感悟英语中的虚拟语气
江苏沛县湖西中学 鹿俊先 221611
语法中的语气指谓语动词的变化形式。陈述语气是用来叙述事实或就事实进行询问的主要谓语动词形式。学生所熟悉的英语绝大多数谓语动词形式都属于陈述语气。虚拟语气是用来表示假设意义及推定意义的谓语动词形式，这种动词形式所表示的动作或状态不是客观事实，而是说话人的假设、想象、主观意图。本文从虚拟语气所表示的语义入手，通过与陈述语气相比较，总结虚拟语气在各种句型中的用法。
1．表示假设意义的虚拟语气。
假设即与事实相反。表示这类意义的虚拟语气通常相当于陈述语气向过去时间顺推，即假设现在时间的动词形式相当于陈述语气中表示过去时间的动词形式(be在正式英语中各种人称都使用were,口语中第一、第三人称单数有时可以使用was)，假设过去时间的动词形式相当于陈述语气中表示更早的过去时间即过去完成相应的动词形式。现分述如下：
1．1虚拟条件句：含有假设条件及结果的句子叫作虚拟条件句。
A. 虚拟条件句的构成形式。
假设条件从句的构成。
虚拟条件句中的从句表示条件，常以连词if, unless, suppose (that), supposing (that)等引导。假设的一般现在、现在进行、现在完成、现在完成进行分别用陈述的一般过去、过去进行、过去完成、过去完成进行表示；假设的一般过去、过去进行分别用陈述的过去完成时、过去完成进行时表示。假设将来表示不可能实现或可能性很小的事件，谓语动词形式相当于陈述语气中的过去式，或用were to / should加动词原形(不用was)。
事实：I don’t have enough money. 假设：If I had enough money, …. 事实：it is raining. 假设：If it weren’t / wasn’t raining, ….
事实：We haven’t finished our work. 假设：If we had finished our work, …, 事实：He has been running all the way. 假设：If he had not been running all the way, ….
事实：I didn’t know his telephone number. 假设：If I had known his telephone number, ….
事实：He was not reading then. 假设：If he had been reading then, …. 假设将来的条件句：（不可能实现或可能性很小）
If it rained / should rain / were to rain tomorrow, ....
推定结果主句的构成。
虚拟条件句中的主句表示依据假设所推定的不合实际的结果，其谓语动词使用助动词would, should（不含情态意义，would用于所有人称，should仅用于第一人称）或情态动词would, could, might（含有能力、可能、意愿、意图等情态意义） 后跟不定式。
would / could /… do表示推定的现在的状态或将来的行为。
would / could /…be doing表示推定的现在进行中的行为。
would / could /… have done表示推定的过去的行为、状态或现在完成意义的动作、状态；
would / could /… have been doing表示推定的过去进行意义的行为或完成进 1
行意义的行为。
B. 虚拟条件句中的主句与从句的搭配。
上述从句与主句可以按想表达的意义搭配，所表示的时间可以一致，也可以不一致，随意义而定。
If / Suppose /Supposing your friends knew how you are behaving here, what would they think?
If I had known that you were busy last night, I wouldn’t have called.
If we hadn’t used computers, we couldn’t have solved such complicated problems in a short time.
If he had known the facts, he could / might have told us what to do. If only someone had told us, we could have warned you.
If you had been waiting at the gate as we agreed, I could have given you a lift. If we had caught that plane, we would be flying over the Atlantic now. If I were you, I should /would tell him the truth. (was不能取代were) If I knew his address, I would pay a visit to him.
If a serious crisis should arise, the public would have to be informed of its full implications.
If I were to do that, what would you say?
If I received any news, I should / would let you know.
If you hadn’t told me about it, I would / should still be unaware of the facts. If John had studied hard last term, he would have (got) a better grade.
It is hard for me to imagine what I would be doing if I had not fallen in love, at the age of seven, with the Melinda Cox Library in my hometown.
