情态动词是各地高考试题中的必考项目，每年高考单项填空必有一道考查情态动词的项目。考点依次是：推测(可能性)→请求/允许→必要性→特殊用法。试题的立意不偏不怪，但有效信息越来越隐蔽，语境越来越真实，考查角度越来越细致，这些因素在很大程度上增加了试题的难度。而虚拟语气的试题偏少，有些省份已将虚拟语气列为不考的项目。
1．(2016·北京，35)—You needn't take an umbrella.It isn't going to rain.
—Well, I don't know.It________do.
A．might
B．need
C．would
D．should
2．(2016·辽宁，31)Harry is feeling uncomfortable.He________too much at the party last night.
A．could drink
B．should drink
C．would have drunk
D．must have drunk
3．(2016·四川，5)—Why are your eyes so red？You________have slept well last night.
—Yeah，I stayed up late writing a report.
A．can't
B．mustn't
C．needn't
D．won't
4．(2016·天津，9)No one________ be more generous；he has a heart of gold.
A．could
B．must
C．dare
D．need
5．(2016·新课标Ⅰ，29)The door________open，no matter how hard she pushed.
A．shouldn't
B．couldn't
C．wouldn't
D．mightn't
6．(2016·北京，34)If we________a table earlier, we couldn't be standing here in a queue.
A．have booked
B．booked
C．book
D．had booked
7．(2016·福建，30)—Do you think George has passed the driving test?
—No.If so，he ________ his car to our college yesterday.
A．would drive
B．drove
C．would have driven
D．had driven
8．(2016·陕西，12)My mom suggests that we ________ eat out for a change this weekend.
A．should
B．might
C．could
D．would
9．(2016·浙江，8)Eye doctors recommend that a child's first eye exam ________ at the age of six months old.
A．was
B．be
C．were
D．is
答案 B
10．(2016·安徽，28)I________to my cousin's birthday party last night, but I was not available.
A．went
B．had gone
C．would go
D．would have gone
考点1、情态动词的基本语法------表能力
【例1】 I'm going to Europe on vacation together with John if I ________ find the money.
A．can
B．might
C．would
D．need
【例2】 The fire spread through the hotel very quickly but everyone________get out.
A．had to
B．would
C．was able to
D．could
【特别提醒】
表示“能力”的情态动词有：can, could, be able to
(1)情态动词can只有两种时态形式，现在时can和过去式could, 而be able to有多种时态形式。
Mary can play the piano.She has been able to play it since she was five.
玛丽会弹钢琴，她5岁起就会弹了。
(2)表示过去能力时，was/were able to表示经过一番努力后取得了成功。相当于manage to do或succeed in doing，而could没有这个含义。
Yesterday I was able to get home before the heavy rain.
昨天我在下大雨前赶到了家里。
考点2、情态动词的基本语法------表必要、义务、责任
【例3】 I ________ use a clock to wake me up because at six o'clock each morning the train comes by my house.
A．couldn't
B．mustn't
C．shouldn't
D．needn't
【例4】 —I don't care what people think.
—Well, you________.
A．could
B．would
C．should
D．might
【特别提醒】
表示“必要性”的情态动词通常有：must, should, ought to, have to
(1)ought to与should意思大体相同，但ought to语气比should重，往往表示从法律或道义上“应该”。
You are his father and ought to take care of him.
你是他父亲，应当照顾他。(有责任，从道义上应该)
Young people should show respect to the old.
年轻人应该尊重老年人。
(2)have to表示“必须，不得不”，这个意义与must很接近，但must表示主观意志，而have to表示由于客观因素不得不做某事。
I told her that she must give up smoking.
我叫她必须戒烟。
I have to hand in my term paper before 5：00 p．m.today.
我必须今天下午5点前交学期论文。
考点3、情态动词的基本语法------表请求、允许、命令、禁止
【例5】 The new law states that people ________ drive after drinking alcohol.
A．wouldn't
B．needn't
C．won't
D．mustn't
【例6】 One of our rules is that every student ________ wear school uniform while at school.
A．might
B．could
C．shall
D．will
【例7】 —Will you read me a story，Mummy?
—OK.You ________ have one if you go to bed as soon as possible.
