表示与实际情况相反的虚构假设的虚拟语气就就以动词be的变化为例，叫做了were式虚拟。

were式虚拟主要用在wish从句，as if从句和非真实条件句。

下面我们结合具体的例子学习were式虚拟的用法：
wish从句的虚拟语气用法：
英语中表达一般性的愿望（即希望）用hope这个词，wish 这个词往往表达难以实现或不能实现的愿望，所以要用虚拟语气，我们可以看看具体的用法:
I wish I had the money to buy the book.
这句话表达的意思是，“我现在没有钱买这本书，但是希望能买这本书，而因为没有钱，虽然有这种愿望，却也买不了这本书。

”
wish从句中的动词have用来表达“现在有与没有”的情况，通过一个把have“倒推一个时态”变成had，had实际上表达了一个“现在没有”的概念，正好与have这个词的本义相反。

必须牢记：wish不是hope，wish要表达的是不能实现或难以实现的愿望，必须使用were式虚拟，必须通过扭曲wish从句的时态来体现这种虚拟语气。

下面的情况相同：
My little brother wishes he had wings to fly up into
the sky.
Many people wish they could grow rich over a single night.
I wish I were a millionaire to have the money to buy all that
I need.
Poor little Tom, an orphan, wishes he were in a family full of
love and care.
My parents wish I would go to college, but they know I will
not.
I do wish you wouldn't smoke any more.
注意：上面最后一句中你不要再抽烟了，也不是不能实现的愿望，但是借用wish 来表达，显得相当婉转，没有强加于人的意味，如果说成
I hope you will not smoke any
more.口气就过于强硬，颇有些居高临下的意味。

请看下面的句子,用法上都差不多：
I wish you would come and help us out.
I wish you would be more respectful to your father.
I wish you would stay with me for a while.
I wish I had had the money to buy the book.
这句话表达的意思是，“我当时没有钱买这本书，但是我现在希望当时能买下这个本，因为没有钱，虽然现在还有希望当初能买下这本书的念头，但是这已是不能实现的愿望了。

”
这时候，wish从句的正常时态应该是一般过去时态，但是，因为wish要表达一个不能实现的愿望，从句只好倒推一个时态，把一个一般过去时的had扭曲成了过去完成时的had
had。

这时候的had
had，没有过去完成时的时态意义，只是通过一种扭曲了的时态形式表达了一个“虚拟”的情况，一种不能实现了的愿望。

下面的情况相同：
We all wish he had not made that silly mistake.
I really wish I had not overheard what he said about me.
Mr. Smith wishes that he had not spent off all his money.
It was late for the criminal to wish that he had not committed
the crime.
Linda wished that she had been more patient and careful in the
examination.
I wish I had been in your place to take the challenge. （最后这一句中的had
been也往往写成were，因为这时候的were也是一种扭曲了的时态形式，也能表达出这个虚拟的意味。

）
再强调一次：
wish后面从句的动词时态形式非常重要，句中的一般过去时表示的是与现在相反的情况，过去完成时表示的与过去相反的情况，过去将来时表示的是与将来情况相反的愿望—过去将来时是一般将来时倒推一个时态的结果，这是以汉语为母语的初学英语者常常注意不够的地方。

下面是人们常常使用的例句：
I wish I knew the answer to the question.
I wish I had known the answer to the question.
I wish I could go with you.
I wish I could have gone with you yesterday.
请注意上面的最后一句，yesterday决定了could的过去时态，从形式上could不能倒推一个时态，为了体现“时态的倒推”（或者说时态的扭曲），could后面原本应该是一般形式的不定式go变成了完成式的形式have
gone。

这也是很有意思的语言现象，在各类的were式虚
拟中都经常出现，非常值得注意。

当wish作名词使用的时候，其同位语从句表达的是wish 的内容，也需要使用were式虚拟，例如：
We all have the wish that all mankind could live peacefully
together.
The wish that all the classmates came back to another reunion
is merely lovely dream.
as if从句的虚拟语气用法：
as
if的意思是“好像”，从用法上有两种，一种是不知道事实的真相，说其好像一种特定的情况；另一种是明知道事实的真相，却说其好像与事实不同的情况。

在后一种情况下，句子应该使用虚拟语气，谓语动词的时态形式向后倒推一个时态，而在前一种情况下，句子处于陈述语气，应该使用正常的时态形式，请比较下面的谓语形式：
Mr. Sam Smith, my P.E. teacher, looks like an army officer.
The stranger at the school gate looks like an army officer.
在前一个句子里，我非常清楚我的体育老师不是军官，而我
说他看起来像军官，就用虚拟语气。

在后一个句子里，我不知道门口陌生人的身份，不知道他是不是军官，我说他看起来像军官，就不用虚拟语气。

Tom looks calm and steady as if he were telling the truth.
Tom looks calm and steady as if he is telling the truth.
前一句表明汤姆是在撒谎，后一句说明汤姆可能在撒谎。

