(24)助動詞用法
加在動詞之前以補足其意的詞就叫做助動詞(Auxiliary Verb),其主要的動詞,就稱主動詞(Principal Verb)。有些助動詞是有過去的變化的,如 do-did,will-would,shall-should,may-might,can-could,dare-dared(durst),其他如 must,ought to,need,則只有一個形式沒有任何變化。茲將各助動詞分別舉例說明如下:
1. Do(后接略去了 to 的不定詞)
a. 在問句及否定句中通常要用 do。
① Do you take exercise everyday?(問句)
你每天都要運動嗎?
② Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched.(否定句)
雞卵未孵勿先數雛。(格言)
但在 to be,to have 的時候,則不用 do,如:
① Have you friends or relatives in this city?
你在本城有親戚朋友嗎?
②Life is not a picture.
人生并不如畫。
b. who,what 等疑問詞用作賓語時要 do,但用作主語時則不要 do,如:
① Whom do you want to see?(賓語)
你要找誰?
② Who knocked at the door?(主語)
有誰敲門啊?
(注意)如說“Who did knock at the door?”便錯了。
c. 在用有疑問詞的問句中要 do,但在從句中則不要 do,如:
① Where did you buy it?
你在哪里買的?
②Will you tell me where you bought it?
你可以告訴我你在哪里買的嗎?
d. 加強動詞的意思時要用 do,如:
①I do hope that you will succeed this time.
我真希望你這次會成功。
②When he does come,he is generally late.
他即令來,也總是到得很遲的。
e. 在倒裝語句中要加用助動詞:
①Not for a moment did he falter in his purpose.
他的志向堅定不移,一會兒都不動搖。
②He stood still,nor did I move.
他靜立,我也不動。
f. 用 do 來做代動詞(Pro-Verb),以避免重復使用動詞:
①We need not be ashamed if others know more than we do(= know).
如果別人知道得比我們多,我們也用不著羞恥。
②The ostrich does not build a nest as most birds do,but lay its eggs in the sand.(do = build a nest)
鴕鳥和別的鳥不同,是不筑巢的,它把卵產在沙中。
2. May(后接略去了 to 的不定詞)
a. 許可:
① May I swim in this pool?
我可以在此池中游泳嗎?
②You may take anything you like.
你喜歡什么就可以拿什么。
b. 可能:
①As it is very cold today,we may have rain tomorrow.
因為今天非常的冷,明天可能下雨。
②Young men may die;old men must.
年輕人也可能死,老年人則必死。
c. 可能不是(加否定用):
The news may not be true.
那新聞可能不是真的。
d. 祈愿:
① May you succeed!
愿你成功!
②Long may live the Republic!
共和國萬歲!
e. 目的(連 that 用):
He spoke very slowly that we might understand him better.
他說得很慢,好使我們聽懂。
3. Can(后接略去了 to 的不定詞)
a. 能夠:
①What cannot be cured must be endured.(格言)
不能治好的病只好忍受。
②Never defer till tomorrow what you can do today.
今天能夠做的事絕不要拖到明天。
b. 不可能:
①He cannot be over fifty.
他不可能有五十歲以上。
② Can the report be true?
那傳說不可能是真的。
c. 可以(= may):
You can go or not,as you like.
你或去或留一任尊便。
(注意)can 不能與 will 或 shall 連用,用時要得將 can 改為 be able to,如:
I shall be able to go abroad.
我將能出洋。
4. Will(后接略去了 to 的不定詞)
a. 將來(第二、三人稱):
①You will hear from me in a day or two.
一兩天之內,你就會接到我的信的。
②He will succeed in his enterprise.
他將在事業上成功。
b. 許諾(第一人稱):
I will do exactly as you wish.
我會完全照你的意思做的。
c. 決心(第一、二、三人稱):
①I will go,whatever you may say.
不管你怎樣說我都要去。
②If you will behave like that,what can you expect?
如果你行為如此,你還期望什么呢?
③He will have things done in the right way.
他一定會把事情做好。
5. Shall(后接略去了 to 的不定詞)
a. 將來(第一人稱):
I shall be returning to town on Tuesday.
我禮拜二就回到城里來。
b. 許諾(第二、三人稱):
①You shall have the goods at once.
你定的貨立刻送上。
②He shall not be kept waiting very long.
不會讓他久等的。
c. 強迫(第一、二、三人稱):
①They say that we shall agree to their terms.
他們說我們非同意他們的條件不可。
②You shall do as I say.
你非得照我說的做不可。
③He shall pay you every cent he owes you.
他借你的錢每個子兒都得還你。
6. Would(后接略去了 to 的不定詞)
a. 過去的習慣:
Passers-by would often take pity on this blind beggar and drop coppers into the basket.
路人常要同情這瞎叫花,而丟銅板在籃子里。
b. 堅強的意志(= wish to):
Men who would succeed must be abreast of the times.
想要成功的人必得與時代并進。
c. 愿望(= I wish):
① Would that I were young again.(= I wish I were young again.)但愿青春可再。
② Would I were a bird.(= I wish I were a bird.)我愿做一個小鳥。
d. 選擇(加 rather 用):
I would rather die than live without you.
我寧死也不愿失掉你。
e. 過去的決心:
He said he would do his best.(= He said,“I will do my best. ”)他說他一定盡力。
f. 過去的拒絕:
I offered him some money,but he would not take it. 我給他錢,他絕對不受。
7. Should(后接略去了 to 的不定詞)
a. 應當(義務):
You should obey your parents.
你應當服從你的父母。
b. 在 lest 之后,無論主句是現在或過去均可:
He works(又 worked)hard lest he should fail.
他很用功,以免失敗。
c. 在假定與現在或過去事實相反的條件句的主句中敘述現在所存留的那種結果:
I should not be alive at this moment,if it were not for him.