A．might
B．must
C．could
D．shall
【特别提醒】
情态动词“偏义”大本营
1表示过去经过努力而成功地做了某件具体的事情时，只能用was/were able to，不用could。
2must有一种含义，即“偏要”。
3shall可以用于第二、第三人称，表示说话人的允诺、命令、警告、威胁等；在法律、条约、协定等文件中可以表示义务、规定等。
4will可以表示意愿。will还可以表示经常性、习惯性、倾向性等，意为“经常，惯于，总是”。
5should表示惊异、意外等情绪，经常用于疑问句和肯定句中，多译为“竟然，居然”。
考点4、情态动词的基本语法------表肯定推测
【例8】 —Good morning.I've got an appointment with Miss Smith in the Personnel Department.
—Ah，good morning.You ________ be Mrs.Peters.
A．might
B．must
C．would
D．can
【例9】 What do you mean，there are only ten tickets?
There ________ be twelve.
A．should
B．would
C．will
D．shall
【例10】 Some people who don't like to talk much are not necessarily shy；they ________ just be quiet people.
A．must
B．may
C．should
D．would
【特别提醒】
1．must用于肯定句，表示较有把握的推测，意为“准是，一定”。
2．should用于肯定句中，语气次之，意为“很可能，应该”，指按常理推测。
3．can用在肯定句中，表示理论上的可能性。如：
Smoking can cause cancer.
吸烟有可能引起癌症。
4．may用在肯定句中，表示对现在把握不大的推测，意为“也许，可能”。
5．could，might也可表示推测意义，常用在过去时态中；但在某些场合下，为了使语气更缓和、更委婉，常用could，might代替can，may。如：
They saw something in the sky last night.It could/might be a UFO.昨天晚上他们看见天空中有个东西。它有可能是不明飞行物。
考点5、情态动词的基本语法------表推测的用法否定与疑问推测
【例11】 —I don't really like James.Why did you invite him?
—Don't worry.He ________ come.He said he wasn't certain what his plans were.
A．must not
B．need not
C．would not
D．might not
【例12】 —How's your new babysitter?
—We ________ ask for a better one.All our kids love her so much.
A．should
B．might
C．mustn't
D．couldn't
【例13】 —________it be Tom that stole the manager's mobile phone?
—No.As far as I know, Tom is very honest.
A．May
B．Can
C．Must
D．Should
【特别提醒】
1．否定推测
(1)表示否定的推测时，can't/couldn't语气最强，指“不可能”，带有惊异、怀疑的感情色彩。如：
The story sounds reasonable，but it can't be true.
这个故事听起来合情合理，但不可能是真的。
(2)语气不很肯定时，常用may not或might not表否定推测，意为“可能不，也许不”。如：
He may not/might not be at home.他可能不在家。
2．疑问句中的推测
疑问句中的推测，常用can或could，意为“可能”。如：
Who can it be？Can it be Jenny?
那能是谁呢？是玛丽吗？
3．情态动词表推测的三种时态
(1)对将来情况的推测，用“情态动词＋动词原形”。
She must arrive before 5. 5：00前她一定到。
(2)对现在或一般情况的推测，用“情态动词＋be”，“情态动词＋be doing”或“情态动词＋动词原形”。
He must/may be listening to the radio now.
他一定/可能正在听收音机。
难点1、情态动词＋have done用法
【例1】 —Happy birthday!
—Thank you！It's the best present I ________ for.
A．should have wished
B．must have wished
C．may have wished
D．could have wished
【例2】 We ________ have bought so much food now that Suzie won't be with us for dinner.(2012·江西)
A．may not
B．needn't
C．can't
D．mustn't
【例3】 He did not regret saying what he did but felt that he ________ it differently.
A．could express
B．would express
C．could have expressed
D．must have expressed
【特别提醒】
情态动词＋have done结构
(1)must have done“一定已经做了”，表肯定推测，否定式为can't/couldn't have done；
(2)can/could have done表示“本来能够做，却没有”，或“过去可能会”；
(3)may/might have done不用于疑问句，表示“也许……；或许已经做了……”；
(4)should/ought to have done意为“本该做了，但未做”，否定式shouldn't/ought not to have done意为“本不该做，但做了”。它们都暗含对其责备；
(5)needn't have done表示“做了本没有必要做的事”；
(6)would rather have done意为“宁愿当时做过某事”，否定式would rather not have done意为“宁愿当时没有做过某事”。它们表示后悔之意。
难点2、虚拟语气在条件中的运用
【例4】 Sorry，I am too busy now.If I ________ time，I would certainly go for an outing with you.
