“一点三法”巧解情态动词表推测题

“一点三法”巧解情态动词表推测题

发布者：杨建萍  发布时间：2007-10-26 13:10:00

内容摘要

情态动词must, will, would, ought to, should, can, could, may, might都可以表示推测，其用法复杂多变，是高中英语语法教学的难点，但却是高考的考查热点。因此，在平时的教学中，笔者结合教学实践，总结归纳出情态动词表推测的解题方法，即用“一点三法”巧解情态动词表推测题，

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情态动词must, will, would, ought to, should, can, could, may, might都可以表示推测，其用法复杂多变，是高中英语语法教学的难点，但却是高考的考查热点。因此，在平时的教学中，笔者结合教学实践，总结归纳出情态动词表推测的解题方法，即用“一点三法”巧解情态动词表推测题，详述如下：

一、正确掌握基本概念

情态动词must, will(would), can(could) , ought to , should, may (might),都可以在肯定句中表示推测，小括号内的是过去时形式。注意：在下列两种情况中，情态动词的现在时形式和过去时形式不是时间区别的主要标志，一是表示可能性弱于它们相应的现在时形式，二是表示语气更为委婉。这两种形式所表示的时间内容往往与它们的“时”的形式不相一致，。例如：

He may come. (表示现在时间)

I’m not sure; he might come. (表示现在时间)

Mr. Smith may come tomorrow. (表示将来时间)

Mr. Smith may have come last year. (表示过去时间)

考例：1）—I’ve taken someone else’s green sweater by mistake.

—It ___ Harry’s. He always wears green. （2005年广东卷）

A. has to be B. will be C. mustn’t be D. could be

解析：选D could可能性比will弱, has to 不表示推测。

考例：2）Could I borrow your dictionary? Yes, you____ .

A. might B. could C. can d. should

解析：选C 题干的could表示语气更为委婉,故选C而不能选B。

二、要正确、快速地解出情态动词表示推测用法的题，关键是要准确地判断说话人的语气，并运用以下三种方法：

1. 肯定的推测：must的语气最强，译为“肯定”、“准是”、“想必是”；should表推测时，表示确定或可能有的未来或期望，译为“很可能”、“按理应该”； can/could表推测时，往往具有“有时”、“不时”等含义；例如：Lightning can be dangerous. = Lightning is sometimes dangerous. 再如： Everyone can make mistakes. = From time to time everyone makes mistakes. might的语气最弱，译为“也许”、“大概”。九个可以用于肯定句中表推测的情态动词，按照可能性从强到弱，他们的排列顺序是must＞ will＞ would ＞ ought to ＞should ＞can ＞could ＞ may ＞ might

考例：1) ---- I think I'll give Bob a ring. （2006年江苏卷）

---- You ________ . You haven't been in touch with him for ages.

A. will B. may C. have to D. should

解析：选D should意为“按理应该”

考例：2） Some aspects of a pilot’s job _____be boring, and pilots often _____work at inconvenient hours. （2006年湖南卷）

A. can ; have to B. may ;can

C. have to; may D. ought to; must

解析：选A can意为“有时”、“不时”

考例：3）Helen _______ go on the trip with us but she isn’t quite sure yet. （2005年安徽卷）

A. shall B. must C. may D. can

解析：选C 四个选项中，may的可能性最弱；若此题给might，则也可以选用。

考例：4） Mistakes ____ occur, even in the most carefully controlled situations.

A. may B. can C. should D.might

解析：选B can意为“有时”、“不时”

2. 否定的推测：语气不很肯定时，常用may not或might not，译为“也许不”“大概不”；语气很肯定时，常用can’t ， couldn’t译为“不可能”、“可能不”。用于否定句中表推测的情态动词，按照可能性从强到弱，他们的排列顺序是

can’t ＞ couldn’t ＞may not, ＞might not

考例：1） There’s no light on ---- they be at home.

