第一章、情态动词can、may、must的用法
1. can的用法
(1) can表示主语的能力。如:
The hall can seat 1,000 people. 这个大厅能坐1 000人。
Can you play the piano? 你会弹钢琴吗?
(2) can表示说话人的猜测(即可能性),多用于否定句和疑问句。如:
Can it be true? 这能是真的吗?
The moon can't always be at the full. 月不可能总是圆的。
What can she mean? 她可能是什么意思呢?
(3) can表示许可。如:
This sort of thing can't go on. 这样的事不能再继续下去了。
You can't smoke here. 你不可在这里吸烟。
(4)“can+完成式”表示说话人对过去情况的猜测(只用于否定和疑问结构中)。如:
He can't have missed the way.I explained the route carefully and drew him a map.
他不会迷路。我对他详细说明了路线,还画了一张地图。
Can the team have left already? 球队已经离开了吗?
2. could的用法
(1) could表示主语的能力,为can的过去时形式,如:
Daisy couldn't come yesterday because she was ill.
戴西昨天不能来是因为她病了。
They said they could swim. 他们说他们会游泳。
(2) could表示说话人的猜测(即可能性)。如:
He could be right. 他或许是对的。
Could it be Henry? 可能是亨利吗?
At that time we thought the story could not be true.
那时我们认为所说的事不可能是真的。
(3) could表示许可。如:
Father said I could swim in the river.
爸爸说我可以在河里游泳。
Could I help you? 我能帮忙吗? (比Can I help you?婉转)
The man asked if he could smoke in the hall.
那个人问可不可以在大厅里吸烟。
(4)“could+完成式”用于肯定句时一般表示过去可能完成却未完成的动作。如:
I could have reported you. 我本可以报告你的。
You could have let me know earlier. 你本来该早一些告诉我。
3. may的用法
(1) may表示许可,多用于肯定句和疑问句中,否定句中不常用。如:
May I ask you a question?
我可以问你个问题吗?(比Can I ask you a question?更礼貌)
You may keep the book for two weeks.
这本书你可以借两周。
(2) may表示可能性,常用于肯定句和否定句中,指现在或将来的可能性。如:
It may be true. 那可能是真的。
The road may be blocked. 这条路可能不通了。
(3)“may+完成式”表示说话人对过去情况的猜测。如:
Eva may have missed her train. 伊娃可能误火车了。
He may have read the book. 他可能读过这本书。
(4) may as well(=might as well)是一个习语,作“不妨”或“完全有理由”或“还是……的好”解,用于提出建议。如:
You may as well stay where you are. 你还是原地呆着好。
All the pubs are closing.We may as well go home.
所有的酒馆都打烊了。我们还是回家吧。
在对由may引出的“请求许可”的问句做出肯定回答时,通常不用过于严肃和正式的“Yes, you may.”,而多用“Yes, please?(请便)”或“Of course/ Certainly(当然可以).”;否定回答时,常用 “Please don't(请不要).”或“No, you mustn't(不行).”
4. might的用法
(1) might表示许可。如:
Might I have a word with you? 我可以同你说句话吗?
Might I make a suggestion? 我可以提一项建议吗?
Might we ask you a favour? 我们可以请你帮个忙吗?
但要注意:Might I...比May I...更客气,但是不如May I...常用。
(2) might表示说话人的猜测,其把握性比may小。如:
Mr Smith might be right. 史密斯先生或许是对的。
He might have some fever. 他可能有点发烧。
(3) might用于委婉地提出建议、责备等。如:
You might ask him for help. 你可以请他帮忙嘛。
You might ask before you borrow my car.
你可以先问问我再借我的车嘛。
(4)“might+完成式”(表示说话人对过去情况的抱怨、责备、遗憾等)。如:
You might have considered her feelings. 你本应考虑她的感受。
You might have let me know earlier. 你本来该早一些告诉我。
5. must的用法
(1) must表义务或强制。如:
I must go now. 我必须走了。
Soldiers must obey orders. 军人必须服从命令。
Visitors must leave bags in the cloakroom.