理解as
if从句的虚拟语气和陈述语气的不同用法很重要，特别是在阅读理解中更是显得非常重要，一旦有所疏忽，就可能把句子的含义弄混了，甚至弄反了。

He speaks as if he knew everything about the accident.(虚拟）
He speaks as if he knows everything about the accident.(陈述）
My mother is always talking as if she were a doctor of
medicine.(虚拟）
The young lady is talking as if she is a doctor of
medicine.（陈述）
You seem as if you had done all that you should have.(虚拟）
再强调一次，如果as
if从句中谓语动词的时态形式比正常时态倒退了一个时态，说明这个从句处于虚拟语气，在表明与事实不同的情况，如果as
if从句中的谓语动词时态正常，说明这个句子属于陈述语气，在表明与事实可能相同也可能相反的一种猜测。

非真实条件句的虚拟语气
if（如果）所引导的从句是典型的条件状语从句，分为真实条件句和非真实条件句两种。

非真实条件句是相对与真实条件句而言的。

真实条件句表达了一个可能实现的条件，在这个条件之上推断出的可能性也是可以实现的；而非真实条件句表达了一个不能实现或者很难实现的条件，在这个条件之上推断出的可能性是不可能实现或非常难以实现的。

真实与非真实条件句有一个重要的共同点，其主句中均有will 或will 的变形would，表示建立在从句条件之上的可能性。

注意，这里的will或would 是情态动词，表示可能性，而不是表示将来时的助动词。

真实与非真实条件句的不同点是：就谓语动词形式来讲，非真实条件句比相应的时态中的真实条件句向后倒移了一个时态。

换句话说，在条件句中，如果谓语动词的形式比它的时间状语所表示的时间倒移了一个时态，这个条件句即是非真实条件句。

这一点与wish和as
if从句的情况相同。

因此，如果我们使用非真实条件句，只需在相应的真实条件句的基础上，使主从句的谓语形式同时向后推移一个时态。

如果是关于过去的情况，主句中有表示可能性的would，其本身已经不可能实现时态的倒移，我们将would后面的do
改写成have done，即通过这个无to 不定式的变化，以示其时态倒推之意。

（例句在后面）
这样，不需死记硬背很多教材和语法书上有关虚拟语气句式变化的三个公式，只要掌握了时态倒推的变化规律，便可以掌握课本和语法书中那三个公式之所以成立的根本，只要在继之以适量的练习，就能熟练掌握了。

下面看一些情景练习，这些都是教学中常用的练习，包括了非真实条件句的多种情况。

用上述的方法，解决这样的问题并不费力：
1. Last Sunday we all stayed indoors because it rained the
whole day.
用if后，主从句从真实条件句的基础上倒移一个事态。

If it hadn’t rained for a whole day,
we wouldn’t have stayed indoors last Sunday.
2. John and Joseph weren’t given the tickets, so they did not
go to the cinema. If John and Joseph had been given the
tickets, they would have gone to the cinema.
3. David Smith was required to leave the country within 24
hours because he had acted as a spy for a foreign country.
主句中的过去完成时“倒移”时其谓语动词不再变形，正如直接引语变成间接引语时那样：David Smith
would not have been required to leave the country if he hadn’t
acted as a spy for a foreign country.
4. I don’t like the diamond necklace, so I don’t want to have
it.
If I liked the diamond necklace, I would want to have it.
5. Johnson was warned of the danger last night, so now he
does everything very carefully.
本句和下两句是错综时间条件句，即主句和从句的时态不相同，本来可以成为非真实条件句教学中的一个难题，但是现在只要按照主从句谓语动词时态形式“倒移”的规则，问题就可以迎刃而解。

If Johnson hadn’t been warned of the danger last
night, he
wouldn’t do everything so carefully.
本句和下两句是错综时间条件句，即主句和从句的时态不相同，本来可以成为非真实条件句教学中的一个难题，但是现在只要按照主从句谓语动词时态形式“倒移”的规则，问题就可以迎刃而解。

