1) 表示能力,could主要指過去時間。例如:
① Two eyes can see more than one. 兩只眼比壹只眼看得清。
② Could the girl read before she went to school? 這女孩上學前能識字嗎?
2) 表示可能(理論上或是邏輯判斷上)。例如:~,>_K
① He can’t (couldn’t) have enough money for a new car. 他不可能有足夠的錢買新車。
② You mustn’t smoke while you’re walking around in the wood. You could start a fire. 在林子裏走時勿吸煙,那樣可能會引起火災。
3) 表示允許。例如:
① Can I have a look at your new pen? 我可以看壹看妳的新鋼筆嗎?
② He asked whether he could take the book out of the reading—room. 他問他可不可以把書帶出閱覽室。
4) 表驚異、懷疑、不相信等態度。主要用於否定句、疑問句或感嘆句中。例如:
① Where can (could) they have gone to? 他們會去哪兒了呢?
② How can you be so careless? 妳怎麽這麽粗心?
5) 比較委婉客氣地提出問題或陳述看法。例如:
① Can (Could) you lend me a hand? 幫我壹把好嗎?.
② I’m afraid we couldn’t give you an answer today. 恐怕我們今天不能給妳答復。
2.may (might)
1) 表允許,might可以指過去時間,也可指現在時間,語氣更委婉。例如:
① You may take whatever you like.妳喜歡什麽就拿什麽。
② May (Might) I ask for a photo of your baby? 我可以要壹張妳寶寶的照片嗎?
在回答以may引起的問句時,多避免用這個詞,而用其它方式,如Yes, please. / Certainly. / Please don’t. / You’d better not. / No, you mustn’t.等,以免顯得太嚴峻或不客氣。
2) 表可能(事實上)。可以指過去時間,也可以指現在時間,但語氣更加不肯定。例如:
① He may be at home. 他可能在家。\
② She may not know about it. 她可能不知道這件事。
must
1) 表示義務。意為“必須”(主觀意誌)。例如:
① We must do everything step by step. 我們壹切都必須循序漸進地做。
② --Must we hand in our exercise books now?我們現在就要交練習本嗎?
--No, you needn’t. / No, you don’t have to. 不必。
4) 表示揣測。意為“想必、準是、壹定”等,只用於肯定句。例如:
① He must be ill. He looks so pale. 他準是病了。他的臉色蒼白。
② She’s wearing a diamond necklace. She must have a lot of money. 她戴著鉆石項鏈,壹定很有錢。:
3.shall
1) 表征詢意見,用於第壹、第三人稱疑問句。例如:
① Shall I get you some tea? 我給妳點茶好嗎?
② Shall the boy wait outside? 讓那男孩在外面等嗎?
2) 表說話人的意願,有“命令、允諾、警告、決心”等意思,用於第二、第三人稱陳述句。例如:
① You shall do as I say. 按我說的做。(命令)
② You shall have my answer tomorrow. 妳明天可以得到我的答復。(允諾)
③ He shall be sorry for it one day, I tell you. 有壹天他會後悔的,我告訴妳。(警告)
④ Nothing shall stop us from carrying out the plan. 什麽也不能阻止我們執行這項計劃。(決心)
4.will
1) 表意願,用於各種人稱陳述句。例如:
① I will do anything for you. 我願為妳做任何事。
② None is so blind as those who won’t see. 不願看的人眼最瞎。
③ If you will read the book, I’ll lend it to you. 如果妳願意讀這本書,我會把它借給妳。
2) 表請求,用於疑問句。例如:
① Will you close the window? 請妳把窗戶關上好嗎?
② Won’t you drink some more coffee? 再來壹點咖啡好嗎?
3) 表示某種傾向或習慣性動作。例如:
① Fish will die out of water. 魚離開水就不能活。
② The door won’t open. 這門打不開。
5. should
1) 表義務。意為“應該”(某件事宜於做),用於各種人稱。例如:
① You should be polite to your teachers. 妳對老師應該有禮貌。
② You shouldn’t waste any time. 妳不應該浪費時間。
2) 表推測,意為“想必壹定、照說應該、估計”等。例如:
① The film should be very good as it is starring first-class actors. 這部新電影是壹流演員主演的,估計拍得很好。
② They should be home by now. 照說他們現在應當已經到家了。
3)(表示不確定)萬壹。例如:
① If I should see him, I'll tell him. 萬壹我見到他,我就告訴他。
② If it should rain tomorrow, the sports meeting would be postponed. 萬壹明天下雨,比賽就延期舉行。"
6. would
1) 表意願。例如::
① They would not let him in because he was poorly dressed. 他們不讓他進去因為他衣著破舊。
② I said I would do anything for you. 我說過我願意為妳做任何事。
2) 表委婉地提出請求、建議或看法。例如:
① Would you mind cleaning the window? 請把窗戶擦壹下好嗎?
② They wouldn’t have anything against it. 他們不會有什麽反對意見。
3) 表過去反復發生的動作或過去的壹種傾向。例如::
Every time she was in trouble, she would go to him for help. 她每遇到麻煩都會向她求助。他告訴我盒子打不開了。
7.ought to
1) 表義務,意為“應該”(因責任、義務等該做),口氣比should稍重。例如:
① You are his father. You ought to take care of him.妳是他父親,應當管他。
② You oughtn’t to smoke so much. 妳不應該抽這麽多煙。
2) 表推測,暗含很大的可能,語氣較弱。例如:
① Han Mei ought to know his telephone number. 韓梅該知道他的電話號碼。
② There’s a fine sunset; it ought to be a fine day tomorrow. 今天有晚霞,明天應該是個好天。
8. used to
表示過去的習慣動作或狀態,現在不復發生或存在。疑問式和否定式有兩種。例如:i
① There used to be a building at the street corner, but it has been pulled down. 街道拐角處過去有座樓房,現在拆了。
② I usedn’t (didn’t use) to smoke. 我過去不抽煙。j }F
③ Used you (Did you use) to go to school on foot? 妳過去常步行去學校嗎?