(1) If it should rain tomorrow, what would we do?
(2) If you should meet George, tell him I want to see him.
老师,
(1) 以上两句条件从句 if... 为何要用 should 呀?表示与现在 / 将来相反的条件从句的结构,不是应该是 if I (we, you, he, they)+动词过去式吗?
所以,这里为何不是 If it were rain tomorrow 以及 If you met George 呢?
(2) 第二个例句中结果主句为何不用 would, 即 tell him I would want to see him 呢?
谢谢老师!
黎老师:
1.最新出版的《牛津英语用法指南》第三版261.1节指出:
“在表示某事不大可能或不是很有可能发生时,if从句中用 should(而不用 would)。If you should run into Peter, tell him he owes me a letter. 如果你遇见彼得,告诉他该给我写信了。”在这个句子中,If you should run into Peter 是虚拟条件句,tell him he owes me a letter 是主句,这个主句本身是一个带有宾语从句的主从复合句:he owes me a letter 是宾语从句,作tell的直接宾语,主句 tell him是一个祈使句。所以(2) If you should meet George, tell him I want to see him 是正确的。
2.在非真实条件句中,可以用三种不同形式表示将来的时间:
(1) 过去虚拟式(即一般过去式);
(2) should + 动词原形;
(3) were to + 动词原形。
根据美国语言学家 G.O.Gurme 的解释,这三者的基本意义是相同的,区别点只是表现在可能性的大小上:
(1) 过去虚拟式(即一般过去式)表达的可能性最大;
(2) should + 动词原形表达的可能性次之;
(3) were to + 动词原形表达的可能性最小。
例如:
If it rained / should rain / were to rain tomorrow, I wouldn't go. 如果明天下雨,我就不去了。(赵振才:《英语常见问题解答大词典》p.556)
所以,在你的问题中,(1) 句也是正确的。