2. 情态动词与完成时及其他动词形式的合用
(1) 情态动词+不定式完成时。
情态动词有时和动词的完成形式构成谓语,即“情态动词+have+-ed分词”表示对过去的行为或动作进行推测、评论或判断。
①“must+have+-ed分词”用于肯定句,表示对过去情况的一种肯定推测,表示“肯定,一定”。例如:
You screamed in your sleep last night. You must have had a terrible dream. 昨夜你睡觉时尖叫,你一定做了噩梦。
John’s score on the test is the highest in the class;he must have reviewed the lessons attentively. 约翰的考分是班上最高的,他肯定认真复习了。
②“may/might+have+-ed分词”用于肯定句和否定句,表示对已发生事情的不肯定推测,过去某动作“也许”、“可能”、“大概”发生了。其中may比might表示的可能性在说话人看来稍大些,更有把握。
例如:
She might have gone to see her doctor last week,but I am not sure. 上星期她或许是去看医生了,但我不敢肯定。
I can’t find my dark glasses. I may/might have left them at the restaurant yesterday. 我找不到我的太阳镜了,也许昨天我把它忘在饭店里了。
Don’t worry,your husband may not have been hurt seriously. 别急,你丈夫也许伤得不厉害。
③“should(ought to)+have+-ed分词”用于肯定句表示评论过去某动作应该发生而实际并未发生,有“本来应该”的意思。用于否定句则表示已发生了本不该发生的事,译为“本不该”。
例如:
You should have apologized to her for not soon replying to the letter. 你本应向她道歉,说明没能及时回信的原因。(实际上没这么做)
You ought to have come yesterday if you were really serious about your work. 如果你真的对工作认真,昨天你应该来的。
④“could+have+-ed分词”表示推测过去某动作“很可能发生了”。表示推测过去动作一定没有发生用“can’t/couldn’t+have+-ed分词”。
例如:
He is an hour late — He can have been delayed by fog. Of course,that’s a possibility.
他迟到了一个小时,可能因为大雾而耽搁了。当然,这只是一种可能。
The judge can’t /couldn’t have sent him to jail just for getting a parking ticket. 法官肯定不会因他违章停车而判他入狱。
“could+have+-ed分词”还可用于表示过去本来可以做某事却没做。
例如:
I simply can’t understand how he could have made such a mistake. 我简直不明白他怎么会犯那样的错误。
He walked there,but he could have taken a taxi. 他走着去了,可当时他完全可以坐出租车。
He could have studied if he had wanted. 如果他想学习,他早就学了。
⑤“needn’t+have+-ed分词”表示评论过去某动作已经发生,但是无须发生,可译为“其实不必”。例如:
I was assured by the doctor that my father only had a bad cold,not pneumonia. I needn’t have worried about it. 大夫向我保证我父亲得的是重感冒,不是肺炎。我其实不必担心。
You needn’t have carried all these parcels yourself. The shop would have delivered them if you had asked a shop assistant. 你其实不必自己搬所有的包裹。如果你对售货员提出要求的话,商店会给你送货的。
(2) 情态动词+不定式进行时(即情态动词+be+动词-ing形式),表示推测或评论某动作现在是否正在进行,意为“应当正在……”、“想必正在……”。
例如:
He may be washing his clothes. 他可能正在洗衣服。
He can’t be swimming in such weather. 这种天气他不可能在游泳。
She must be studying in the library. 她一定正在图书馆学习。
They shouldn’t be watching TV now. 他们现在不应该在看电视。
You oughtn’t to be talking so much. 你不应该讲这么多话。
We needn’t be standing here in the snow. We might take shelter in the hut over there. 我们不必在雪里站着。我们可以在那边的茅草屋里躲一躲。
*有时“情态动词+不定式进行时”表示“即将”、“将要……”。此外,间或表示“老是在(做某事)”。例如:
I must be going now. 我得走了。
I might(may)be coming back in the fall. 我可能秋天回来。
Why must you always be finding fault with me?你干吗老跟我过不去?
(3) 情态动词 + 不定式完成进行时(即情态动词 + have been + 动词 - ing形式),表示推测或评论过去某动作是否正在进行或一直在进行,意为“应当一直在……”、“想必一直在……”。
例如:
He must have been working then. 那时他一定一直在工作。
They may have been discussing the problem this morning. 今天早晨他们可能一直在讨论这个问题。
He should have been attending a meeting. 他应该一直在开会。
They couldn’t have been swimming all day. 他们不可能一整天都在游泳。