参观者须把包放到物品寄存处。
must用于一般疑问句时,其肯定答语应用Yes, please.或I'm afraid so.其否定答语应用needn't或don't have to.
—Must I go tomorrow? 明天我必须去吗?
—Yes, please. 是的。
—No, you needn't. 不,你不必去。
must的否定式must not/mustn't表示禁止。
You mustn't leave here. 你不许离开这儿。
Cars mustn't be parked in front of the entrance. 车不能停在入口处。
(2) must表示说话人有把握的猜测,仅限于肯定句。如:
He must be at home now. 他现在肯定在家。
You must be joking. 你一定是在开玩笑。
He must be mad. 他一定是疯了。
(3)“must+进行式”表示对现在情况有把握的猜测,仅限于肯定句。如: You must be joking. 你一定是在开玩笑吧。
(4)“must+完成式”表示对过去情况有把握的猜测,仅限于肯定句。如:
You must have known what he wanted.
你当时肯定知道他想干什么。
Emm must have been very young when she got married.
埃玛结婚时一定很年轻。
(5)“must+完成进行式”表示对过去情况有把握的猜测,仅限于肯定句。如:
He must have been working. 他肯定一直在工作。
第二章、情态动词的其他形式
1. shall的用法
(1) shall用于疑问句中,征求对方的意愿;这时可以用第一人称和第三人称。如:
Shall I turn on the light? 要开灯吗?(我把灯打开好吗?)
Shall we sit here? 咱们坐这儿怎么样?(坐这儿好吗?)
Shall we begin now? 我们现在开始,好吗?
Shall he send you a check? 要不要他给你寄张支票?
(2) shall用于陈述句,与第二人称或第三人称连用,表示允诺、命令、警告和强制,或表示说话人的决心等。如:
She shall get her share. 她可以得到她的一份。(允诺)
Then you shall come. 那你就得来.(命令)
Nothing shall stop us from carrying out this plan.
什么也不能阻止我们实现这项计划。(决心)
2. should的用法
(1) should表“应该”,用于所有人称,表示常理认为是对的事或适宜做的事,通常意义为“应该”。如:
You should be more careful next time. 你下次应该再细心些。
We should always bear this in mind. 我们要把这一点常记在心里。
(2)“should+完成式”表示说话人对过去情况的抱怨、责备、后悔等。如:
I should have taken her advice. 我本该采纳她的建议的。
I shouldn't have treated her like that. 我不该那样待她来着。
(3) 表示说话人对过去情况的猜测。如:
The guests should have arrived now. 客人可能已经到了。
3. will的用法
(1) will表示主语的决心或意愿。如:
I won't argue with you. 我不愿意跟你争辩。
I will do all I can. 我会尽力去做。
If you want help, let me know, will you?
需要帮忙就告诉我,好吗?
(2) 作为情态动词,will表示说话人的猜测,意为“大概”。如:
That will be the book you want. 那大概是你所要的书。
Ask him. He will know. 问他吧,他大概知道。
(3) will表示主语的习惯或习惯能力。如:
The young man will sit there for hours doing nothing.
那个年轻人常几个小时坐在那儿无所事事。
Water will boil at 100℃. 水在100℃时沸腾。
4. would的用法
(1) would表示主语的意愿。如:
That's just what he would want. 那正是他想要的。
His daughter wouldn't listen to anybody.
他女儿谁的话也听不进去。
(2) “Would you...?”表示客气的请求。如:
Would you please lend me your pen? 借用一下你的钢笔好吗?
What would you like to drink? 你想喝点什么?
(3)“Would you like / prefer...?”表示提议或邀请。如:
Would you like some coffee? 你要不要喝点咖啡?
(4) would表示说话人的猜测,其把握性比will小。如:
It would be about ten o'clock when he left home.
他离开家时大概是10点左右。
That would be in 1976, I think. 我想那可能是在1976年。
(5) would表示过去的习惯性动作。如:
Sometimes he would come to see us. 他有时来看看我们。
Every evening he would come to say goodnight.