If Johnson hadn’t been warned of the danger last night, he
wouldn’t do everything so carefully.
6. Joan received the invitation yesterday. She will go to the
party tomorrow evening. If Joan hadn’t received the invitation
yesterday, she would not go to the party tomorrow evening.
7. Larry has heard from quite a few friends in China and now
he knows much about this country. Larry wouldn’t know much
about this country if he hadn’t heard from quite a few friends
in China.
8. Bob isn’t here, so we can’t ask him to help with the task.
在非真实条件句中be 的过去时形式一般用were：If Bob were here, we could ask hime
to help with the task.
9. We will have a sports meet next Sunday, so all the
students will have to come to school then.
注意从句的形式：
①If we didn’t have a sports meet next Sunday, the students
wouldn’t have to come to school then.
②If we weren’t to have a sports meet next Sunday, the
students wouldn’t have to come to school then.
③If we shouldn’t have a sports meet next Sunday, the students
wouldn’t have to come to school then.
.关于倒装句式:
在非真实条件句中，如果条件句中有助动词be, had, should等，连接词if 可以省略，如：
Should I come late tomorrow, you could ask someone else to
take my place.
Should anything gone wrong with this device, you should go and
check with the local dealer.
Had you been here a minute late, you would have caught him
cheating in the test.
Had we asked him a second time, we would sure have had his
advice.
Were I to attend the meeting in Shanghai, I would fly there
tomorrow.
Were they in our place, they would have a totally different
opinion of the situation.
这时候要注意，如果条件句在主句后面，这种倒装的句式看着相当别扭：
The whole school would not have had that silly idea of the so
called invention had they noticed the date of the
invention
issued: April 1st.
I would have taken what you said for granted had I not been to
the place myself.
You would get double paid were I to ask you for additional
service.
We would cancel the trip were the weather to be rainy.
Go and check with the local dealer should the recorder not
work properly.
I would have to change my plan should anything wrong happens.
最后再次强调两点：
Ａ、对最后一组句子还要些说明：
如果条件从句指的是将来时间，非真实条件句有三种形式：
第①句：因为真实条件句指将来时间时用现在时态，倒移其时态形式，直接用一般过去时的形式；
第②句：这里用were to do 形式，应该指明这是由be to do 结构倒移时态形式的结果（从is(am,are)
to do 到were to do）；
第③句：这里用should do，可以解释为should 与were to 在此句式同义，属于同义替代。

Ｂ、非真实条件是建立在与事实相反、或很难成为现实的假设基础之上，其主句是建立在这样的假设之上的推论，主句的would
(could, might, should)表示着一种不可实现，或难以实现的可能性，决不能漏掉。

掌握了“时态倒移”的规律，非真实条件句的其他问题就很容易解决了。

二、be式虚拟
英语中，被叫做“be式虚拟”的这种虚拟语气，一般用在名词性从句中，这些名词性从句一般都与表示祈使意义的动词有关。

最典型的是，suggest,
order, propose等表示祈使意义的动词的宾语从句，其谓语形式应该使用be式虚拟。

be式虚拟通过一种固定不变的谓语动词形式来表示说话者的一种“祈使愿望”，具体的做法是将谓语动词的形式固定为(should)
do,不论该语句应该使用什么时态，其谓语动词的形式都是(should)
do形式。

以典型的动词be举例，不论它应该是什么时态形式，只要它用来表达“祈使愿望”的虚拟，它的形式就是（should)
be，或者说是be了，因此这种虚拟语气就被叫做be式虚
拟。

例如：
We strongly suggested that the meeting be put off till the
next day.
The officer ordered that the spy be killed right away.
Mr. Smith proposed that people from both companies gather for
new ideas.
I will suggest to the school board that a basketball team be
set up soon.
以上几个句子中省略了should以后显得比较别扭，如果should这个词不省略，虽然看着就不那么别扭了，但是还是容易出错误的。

要记住两点：1、be式虚拟中的谓语动词形式是固定不变的，不受其本身应该使用的时态的限制；2、是否在一个宾语从句中使用be式虚拟，关键看该从句是否受含有祈使意义的动词的限定。

除suggest, order, propose 以外，这类含有祈使意义的
动词还有：advise, ask,
arrange, beg, command, demand, decide, desire, make up one's
mind, insist, plead, recommend, require, request 等等。

这些动词不管口气强弱的程度如何，都是在“祈使”别人做什么，因此虽然动词比较多，但是并不难记忆。

这些动词中，有一些动词是多义词，如suggest 可表示“建议”也可表示“暗示、表明”, insist
可以表示“坚持要求”也可以表示“坚持认为、坚持表白”, decide (make up one's mind)
可表示“决定”也可以表示“认定、断定”, ask 可表示“要求”也可以表示“闻讯”等等,
只有当以上动词用作祈使意义的时候，受其限定的宾语从句的谓语才使用be式虚拟。

例如：
The principal suggested that the vacation be cut short to two
days.
The smile on his face suggested that he was satisfied.
My brother insisted that I give away my rights to have my
father's house.
The bookseller insisted that I stole his book, but I didn't.
The president decided that the trip be cancelled.
The police decided that the old man was the murderer.
I sincerely ask that you all attend the meeting tomorrow.
Miss Smith asked if I was interested in her boat.
前面提到了be式虚拟用于名词性从句，宾语从句只是名词性从句的一种。

