情态动词与动词的时态和语态
情态动词又称为情态助动词。英语中助动词主要有两类:一是基本助动词,如have, do, be等;二是情态助动词,如may, must, need等。情态动词与其他动词连用表示说话人的语气,可表达建议、要求、可能、意愿等。情态动词没有人称和数的变化。
一、情态动词+动词完成式
情态动词must, should, may(might), ought to, can(could), need, would等都可以与动词完成式连用作谓语,其模式为“modal verb+have+v-ed”。这类结构表示对过去所发生动作的推测或判断。但是,不同的情态动词所表示的意思又有所不同。
1、must+have+v-ed和can’t/couldn’t+have+v-ed
“must+have+v-ed”表示对过去事情较有把握的、肯定性的推测,常译为“一定”,“准是”,“肯定”。当must用于推测意义时,其否定形式通常不是must not, 而是can/could not.“can’t/couldn’t+have+v-ed”表示对过去事情的否定性推测,常译为“决不可能”,“不太可能”。
例:Since the ditch is full of water, it must have rained last night.
经典练习:
1、Mary’s score on the test is the highest in her class; she____have studied very hard.
A)may
B)should
C)must
D)ought to
2、You____her in her office last Friday; she’s been out of town for two weeks.
A)needn’t have seen
B)must have seen
C)might have seen
D)can’t have seen
3、Mary____my letter; otherwise she would have replied before now.
A)has received
B)ought to have received
C)couldn’t have received
D)shouldn’t have received
4、Dinosaurs are thought to____millions of years ago
A)die out
B)have died out
C)having died out
D)dying out
解析:
1、答案选C。must have+v-ed表示推测过去某事一定发生;may have+v-ed表示推测过去某事也许发生。Should/ought to have+v-ed表示“本应该…”根据句意,C为正确选项。
2、答案选D。can’t have+v-ed表示对过去发生事情的否定推测;needn’t+have+v-ed表示过去做了本不必做的事。根据句意D为正确选项。
3、答案选C。根据本句的后半句otherwise she would have replied before now可知,前半句是一个表示与后半句相应的虚拟过去情况的句子。Can’t/couldn’t
have v-ed表示过去不可能发生的事情。所以C为正确选项。
4、答案选B。像be believed/found/known/reported/said/supposed/thought后常跟不定式完成式,表达“据知,据报道”等意思,不定式的动作发生在被动结构(谓语动作)所表示的动作之前。根据语法要求B为正确选项。