A．have had
B．had had
C．have
D．had
【例5】 Maybe if I ________ science，and not literature then，I would be able to give you more help.
A．studied
B．would study
C．had studied
D．was studying
【例6】 This printer is of good quality.If it ________ break down within the first year，we would repair it at our expense.
A．would
B．should
C．could
D．might
难点3、虚拟语气在名词性从句中的运用
【例7】 —Where are the children？The dinner's going to be completely ruined.
—I wish they ________ always late.
A．weren't
B．hadn't been
C．wouldn't be
D．wouldn't have been
【例8】 Jack is a great talker.It's high time that he ________ something instead of just talking.
A．will do
B．has done
C．do
D．did
【特别提醒】
虚拟语气在名词性从句中的运用
(1)用于宾语从句中
wish后面的宾语从句一般用虚拟语气，表示一种不可能实现的愿望。其谓语动词构成形式为：
过去时(宾语从句动作与wish同时)
过去完成时(宾语从句动作先于wish)
could/would/might＋动词原形，即过去将来时(宾语从句动作后于wish)
表示建议、愿望、命令等词后的宾语从句常用虚拟语气，常见的动词有：demand，order，require，insist，suggest等。宾语从句中的虚拟语气结构为“should＋动词原形”，should可以省略。如：He suggested that we should start off early the next day.他建议我们第二天早点出发。
(2)用于主语从句中
It is desired/suggested/necessary/important/strange/natural＋that从句，从句中的谓语动词用“should＋动词原形”，should可省略。
(3)用于表语从句和同位语从句中
在suggestion，proposal，order，plan，idea，request等名词后的表语从句和同位语从句中要用虚拟语气，其构成是“should＋动词原形”，should可省略。
My idea is that we (should)think it over before accepting it.我的意见是在接受之前要反复考虑。
难点4、虚拟语气在其他句式中的用法
【例】 Grace doesn't want to move to New York because she thinks if she ________ there，she wouldn't be able to see her parents very often.
A．lives
B．would live
C．has lived
D．were to live
【例1】 Don't handle the vase as if it ________ made of steel.
A．is
B．were
C．has been
D．had been
【例1】 We lost our way in that small village，otherwise we ________ more places of interest yesterday.
A．visited
B．had visited
C．would visit
D．would have visited
【特别提醒】
虚拟用在名从中，should do结构要记清；
一个坚持两命令，三个建议四要求；
It做主后有形，奇怪重要自然行；
Wish之后有宾从，虚拟时态退一层；
It's high time that sb did sth.
此种形式要记清。
1．He ________ fatter but he eats too little.
A．would become
B．would have become
C．must become
D．must have become
2．He ________ if he works hard for the people.
A．shall praise
B．shall be praised
C．will praise
D．will be praised
3．There was a lot of fun at yesterday's party.You ________ come，but why didn't you?
A．must have
B．should
C．need have
D．ought to have
4．I was really anxious about you.You ________ home without a word.
A．mustn't leave
B．shouldn't have left
C．couldn't have left
D．needn't leave
5．—Must I go there right now?
—No，you ________.You ________ go there before supper.
A．mustn't；need
B．needn't；may
C．can't；need
D．won't；can
6．—Could I borrow your dictionary?
—Yes，of course you ________.
A．could
B．will
C．can
D．might
7．—Are you coming to Jeff's party?
—I'm not sure.I ________ go to the concert instead.
A．must
B．would
C．should
D．might
8．Mr.Bush is on time for everything.How ________ it be that he was late for the opening ceremony.
A．can
B．should
C．may
D．must
9．My sister met him at the Grand Theatre yesterday afternoon，so he ________ your lecture.
A．couldn't have attended
B．needn't have attended
C．mustn't have attended
D．shouldn't have attended
10．He hesitated for a moment before kicking the ball，otherwise he ________ a goal.
A．had scored
B．scored
C．would score
D．would have scored