（2006年全国卷Ⅰ）

A. can’t B. mustn’t C. needn’t D. shouldn’t

解析：选A can’t意为“不可能”

考例：2） Black holes _____ not be seen directly, so determining the number of them is a tough task.（2006年上海卷）

A. can B. should C. must D. need

解析：选A can’t表示否定的推测，意为“不可能”

考例：3） -----Is Jack on duty today? （2006年四川卷）

----- It ______ be him. It’s his turn tomorrow.

A. mustn’t B. won’t C. can’t D. needn’t

解析：选C can’t表示否定的推测，意为“不可能”

考例：4）— Is John coming by train? （2002年全国卷）

— He should, but he _____ not. He likes driving his car.

A. must B. can C. need D. may

解析：选D A和C不可用于表示否定的推测，故排除，在B和D中考虑。选项D may not的可能性比选项B can’t 弱，故正确答案为D。

3. 疑问句中的推测，往往用can或could。

例如：Can it be true? = Is it possible that it is true?

(这会是真的吗？)

考例：1）Mr. Bush is on time for everything. How ______ it be that he was late for the opening ceremony？（2001年上海春季卷）

A. can B. should C. may D. must

解析：选A

考例：2）My MP4 player isn’t in my bag. Where I have put it?

（2007年福建）

A.can B.must C.should D.would

解析：选A

参考文献：

1．2000年—2007年全国高考英语试题单项选择部分

2．章振邦主编《新编英语语法教程》情态动词部分

3．章振邦 、张月祥 、 强增吉 编著《新编英语语法概要》情态动词部分

 

巩固性练习:

1．A left-luggage office is a place where bags _______ be left for a short time, especially at a railway station.

A. should B. can C. must D. will

2．The teacher ____ have thought Johnson was worth it or she wouldn't have wasted time on him, I suppose. (2007年安徽卷)

A. should B. can C. would D. must

3．Sir, you ______be sitting in this waiting room. It is for women and children only.

A. mustn’t B. can’t C. won’t D. needn’t

4．Jack _____ yet, otherwise he would have telephoned me.

A. mustn’t have arrived B. shouldn’t have arrived

C. can’t have arrived D. needn’t have arrived

5．—I’ve taken someone else’s green sweater by mistake.

—It ___ Harry’s. He always wears green. （2005年广东卷）

A. has to be B. will be C. mustn’t be D. could be

6．You might just as well tell the manufacturer that male customers ______ not like the design of the furniture. （2004年上海春季卷）

A. must B. shall C. may D. need

7．—Do you know where David is? I couldn’t find him anywhere.

—Well. He ______ have gone far——his coat’s still here.（2005年湖北卷）

A. shouldn’t B. mustn’t C. can’t D. wouldn’

8．— Isn’t that Ann’s husband over there?

— No, it _______ be him I’m sure he doesn’t wear glasses. （2004年全国卷Ⅰ）

A. can’t B. must not C. won’t D. may not

9．I was on the highway when this car went past followed by a police car. They _______ at least 150 kilometers an hour.（2005年重庆卷）

A. should have been doing B. must have been doing

C. could have done D. would have done

10. --- She looks very happy. She ______ have passed the exam.

--- I guess so. It’s not difficult after all. (2007年江苏卷)

A. should B. could C. must D. might

11．—Tom is never late for work. Why is he absent today?

—Something ________ to him. （2005年江西卷）

A. must happen B. should have happened

C. could have happened D. must have happened

12. My sister met him at the Grand Theatre yesterday afternoon, so he _____ your lecture.（2000年上海卷）

A. couldn’t have attended B. needn’t have attended

C. mustn’t have attended D. shouldn’t have attended

13．Michael ______ be a policeman, for he is much too short.

A. needn’t B. can’t C. should D. may

14．I didn’t see her in the meeting-room this morning. She ______ at the meeting.

A. mustn’t have spoken B. shouldn’t have spoken

C. needn’t have spoken D. couldn’t have spoken

巩固性练习答案:

1---- 5 BDBCD 6----- 10 CCABC 11----14 DABD