"The problem would be solved if you could tell me that earlier." 「要是你現在早一點告訴我,問題可能解決了。」 這句話表達與現在事實相反的假設語氣,同樣的事件也可以這樣表達: "The problem would be solved if you told me that earlier." 這兩個句子主要的差異在於,情態助動詞 could 可以讓語氣更加委婉,降低指責的 尖銳程度。 同理,在表達與過去相反的假設語氣時,情態助動詞也扮演相同的功能: "The problem would have been solved if you could have told me earlier." → 語氣較委婉 "The problem would have been solved if you had told me earlier." → 語氣較尖銳 |