虚拟语气是一种动词形式，表示说话人的一种愿望、假设、怀疑、猜测、建议等含义，虚拟语气所表示的含义不是客观存在的事实。

　　一、 虚拟语气的用法：

　　1. 虚拟语气用在简单句中，表示祝愿、命令。

　　May you be happy. 祝你幸福。

　　May the friendship between us last long. 祝愿我们的友情天长地久。

　　You go out! 你出去！

　　2. 虚拟语气用在宾语从句中。动词 wish, suggest, order, insist, propose等后面的宾语从句表示的是一种虚拟语气， 宾语从句中的动词动作表示的只是一种愿望、要求。

　　I wish it were spring in my hometown all the year around. 但愿我的家乡四季如春。(事实上不可能)

　　I wish (that) I hadn't wasted so much time. 但愿我没浪费这么多时间。(事实上已浪费了)

　　动词 demand, suggest, order, insist, propose等后面的从句中， should一般可以省略。

　　He ordered that the students wash the clothes every week by themselves. 他要求学生每周都要自己洗衣服。

　　3. 虚拟语气用在主语从句中。在句型“It is important (necessary, strange, natural等) that...” 中，that 后面的从句中的谓语动词用(should) + 动词原形。

　　It's necessary that we should have a walk now. 我们现在有必要出去散散步。

　　It is important that these application forms be sent back as early as possible. 这些申请表应尽早地寄回，这是很重要的。

　　4. 虚拟语气用在状语从句中。虚拟语气最多地用在表示条件的状语从句和表示结果的状语从句中。

　　1)与现在事实相反：

　　从句用一般过去式 ，主句用 should / would + 动词原形。例如:

　　If I were you, I would buy it. 如果我是你，就买了它。

　　If she knew English, she would not ask me for help. 如果她懂英语的话，她不会找我帮忙的。

　　2)与过去事实相反：

　　从句用过去完成时，主句用should /would + have + 过去分词。

　　If you had got up earlier, you could have caught the train. 如果你早一点起床，就会赶上火车的。

　　If he had had a little food then, he would not have starved to death. 如果当时他有一点点食物的话，他就不会饿死了。

　　3)与将来相反：

　　从句用should + 动词原形或者were to + 动词原形；主句用should / would + 动词原形。

　　If it should rain tomorrow, the sports meet would be called off. 明天下雨的话运动会就会被取消。

　　If he were to come, it would be better. 如果他要来的话，会更好一些。

　　二、有关虚拟语气的几个问题：

　　1. 有时if引导的状语从句可以省略 if，而把从句中的动词 were, had 或 should 移到主语前面。

　　Were I you , I would not do that. 如果我是你的话，我不会那样做的。

　　Had we known her address then, we would have gone to visit her. 如果当时我们知道她的地址，就去看她了。

　　2. would rather, would sooner, had rather, would prefer(希望)用来表达主观愿望时，它们之后的宾语从句中需用虚拟语气。表示“宁愿做什么”或“对过去做的事懊悔”。

　　I would rather you came tomorrow. 我宁愿你明天来。

　　I'd sooner she left the heavy end of the work to someone else.我宁愿她把重活留给别人。

　　John would rather that he had not gone to the party yesterday evening. 约翰宁愿昨天晚上没去参加晚会。

　　3. 虚拟语气中，条件从句的动词动作可以和主句的动词动作时态不一致。

　　If they had studied hard before, they could do it easily now. 如果他们以前努力学习的话，现在做得就会容易些。

　　If he had not taken my advice, he wouldn't do it so much better like this. 如果他不听取我的建议，他就不会做得这样好。

　　4. 有时表示虚拟语气的条件从句或者主句都可以省略，而只剩下一个主句或者一个条件从句。

　　I could help you. 我本来可以帮助你。

　　If I had time. 我要有时间该多好啊！

　　She should have come to the party. 她本应该来参加聚会。

　　(文/高淑菊； 英语辅导报高中教师版 04~05学年度第17期；版权归英语辅导报社所有，独家网络合作伙伴新浪教育，未经许可，不得以任何形式进行转载。)