如果不是他的話,我這時早已沒有命了。
d. 在條件句文將前提分句省略,只留下一個歸結分句(即主句)時;這常表示客氣的說法:
①I should like to ask you to do me a favor.
我想請你幫我一個忙。
②You find her rather troublesome to teach,I should be afraid.——Gissing,Life’s Morning
我恐怕你教她,會感到很麻煩的吧。
③The apple-woman is a hundred,I should think,and yet she is out there when it rains even.
那賣蘋果的老太婆恐怕有一百歲了,但是甚至天下著雨她還是要跑出外面來的。
④I should suppose any one would be proud of such a fine thing.
我想任何人對于這樣一件好東西,都會覺得驕傲的。
⑤We are pretty good companions,I should say.
我想我們是很好的朋友吧。
e. 在 that 引導的,內容并非事實而全出于想象的從句中,三個人稱皆用 should,并無別特意義:
①It is very surprising to me that you should know so little about it.
你對于那事竟不知道,真使我大吃一驚。
②It is better for him that the boy should not be told until he is much older.
等那孩子長大了再告訴他,對他更好。
③After the excitement of the last few days it was natural he should be tired.
在過去幾天那般興奮之后,他當然要感到疲倦的。
④It was right that these problems should have the first consideration.
這個問題要先考慮是對的。
⑤What a pity that a man with so good a heart should be so weak in the head.
那樣一個好心腸的人會有這樣遲鈍的頭腦,真是一件遺憾的事。
f. 在表示“決定”“意向”“命令”“建議”等主要從句后所接的 that-clause 中,不論任何人稱都用 should:
①It was decided that the wretched hovels should be pulled down and new houses should be built.
決定把破房子拆掉而建筑新房子。
②He was anxious that his son should have a good education.
他切望他的兒子能受到良好的教育。
③The girl made a sign that he should come to her.
那女郎做個手勢要他到她跟前去。
④He had ordered that the child should be sent alone into his room.
他命令將孩子一人送回房間去。
⑤After dinner,he proposed that we should smoke in the garden.
飯后他提議我們到花園里去抽煙。
g. 接在過去的主句后的形容詞從句中,三個人稱都用 should,表示從過去來看未來的:
①He longed for the morning to come,when he should see her again.
他期待著再見到她的早晨到臨。
②Alexander hoped to make one mighty empire of the world,in which men of every race should be as brothers.
亞歷山大希望把世界做成各民族親如兄弟一般的一大帝國。
③Napoleon set to work to build a huge fleet which should be able to defeat the British fleet.
拿破侖著手建立一個足以擊破英國艦隊的強力的艦隊。
h. 接在過去的主句后的副詞從句中,三個人稱都用 should,表示從過去來看未來的:
①She wanted to keep a little shop while her husband should be away.
她打算在丈夫不在家的時候,經營一個小店。
②It was necessary to live his days somehow until death should come.
到死為止總得想辦法度日。
③She had to look nice and fresh for her patient;when the next day should start.
在第二天開始的時候,她必得為她的病人們做出新鮮活潑的樣子來。
④He ran down lest rain should begin to fall.
他怕下雨匆匆跑下去了。
⑤Hester would not set him free,lest he should look her sternly in the face.——Hawthorne,Scarlet Letter
赫斯脫討厭他嚴厲地望著她的臉,所以不放他走。
8. Must(后接略去了 to 的不定詞)
a. 強烈的意志:
I must finish this before I go.
在走之前我一定要把這個做完。
b. 推思:
He must be crazy to talk like that.
他一定發了癲,竟說出那樣的話。
c. 禁止(與否定連用):
You may look at it,but you must not touch it.
你可以看,但不許動手。
(注意)must 的否定,是 need not,而不是 must not(這是 prohibition 禁止之意)。如 You must pay the money,but you need not do so at once.(你必得還錢,但你不必馬上就還)。
9. Ought(后接不略去 to 的不定詞)
a. Ought to + 意志動詞 = 應當:
You ought to pay back your debts.
你應當償還你的債務。
b. Ought to + 無意志動詞 = 當然:
Such an able man ought to succeed.
那樣有能力的人成功是當然的。
10. Need(后接略去了 to 的不定詞)
在問句及否定句中作為助動詞,用第三人稱單數也不加 s(但作為一般動詞用時要加 s):
①Why need I hurry?
我為什么要趕緊呢?
②You need not hurry like that.
你用不著那么急。
(注意)He need not work.(助動詞)He needs no money.(一般動詞)又 need not 的過去,要用 had not to,如:I had not to do it.
11. Dare(后接略去了 to 的不定詞)
用法與 need 相同:
①How dare you do such a thing?(問句)
你怎敢做這樣的事?
②He dare not speak.(否定句)
他不敢說話。
③I dare say there are mistakes.
大概有錯誤。(I dare say = probably)
12. Be,Have 也可以作助動詞用,be 后接現在分詞或過去分詞,have 后接過去分詞。
比較: |
He is reading a certain novel.(助動詞) He is respected by all.(助動詞) He says that there is a god.(is = exists)(一般動詞) |
比較: |
School has begun.(助動詞) We have two dogs.(have = possess)(一般動詞) |
13. Used 在問句中也可作助動詞用。
Used you to have this sort of thing in your young days?——Galsworthy,Swan Song
你在年輕的時候常做這樣的事嗎?
14. Come 在問句中也可作助動詞用。
①How come you to be rambling about and lose yourself?——Eliot,The Mill on the Floss
你怎樣會散步而迷了路的?
②How comes he in such a pickle?
他怎樣會遭遇這種困難的?
③But how comes it that such a great gentleman walks?——Fielding,Tom Jones
這樣一位偉大的人,怎樣會要走路的呢?