下面请看几个表语从句中使用be式虚拟的情况:
My idea is that we begin the party with a warm welcome to Mr.
Black.
Their proposal was that we start out one hour earlier.
We stuck to the original plan that we have a meeting before
taking actions.
His request was that we help the old lady with her daily
shopping.
My advice is that you should not come back to this place
again.
What he recommended was that we give it up completely.
What you should suggest to her is that she should go and see a
decent doctor.
(注意，最后一句话中的第一个should不能省略掉，第二个能。

）
请看看几个主语从句中使用be式虚拟的情况：
That we go and visit the Great Wall was what you suggested to
us. Why didn't you go with us?
That you come to the school at 7:20 is clearly and firmly
required.
That the soldiers give up the city was the general's firm
order.
It will be desired that she finish all the preparation this
afternoon.
再请看看几个同位语从句中使用be式虚拟的情况：
They had a wrong attitude toward my suggestion that the house
not be rebuilt.
The order that soldiers shoot the protesters was not carried
out.
以上这些名词性从句一般都与表示祈使意义的动词有关，虽然这些从句作了主语从句、表语从句和同位语从句，但是从逻辑意义上讲，仍然是这些表示祈使意义的动词逻辑上的宾语从句。

认识到这一点，be式虚拟的变化规律就好掌握了，这是be式虚拟学习中最重要的要点。

三、几个特殊的句式
1、it is important that... ...
请先看下列句子：
It is important that you come and deliver the speech tomorrow.
It is necessary that we let none of us fall behind.
It is essential that Mr. Li come to help us with the new task.
It is only natural that you pay your respect to your
colleagues.
请观察，以上各句所表达的其实都是一种建议，是一种比较强烈的suggestion，因此这类句式可以归纳在上面的be式虚拟中。

注意：有些人把it is strange that... 和it is a pity (shame)
that...也归在此类句式中，其实有些不当。

It is strange that you should know about the whole thing.
It was strange that Tom should have stolen his father's money.
It was a big shame that you should have spoken to me like
that.
It was a pity that Linda should be so careless in the test.
It is no wonder that Mr. Smith should be so calm about the new
plan.
No wonder you should be so patient about it.
大家可以很清楚地看到，在it is strange that...和it is a pity
(shame) that
...句式中没有丝毫的祈使意义，祈使意义是面向将来的，be 式虚拟语气的各种从句的情况发生在主句情况之后，而it is
strange that...和it is a pity (shame) that
...句式中从句的情况发生在主句情况之前，此句式中的should表示了说话人惊奇的情感，有“竟然”的意味，是根本不能省略的。

如果说话人没有惊奇的情感，这一类的句子也完全可以不用
should 这个词：
It is a pity that Mr. Chamberlin did not turn up at the
meeting.
It was a shame that Janet refused to speak at the party.
It was strange that only a few people showed interest in our
products.
、it is (high) time that... ...
It is high time we went home now.
== It is high time we should go home now.
It is time we started doing our work.
==It is time we should start doing our work.
It is time we left for the airport.
==It is time we should leave for the airport.
从意义上讲，这个句式没有任何were式虚拟的意味，但是最流行的用法是在其从句中使用一般过去时态。

虽然这个句式有很多be式虚拟的意味，而且也可以使用should
do的形式，但是远不如用过去时态的形式更为流行和普遍，建议最好使用一般过去时态的形式，少用should do的形式。

我建议，大家在理解和运用it is (high) time
that...句式的时候不要把它理解成虚拟语气，只是把它当作一个特定的句式就可以了，这样掌握起来反而便利得多。

建议的要点有二：
1、在it is (high) time that...从句中尽量使用一般过去时态这种形式。

2、在it is (high) time that...从句中如果使用了should do
的形式，要注意这个句式中的should 一般不省略。

3、if only...引导的感叹句
在if only...引导的感叹句中使用的虚拟语气属于were式虚拟，一般都是对没有发生某种情况或不能发生某种情况的遗憾：
If only I were a bird!
If only my mother were with me now!
If only you had come to our help yesterday!
If only Linda could go with us tomorrow!
If only I had said more about it!
4、其它句式：
很多的书籍中还另外一些句式也归类于虚拟语气，不管在语言发展史上这些句式是否曾经属于虚拟语气，从学习的角度看，我建议，还是把这些句式作为特殊的语言现象来掌握更为容易。

在这种情况下“死记硬背”更为有效，多问几个为什么没有实质上的实践意义。

在would like to do, would rather do, had better do 等句式中：
You had better not take this medicine any more.
I would rather stay home than go to the concert with my
parents.
Would you like to come to our party tonight.
表示客气和婉转的语气：
Could you answer this question for me?
Would you be kind enough to explain the paragraph for me?
It would be better for you not to stay up too late.
在“may you + 动词原形句式”中表示祝愿：
May you be happy! == Be happy!
May you succeed!
May you have a safe journey home! == Safe journey home!
May you have good luck! == Good luck!
May God bless you! == God bless you! == Bless you!。