表示虚拟语气的词和短语
英语中除了用if引导虚拟条件从句外，还有一些词和短语也含有虚拟语气的意义。如：
一、副词词组
1．otherwise；or
（1）I lost your telephone number otherwise I would have rung you up long be-fore．（我把你的电话号码丢了，不然的话我早就给你打电话了。）
（2）I ran all the way，or I should have been late for school．（我是一路跑过来的，不然的话上学就要迟到了。）
例（1）中的otherwise意为if I have not lost your telephone number。
例（2）中的or意为if I hadn't run all the way。
2．a few years ago等这一类状语
（3）A few years ago，such an operation would have been unconceivable．（若在两三年前，那样的手术是不可想象的。）
例（3）中的A few years ago意为if it had been a few years ago。
二、不定式短语
1．名词性用法
（4）It would have been far better for him to have been asleep．（他睡着的话要好得多。）
（5）To deny the fact would be absurd．（否定那个事实是不合理的。）
例（4）中的for him to have been asleep意为if he had been asleep。
例（5）可写成If we were to deny the fact，it would be absurd．
2．副词性用法
（6）To see him do it，you would think that he is clever．（看他做这事的话，你就会认为他很聪明。）
To see him do it意为if you were to see（or if you saw）him do it．
三、分词
（7）Sent from New York，the rocket would be in Tokyo in half an hour．（若从纽约发射，火箭30分钟就会到达东京。）
例句（7）中的Sent from New York意为if it were to be sent．
四、介词短语：without；in the absence of；but for；under more favourable con- ditions
（8）Without air，（＝if there were no air）there would be no living things．（没有空气，就没有生物。）
（9）In the absence of mathematics（＝if there were no mathematics）sciencewould not exist．（没有数学，科学就不存在。）
（10）But for sunlight（＝if there were not sunlight）there would be no moon－light．（要是没有阳光，就不会有月光。）
五、关系代词引导的定语从句
（11）Any boy who should do that would be laughed at．（不管是哪个孩子，干那种事都会让人笑话的。）
who should do含有条件意义，意为if he should do that。
六、含有形容词作定语的主语
（13）A wise man would not do such a thing．（聪明人是不会干这种事的。）
（14）A true friend would not have betrayed you．（真正的朋友是不会背叛你的。）
例（13）中的主语A wise man意为if he were a wise man， he would…
例（14）中的主语A true friend意为if he had been a true friend，hewould…