每天晚上他都来道晚安。
(6)“would+完成式”表示对过去情况的猜测。如:
The tour group would have reached New York.
旅游团可能已经到纽约了。
I thought you knew. I thought Maxim would have told you.
我以为你知道了。我以为马克西姆会告诉你的。
5. have to的用法
have to主要用于表示客观外界向主语施加的义务。它有一般现在时单数第三人称形式has to和过去时形式had to,也可以与助动词和其他情态动词连用。如:
I shall have to go to the clinic today for my bad cough.
我咳嗽得很厉害,今天得去诊所。
You will have to come tomorrow. 你明天得来。
在口语中也可用have(has)got to(美国英语可省去have)。英国英语还可用其否定与疑问结构。如:
You haven't got to work tomorrow. 明天你不用上班。(got可省去)
Have you got to work tomorrow? 你明天得上班吗?(got可省去)
有时 don't have to与haven't got to的含义有所不同,如:
You don't have to change at London. 你不用在伦敦换车。(指通常)
You haven't got to change at London. 你不用在伦敦换车。(指这一次)
6. ought to的用法
(1) ought to表示出于义务、责任、道义等方面的要求而该做的事。如:
You ought to go to see the doctor. 你该去看病。
He said you ought to tell the police.
他说你应该去报警。
(2) ought to表示说话人的猜测。如:
John ought to know how to use the mchine.
约翰可能知道怎么用这个机器。
但要注意:在表示义务和猜测时,ought to通常可以和should换用。
7. need的用法
(1) 表必要性,多用于疑问句、否定句或否定意味的疑问句中。如:
You needn't hurry. 你不必着急。
Need I repeat it? 需要我重复吗?/p>
(2) “need+完成式”表示对过去情况温和的责备、后悔等,通常限于否定句。如:
We needn't have hurried. 我们当时不必那么匆忙。
The car needs cleaning.=The car needs to be cleaned.
车需要清洗了。
We need some more money. 我们还需要些钱。/p>
8. dare的用法
(1) 作为情态动词, dare没有人称和数的变化,现在时和过去时的形式相同,通常用于否定句和疑问句。如:
Dare you jump down from the tree? 你敢从树上跳下来吗?
How dare you be so rude? 你怎么敢如此无理?
(2) dare还可用作实义动词,作实义动词时,它有动词的全部形式,后面要跟带to的不定式。如:
The girl didn't dare to go by herself. 那女孩不敢独自去。
He dared to say no more.他不再敢说什么了。
(3) dare作实义动词时有人称和数的变化,有现在时和过去时形式,可以和助动词连用,也不仅只用于否定和疑问句,而且dare之后的不定式符号to可以省略。如:
Who dares (to) go? 谁敢去?
She did not dare (to) go out after dark.
她天黑以后不敢出门。
(4) 作为实义动词, dare除了作上面的“敢于”之外,还可以作“向……挑战”和“敢于面对”解。如:
I dare you to do it. 我谅你不敢做这事。
The young man dared the anger of the entire family.
那年轻人不怕惹起全家人的愤怒。
9. used to的用法
(1) used to表示过去的习惯动作或状态,现在已不存在,没有人称和数的变化。如:
Natalie told us she used to go church.
纳塔莉告诉我们她过去常去做礼拜。
It used to be a prosperous town.
这里过去是一个繁荣的城镇。
(2) used to的否定式和疑问式有两种形式。一种是不用助动词,另一种是借助于助动词did,而借助于助动词的形式更为常见。如:
I didn't use to/usedn't to/used not to get tired when I played tennis.
我过去打网球时不感到累。
Did you use to / used to play tennis?或Used you to play tennis?
你过去打网球吗?
There used to be a pub here,didn't use there / usedn't there?
过去这里有一个小酒馆,对吗?
(3) used to do(作“过去经常做”解)与be used to sth / doing sth (作“习惯于某事 / 做某事”解)。如:
I'm used to life in the country. 我习惯于乡村生活。
She was not used to getting up early. 她不习惯早起。