情态动词是高考考查的重点语法项目之一，2005年全国17套高考试题对此都有考查。下面就近几年来高考试题中出现的情态动词的考点进行归纳分析，以便同学们复习掌握。

一、情态动词表推测

1. 肯定的推测一般用must, should, may(might)或could(不用can)，其中，must的语气最强，译为“肯定”、“准是”、“想必是”;should的语气次之，译为“很可能”、“应该”，指按常理推测;may(might)，could的语气最弱，译为“也许”、“可能”。

①Helen _______ 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

②—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

③I have lost one of my gloves. I _______ it somewhere.(2005年北京春季卷)

A. must drop

B. must have dropped

C. must be dropping

D. must have been dropped

④If I ____ plan to do anything I wanted to ,I’d like to go to Tibet and travel through as much of it as possible. (2005年湖北卷)

A. would B. could

C. had to   D. ought to

Key: C D B B

2. 否定推测分为两种情况：

1)语气不很肯定时，常用may not, might not或could not，译为“可能不”、“也许不”。

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

Key： C

2)否定语气较强时，则用can’t，译为“根本不可能”、“想必不会”，表示惊异、怀疑的感情色彩。

①—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’t

②— 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

Key: C A

3. 疑问句中的推测，往往用can或could。

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

Key：A

4. 对已发生事情的肯定推测常用“must, may, might等+完成式”;否定推测常用“can, could, may, might等+完成式”。

①I 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

②He _______ have completed his work; otherwise, he wouldn’t be enjoying himself by seaside. (2005年北京卷)

A. should     B. must

C. wouldn’t   D. can’t

③—Tom is never late for work. Why is be 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

④ 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 atterded

C. mustn’t have attended

D. shouldn’t have attended

Key: B B D A

二、“情态动词+完成式”

1. “should(ought to)+完成式”表示本应该做某事而实际上没有做。其否定式表示某种行为不该发生但却发生了。

①—I’ll tell Mary about her new job tomorrow.

— You________ her last week. (2004年福建卷)

A. ought to tell

B. would have told

C. must tell

D. should have told

②Oh, I’m not feeling well in the stomach, I _____ so much fried chicken just now. (2002年上海春季卷)

A. shouldn’t eat

B. mustn’t have eaten

C. shouldn’t have eaten

D. mustn’t eat

Key: D C

2. “could+完成式”表示本来能够做成某事的但结果没能做成，含有遗憾的意味。

He paid for a seat, when he ______ have entered free. (2005年山东卷)

A. could     B. would

C. must      D. need

Key：A

3. “needn’t+不定式的完成式”表示本来不必做某事而实际上做了某事。例如：

You needn’t have watered the flowers, for it is going to rain.你本不需要浇花的，因为天就要下雨了。

— Catherine, I have cleaned the room for you.

— Thanks. You ______ it. I could manage it myself. (2005年福建卷)

A. needn’t do

B. needn’t have done

C. mustn’t do

D. shouldn’t have done

Key: B