书上说:如果要对过去情况作推测,即对过去已经发生的情况作推测,不能只用can的过去式could后接动词原形来表示,而要在can或could之后接动词的完成式。真是这样吗?英语不是可以这样说吗?
He could be right. / He could be ill. / He could be sad.
没错!在通常情况下,如果要对过去情况作推测(对已经发生的情况作推测),英语尽习惯上不用can的过去式could后接动词原形来表示,而是要在could之后接动词的完成式。如:
He could have gone home. 他可能已回家了。
She could have forgotten to tell him. 她可能忘记告诉他了。
Tom could have taken the money; he was here alone yesterday. 有可能是汤姆把钱拿走了,昨天他单独一个人在这里呆过。
In the example mentioned above, either method of construction could have been used.在上面提到的例子中,两种建造方法均可能用过。
We knew he couldn’t have paid for it, because he had no money. 我们知道不可能是他付了这笔钱,因为他没钱。
We could not have heard them because of the noise from the river. 由于有河水声我们不能听见他们的话。
当然,用can后接动词完成式也可以,但这类结构通常只用于否定句或疑问句。如:
You can’t have forgotten me. 你不可能已忘记我了。
She can’t have left so soon. 她不可能走得这么早。
They can’t have gone out because the light’s on. 他们不可能出去了,因为灯还亮着。