用過去式表示的虛擬語氣

■在虛擬條件句中的運用

1. 與現(xiàn)在事實相反：條件句的謂語動詞用一般過去式(be一般用were) ，主句謂語用would /should /could /might +動詞原形。如：

If I were you, I would never do that. 如果我是你,我決不做那件事。

If it weren’t for (=But for) your help, I would still be homeless. 若不是你幫忙，我現(xiàn)在還是無家可歸。

If I had more money, I would buy a car. 我要是有再多一點錢，我就買汽車了。

注：在口語中，在第一、三人稱后，也有人用was。如：

If I was(were) rich, I would buy a car. 我要是有錢，我就買汽車了。

2. 與將來事實相反：條件句中的謂語可用一般過去式、或者“were to /should＋動詞原形”，主句謂語用would /should /could /might +動詞原形。如：

If it rained/should rain/were to rain tomorrow, I would not go there. 要是明天下雨，我就不去那里。

3. 與過去事實相反：條件句的謂語動詞用過去完成式，主句謂語用would /should /could /might + have +過去分詞。如：

 If he had taken my advice, he might not have made such a bad mistake. 要是他當(dāng)初聽從我的勸告就不會犯這么嚴(yán)重的錯誤了。

If it hadn’t been for Margaret, I might not have understood. 要不是有瑪格麗特，我可能還不明白。

注：若虛擬條件句中有were, should, had時，可省略if，將were, should, had移至主語前。如：

Were I you, I would never do that.

Should it rain tomorrow, I wouldn’t go there.

Had it not been for Margaret, I might not have understood.

■在錯綜時間虛擬條件句中的運用

虛擬條件句與主句謂動詞發(fā)生的時間有時不一致，要注意主從句謂語動詞的形式。如：

If you’d listened to me, you wouldn’t be in such trouble now. 如果你當(dāng)初聽了我的話，你現(xiàn)在也不會有這樣的麻煩了。

■在含蓄虛擬條件句中的運用

有時只有主句，不出現(xiàn)虛擬條件句，而是用without, with, but for(要不是) 等介詞短語，或者用but, or, otherwise等副詞或連詞，或者用不定式或分詞短語等來表示虛擬條件。如：

But for (=if it had not been for ) your help, I wouldn’t have been successful. 要是沒有你的幫助，我就不會成功。

I was so busy then, otherwise, I would have helped him. 我當(dāng)時很忙，要不然，我會幫助他的。

We couldn’t have finished it without Mary. 如果沒有瑪麗，我們是不能按時完成這個工作的。

To hear him talk (=If you could hear him talk…) , you’d think he was Prime Minister. 聽他講話你會以為他是首相。

Given more time, I could have done it better. 要是多給一點時間，我會做得更好。

■在wish, if only, as if, would rather等后的從句中

這些從句的謂語動詞的形式是：若與現(xiàn)在或?qū)硎聦嵪喾?/a>，用一般過去式(動詞be一律用were) ；若與過去事實相反，用過去完成式。如(www.)：

I wish it were spring here all the year round. 但愿這里四季如春。

I wish I hadn’t wasted so much time. 但愿當(dāng)初不該浪費這么多時間就好了。

If only she would go with me! 她要是愿意和我一道去就好了!

If only I had listened to my parents! 我要是聽了我父母的話就好了。

Li Ming speaks English as if he were an American. 李明說英語好像是美國人。

I would rather he came tomorrow. 我寧愿他明天來。

I’d rather he hadn’t told me about it. 我寧愿他沒告訴我這事。

注：as if/as though引導(dǎo)的從句若是事實，就不必用虛擬語氣。如：

It looks as if it is going to rain. 看起來要下雨的樣子。

■ as if/as though引導(dǎo)的從句中

He speaks English as though he were an American. 他說英語跟美國人差不多。

■在It’s time that…的that從句的謂語動詞

It is time that we got ready for the final examination. 該是我們?yōu)槠谀┛荚囎鰷?zhǔn)備的時候了。