67语气助动词 (二)

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67语气助动词(modals) (二)                                                                                               3/21/2014

“语气助动词.”: can, could, will, would, should, may, might, must, ought 和 shall . 它们帮助本动词完成句子要表达的意念.  都是习惯用法. 没有快捷方式. 少数的应用有规则可循, 大部分的使用方法都必须勤作练习, 加上悟性方能深入了解.  尤其是口语, 只有多听英文会话录音带, 或找机会与英美人士交谈, 留心他们的发音, 才能有效果.  不过, 你若方法使用正确, 也得假以时日, 才会有一天, 豁然开朗, 领悟它们的用法, 大大的开心.  英美的小孩子从二, 三岁开始牙牙学语, 到了五,六岁才能与父母交谈.  据编辑者的学习英文的经验, 且蒙恩师邓先生的指导, 到能不感困难的运用英文, 约在高三的时候, 那己是三四年的时间. 尤其是口语方面, 更是每天早晨念英文会话课本“ The English Echo”.  学习语言不是一朝一日的事, 但却是高高兴兴必须要做的. 

 现在要谈两个常常使用的语气助动词 :  may, might.  它们在我国文字中不大常见. 但在英美国中, 他们是从小在话语中养成这礼貌习惯的, 在他们生活谈话中常常听到这两个字.  所以我说它重要, 必须在口语对话中多多留心.  尤其是它与 can, could, will, would 和shall, should 等语气助动词的比较, 你就知道它们的在意念上的不同, 要不断的有恒去学习.

 may, might的用法

   1. 作或许是这样的建议(suggestion)

            例如,        Ask Mary, she might know.  (等于或许she knows)

                             He might be having lunch.    (等于或许 he is having lunch)
                             John may be in his office.

              [注] :  在这里might不是过去式，而是表示一般的时间, 意味着更加的不确

             定.

    2. 表示允许 (permission)

例如,    You may bring the book back tomorrow. 你可以明天把书带来.

                         You may not go there. 你不可以去那里.

       3.  用于恭贺及祝福别人

例如,       May you succeed!

                            May God bless you .
                            May God be with you.

 习题三十六

     了解所设定的情况, 并使用括号内的字, 加上 may 或 might 造句 :

 1.   I can't find Stephen anywhere. I wonder where he is.

   a.  (he/go/shopping)  He may have gone shopping.    范例

   b.  (he/play/tennis)    He might be playing tennis.      范例

2. I'm looking for Ruth. Do you know where she is?

   a.  (she/watch/TV/in her room)

   b.  (she/go/out)

3. I can't find my book. Have you seen it?

   a.  (it/be/in the car)

   b.  (you/leave/in the school last night)

4. Why didn't Nathan answer the doorbell?  I'm sure he was in the house at the time.

   a.  (he/be/in the bath)

   b.  (he/not/hear/the bell)   

4. 表示推测，用might比用may语气更不确定，其推测的可能性更小。          

      1.)  对现在或将来的推测

             例如： She may know his address.    可能她知道他的地址.
                          It might not be true.
                          I'm not sure whether I can lend you any money.                                   
                          I may not have enough. (等于或许I don't have enough)

                 有时其后的“动词 + ing”，以表示动作发生在未来.

                 例如： He may  be waiting for you.

                              She might be writing a letter to her friend.  
                             We may be buying a new house. 我们可能要买一座新房子。
                      
        2.)  用于对过去的推测, 这种用法极为特殊, 要牢牢的记住, 多作练习.
                might 在此处是表示一般时间, 所以要用它来表示过去时制, 必须在
                其后把本动词变成“现在完了时制”.   
      
                例如,    Stephen : I wonder why Mary did not come yesterday.                           
                             John : She might have been sick.
                             Tom : I was surprised that Tina wasn’t at the conference.                                                                         Mark : She might not have known about it.

练习三十七 

    试用这些短语 :  may, may have, might,  might have, 造句.

练习三十八

    试以适合的动词词形完成下列各句:     

1. “Where’s Bob?”  “I’m not sure. He might be having lunch.”    范例
2. “Who is that man with Mary?” “ I’m not sure. It might 　　　 her brother. ”
3. “Who was the man we saw with Ruth yesterday?” “I’m not sure. It might 　　　her
     brother.”
4. “Why are those people waiting in the street?” “I don’t know. They might 　　　for a
     bus.”
5. “Shall I buy this book for John?”  “You’d better not. He might already 　　　it.”