回答情态动词后接完成式的问句要不要重复have

如果问句是“情态动词+have+pp”,如何回答呢?要不要有have?比如:

Should they have arrived by now? ________

A. I think they should.

B. I think they should have.

如何选择?概括一下就是:回答情态动词后接完成式的问句要不要重复have?

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最佳答案 2016-07-23 19:28

如果这是一道单项选择题,我觉得这不是一道严谨的题目,因为在没有更背景的情况下,其实两个选项都可以。情态动词后面的动词到底省略到什么程度,通常以不发生歧义为原则,即在不引起歧义的前提下,为简洁起见,能省略的则可以省略。

至于你的这道题,从形式上看,A 比 B 更简洁;从意义上看,B比A更准确。

严格说来,在没有更多对话背景的情况下,选项A是有歧义的,因为这里的 I think they should 可能有两层意思(当然,如果对话的背景很清楚,或是对话双方很“默契”,说话者认为自己的话不会发生误解,则也可能只有其中的一层意思,尤其是第一层意思):

(1) I think they should have arrived by now. 我想现在他们应该已经到了。

(2) I think they should be arriving soon. 我想他们应该很快就会到。

但选项B则只有一个意思:

I think they should have arrived by now. 我想现在他们应该已经到了。

为便于理解,再举一个例子说明一下:

John must have been working on the farm, and Peter must have been, too.

John must have been working on the farm, and Peter must have, too.

John must have been working on the farm, and Peter must, too.

这三个句子摘自章振邦的《新编英语语法》,它虽然不是一组问答式的对话句,但两者之间本质是一致的:

《新编英语语法》认为第三句是歧义的:根据上下文 and Peter must, too可理解为 must have been working…,但也可能被理解为must + 不定式,因此这种省略法有可能引出歧义。

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其它 1 个回答

黎反修   - 英语翻译 (已退休)
擅长:数词用法,存在句,英语考试

Should they have arrived by now? ________

A. I think they should.

B. I think they should have.

应该选择A. I think they should.


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  • 苏香姣 提出于 2016-05-21 01:00

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