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英语假设语气

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英语的“假设语气英语Subjunctive mood”(subjunctive mood)是在句子中陈述一个未实现的想法、意见或目标,其语法与陈述客观事实的“指示语气英语Realis mood”(realis或indicative mood)透过动词助动词的不同变格区分,举例说,这是现在式指示语气:“Tom speaks English”(汤姆讲英语),相对于现在式假设语气下:“Mary suggests that Tom speak English”(玛丽建议汤姆讲英语),动词“speak”(讲)在现在式指示语气句子中按第三身单数一般现在式变格成“speaks”,但在现在式假设语气句子中维持不定式

由于在现代英语中假设语气的语法很多时与指示语气看似相同,例如上述例句中将第三身的“Tom”替换成众数、第一身或第二身名词就会得出这种效果,导致许多人忽略了假设语气的正确语法。一个比较明显的英语假设语气语法是助动词“be”的变格,用作现在式被动态的助动词时同样维持不定式,例如“I suggest that he be removed”(我建议将他赶走),但在过去式假设语气中作为纯粹动词“是为”则永远使用与众数过去式相同的“were”,例如“If he were rich, …”(假如他是富有,那么...)。

形态

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英语的假设语气分现在式和过去式,不过这并非指定句子要表达的事情发生在什么时候,更多是提示动词变格形式与哪种指示语气相似。由于现在式假设语气(present subjunctive)中的动词助动词必定维持不定式,因此只有主语为第三身或使用助动词才会看到与现在式指定语气(present indicative)的分别。

现在式指定语气
I own, you own, he owns, we own, they own
现在式假设语气
(that) I own, (that) you own, (that) he own, (that) we own, (that) they own

当使用动词或助动词“be”时就能明显分辨两种语气:

现在式指定语气
I am, you are, he is, we are, they are
现在式假设语气
(that) I be, (that) you be, (that) he be, (that) we be, (that) they be

“Beware”(注意)是一个不完全动词英语Defective verb并且不存在指示形态,它只有一个现在假设形态:“(that) I beware…”。

当以“not”陈述否定句时,假设语气不像指定语气要求前置助动词:

现在式指定语气
I do not own, you do not own, he does not own…; I am not…
现在式假设语气
(that) I not own, (that) you not own, (that) he not own…; (that) I not be…

过去假设语气仅为动词“be”而存在,并且不论第几身主语总是变格成“were”使用:

过去式指定语气
I was, you were, he was, we were, they were
过去式假设语气
(that) I were, (that) you were, (that) he were, (that) we were, (that) they were

过去式假设语气陈述否定句时只须在“were”后面接“not”如“(that) I were not”,“be”以外的动词在英语中不存在过去式假设语气。

一些假设句(特别是“were”)可以透过倒装句式英语Inversion (linguistics)辨认。

复合形态、助动词与情态动词

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助动词兼现在式假设形态“do”的应用非常少,主要是用于强调语气,参见一个出自莎士比亚戏剧《马克白》的例子:

马克白夫人:“If he do bleed…”(要是他真的流血了...)。

偶尔会出现现在完成式的假设语气:

“It is important that he have completed two years of Spanish before graduation.”(他理应在毕业前完成两年的西班牙语课程。)

复合形态的过去式假设语气以“were”-“to”-动词不定形构成:

(If) I were to own, (if) you were to own, (if) he were to own, (if) we were to own, (if) they were to own

英语的情态动词不存在假设形态,除非是以“be able to”代替指示语气的“can”(可以),不过“should”、“would”及“could”某程度下可以视作“shall”、“will”及“can”的假设形态。

“Should”用于构成复合型态是会被视为一种假设语气以替代一般现在式假设语气:

一般现在式假设语气
“It's important that he be cured.”(他亟需接受治疗。)
Should
“It's important that he should be cured.”

现在式假设语气

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现在式假设语气主要用于命令语气(jussive mood),以“that”的(限制性)内容从句英语Content clause(content clause)构成,从句部分使用假设语气表达其未付诸实行的提案、目的或命令,从句前通常使用动词“insist”、“suggest”、“demand”、“prefer”或形容词如“necessary”、“desirable”或名词“recommendation”、“necessity”提示命令语气。或者以介词“in order that”或“so that”构成非限制性从句。

  • I insist (that) he leave now.(我坚持他现在就离开。)
  • We asked that it be done yesterday.(我们要求过这事情昨天就该办好。)
  • It might be desirable that you not publish the story.(你最好别发布(你的)故事。)
  • I support the recommendation that they not be punished.(我支持他们不受处罚的建议。)
  • I braked in order that the car stay on the road.(我煞制让车子保持在行车路上。)
  • That he appear in court is a necessary condition for his being granted bail.(那个庭应讯是他获得保释的必要条件。)