If he were not so careless, he would not have failed in the exam.
有时与假设将来从句搭配的主句可以不是虚拟语气。
If he should come, ask him to wait.
If you should be fired, your health care and other benefits will not be immediately cut off.
We guarantee to refund（保证退还） the purchase money if the machine should fail to give satisfaction.
C. 虚拟条件句从句所表示的意义可以用介词短语、非谓语动词、并列句等其它形式表示。
Without the friction (摩擦力) between their feet and the ground, people would not be able to / could not walk.
But for(要不是) the rain, we would be in Shanghai now / would be flying to Shanghai now / would have arrived in Shanghai now.
He’d be stupid not to accept that offer.
The same thing, happening in war time, would amount to disaster.
I did not remember his name then, or I would have introduced you.
Yesterday, Jane walked away from the discussion. Otherwise she might have said something she would regret later.
He would have attended the meeting, but he was ill then.
D. 倒装形式的虚拟条件句。
虚拟条件句从句的谓语部分were, should, had (助动词) 可以提至其主语前 2
而把if省略，这种倒装形式常用于正式英语。
Had I taken your advice, all this misery might have been avoided.
Should you be fired, your health care and other benefits will not be immediately cut off.
Had it not been for (=If it hadn’t been for) (要不是由于)your help, I could not have succeeded.
Were it not for (=If it were not for) the fog, we could see the tower on the top of the hill.
Had the management acted sooner, the strike couldn't have happened.
E. 虚拟条件句的省略。
虚拟条件句的意义明显，而假设从句无须明示，可以省略。
You were crazy to ski down there -- you might / could have killed yourself (if you had not been lucky).（显然你没有遇难。） （事件已发生，显然无人受伤。） one).（显然属于想象，不会有人实际装礼品入火车。）
有时主句也可以省略，形成习语，如：if only。（见1．2）
1．2 由 wish, if only (=I wish, 要是??那多好啊！相当于省略了主句的虚拟条件句)，引导的从句所表示的主观愿望与实际情况相反，其谓语动词形式类似虚拟条件句的从句。
I wish / If only I knew the answer to your question.
You work too hard. I wish / If only you didn’t work so hard.
I wish I had known his telephone number.
I have lost my bicycle. I wish I hadn’t lost it.
I wish it weren’t /wasn’t raining.
He is going to do an exam tomorrow. I wish he weren’t / wasn’t going to do it. 这类从句的谓语中could, would, might必须是情态动词，应注意其应有的情态意义。
I wish he could (表客观条件许可) come.
I wish you would (表意愿) give her a massage for me.
He will(习惯性坚持) keep singing in the bath. I really wish he wouldn’t.
1．3 由as if / as though, like(用于随便的英语中), even if / even though引导的从句如果与实际情况相反，其谓语动词形式类似虚拟条件从句，只是把与主句谓语动词同时看作现在，先于主句谓语动词看作过去。
He looks as if he were / was ill. (In fact he is not ill.)
He looked as if he were / was ill. (In fact he was not ill.)
(对照：He looks as if he is ill. Fetch the doctor at once.)
He looks as if he had seen a ghost (鬼).
Why is she looking at me as if she knew me? I have never seen her before. She started kissing me like we were on our honeymoon.
He walks almost as if he were / was drunk.
He sat there smiling like it were / was his birthday.
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Even if he were / was present, I would not change my mind.
I would not have attended the party even if I had been invited.
1．4 It is (about / high) time (that), would rather (that) 之后句子常跟v-ed形式表示尚未发生的行为。前者表示“时间已过，早该行动而尚未行动”，有不满、遗憾之意。后者含有主观愿望与实际趋势不一之意。
It is high time (that) we got down to business.
I’d rather you came tomorrow.
“Shall I open the window?” “I’d rather you didn’t.”
My wife would rather we didn’t see each other any more.
