在用过去时态表达跟目前相反的情况的时候,be动词一律用were,w-e-r-e, were.
比方凯特不住在佛罗里达州, 所以她不能够照顾父母. 她可以这样说: I am not in Florida. I cannot take care of them. 要是把这句话改成: "如果我在那儿, 我就 可以照顾他们." 英文就应该这样说: I could take care of them if I were there. 下 面我们作一组代换练习学学这种说法, 同时复习刚才那组练习里的一些词汇.
现在请你注意听凯特说一句话, 接着老师念一个词组,请你跟凯特一起把词组 代换到前半个句子里.
F: I could take care of them if I were there.
M: look after them.
F: I could look after them if I were there.
M: keep them company
F: I could keep them company if I were there.
M: help them
F: I could help them if I were there.
M: cook for them
F: I could cook for them if I were there.
M: buy groceries for them
F: I could buy groceries for them if I were there.
M: do their laundry
F: I could do their laundry if I were there.
M: take them shopping
F: I could take them shopping if I were there.
下面我们再作一组代换练习, 一方面学习今天教的语法,一方面复习形容词比 较级.练习的内容是说如果凯特的父母跟女儿, 女婿一块住会有什么好处. 请 你跟着凯特把第一个句子重复一遍, 然后跟凯特一起把老师提出的词汇代换 到后半个句子里.
F: If they lived with us, it would be more economical for them.
M: less expensive
F: If they lived with us, it would be less expensive for them.
M: more convenient
F: If they lived with us, it would be more convenient for them.
M: less troublesome
F: If they lived with us, it would be less troublesome for them.
M: easier
F: If they lived with us, it would be easier for them.
M: less difficult
F: If they lived with us, it would be less difficult for them.
下面我们再作一组练习, 学学怎么表达跟目前相反的情况. 练习的内容都是说 到在美国六十五岁以上的老人,也就是所谓的 senior citizens 能得到什么好处.
在这组练习里你可以学到许多有用的词汇, 比方 "福利" benefit, "退休金" retirement pension,"义务" obligation,"无忧无虑"care-free. "志愿工作" volunteer work 等等.现在请你先注意老师用现在时态说明目前的情况; 然后请你用过去 时态否定句说明跟目前相反的情况. 下面就是一个例子:
M: We are senior citizens. We are able to enjoy senior citizen benefits.
F: If we weren't senior citizens, we wouldn't be able to enjoy senior citizen benefits.
现在我们开始作练习. 每作完一句就请你听老师把正确答案念一遍.
M: We are senior citizens. We are able to enjoy senior citizen benefits.
F: If we weren't senior citizens, we wouldn't be able to enjoy senior citizen benefits.
M: We don't have to work full time. We have time to enjoy our hobbies.
F: If we had to work full time, we wouldn't have time to enjoy our hobbies.
M: We don't have many obligations. We are carefree.
F: If we had many obligations, we wouldn't be carefree.
M: We don't need to work full time. We are free to do volunteer work.
F: If we needed to work full time, we wouldn't be free to do volunteer work.
M: We do volunteer work. We have a lot of new experiences.
F: If we didn't do volunteer work, we wouldn't have a lot of new experiences.