2．表示推定意义的虚拟语气。
2．1名词性从句表示劝告、建议、命令、要求、请求等内容时，其谓语动词常用 (should) + 原形动词形式。
A. 在order(命令)、tell(吩咐)、suggest / recommend / propose (建议)、demand /require(要求)、insist(坚持要)、ask / request(请求)、decide(决定)、desire(渴求)、dictate(指令)、urge(督促)、prefer(宁愿)等意义的动词后作宾语。在不太正式的英语中，这类动词可以与非谓语动词形式连用表示相同的意义。
The teacher required (that) we (should) learn the text by heart.
对照：The teacher required us to learn the text by heart.
He told / ordered / asked / required / …me that I (should) leave at once.
对照：He told / ordered / asked / required / …me to leave at once.
I insisted that he (should) go with them.
对照：I insisted on his /him going with them.
She suggested that a meeting (should) be held to discuss the matter.
对照：She suggested holding a meeting to discuss the matter.
上述动词如不表示“促使某种行为实现”的意义，则不使用虚拟语气。用来叙述事实或就事实进行询问使用陈述语气。
He insisted that he hadn’t taken my dictionary.
He asked whether I agreed with him.
His accent (口音) suggests (表明) that he is from Beijing.
He told me that he was from Beijing.
B. 在被动语态中原虚拟语气的宾语从句转变为主语从句。含上述意义的形容词作表语或宾语补足语时，其主语从句或宾语从句的谓语动词也使用相同形式表示相同意义。常见的这类形容词有：necessary / essential / obligatory (必须的)、 important(重要的)、 appropriate / proper(合适的)、advisable(称心的)、desirable(合意的)、 preferable(更合意的)等。
It is important that you (should) learn English well.（表示劝告）
对照：I advice that you (should) learn English well.
It is necessary that all the students (should) be treated equally.（表示要求） 对照：I insist that all the students (should) be treated equally.
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It is demanded / desired / insisted / ordered / proposed / requested / suggested / decided / necessary / important / … that we (should) get everything ready by the end of the week.
It is suggested that the manager himself (should) attend the wedding.
Don’t you think it necessary / important that students (should) learn a foreign language?
C. 用于含上述意义的名词之后作同位语。常见的这类名词有：order, suggestion, proposal, demand, request, requirement, decision等。
They accepted my suggestion that they (should) not buy such equipment.
D. 用于含上述意义的名词主语之后作表语。
My suggestion is that a doctor (should) be sent there.
2．2有时名词性从句中用should表示说话人对事实的情感的反应，如：惊奇、遗憾、喜悦、不快、悲哀等。should相当于汉语中的“竟然”，“居然”。 陈述语气的名词性从句则客观的陈述事实，不表示情感的反应。这种should意义不同于2．1，形式上也不可省略。引出这种should从句的往往多属于涉及情感意义的词语，如：curious, dreadful, fortunate, shocking, astonishing, annoying, surprising, pleasing, shocked, astonished, annoyed, surprised, pleased等。
They were surprised (that) a child should work out the problem while they themselves couldn't.
对照：I’m surprised that you haven’t called the doctor before.
I'm sorry (that) you should think I did it on purpose.
对照：I’m sorry (that) you think I did it on purpose. (这里的think为陈述语气的一般现在时，而不是省略should的动词原形。)
I was shocked that he should not have invited her.
对照：I was shocked that he had not invited her.
3． 情态动词用过去式表示现在意义主要用于更为委婉地陈述自己的观点、委婉地提出要求、邀请、建议、劝告等。Hope, wonder用于上述语境时过去进行式或一般过去式比现在进行式或一般现在式语气更为委婉。
It would be a shame to stop our work half-way.
对照：It is a shame to stop our work half-way
Would you mind my smoking here?
对照：Do you mind my smoking here?
Wouldn’t it be better for us to set off a little earlier?
对照：It is better for us to set off a little earlier.
I was wondering / wondered if you could lend me your car for tomorrow. 对照：Can you pass me that book?
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