情态动词是高考考查的重点语法项目之一，2005年全国17套高考试题对此都有考查。下面就近几年来高考试题中出现的情态动词的考点进行归纳分析，以便同学们复习掌握。
一、情态动词表推测
1. 肯定的推测一般用must, should, may（might）或could（不用can），其中，must的语气最强，译为“肯定”、“准是”、“想必是”；should的语气次之，译为“很可能”、“应该”，指按常理推测；may（might），could的语气最弱，译为“也许”、“可能”。
①Helen _______ go on the trip with us but she isn’t quite sure yet. （2005年安徽卷）
A. shall B. must
C. may D. can
②—I’ve taken someone else’s green sweater by mistake.
—It ___ Harry’s. He always wears green. （2005年广东卷）
A. has to be B. will be
C. mustn’t be D. could be
③I have lost one of my gloves. I _______ it somewhere.（2005年北京春季卷）
A. must drop
B. must have dropped
C. must be dropping
D. must have been dropped
④If I ____ plan to do anything I wanted to ,I’d like to go to Tibet and travel through as much of it as possible. （2005年湖北卷）
A. would B. could
C. had to D. ought to
Key: C D B B
2. 否定推测分为两种情况：
1）语气不很肯定时，常用may not, might not或could not，译为“可能不”、“也许不”。
You might just as well tell the manufacturer that male customers ______ not like the design of the furniture. （2004年上海春季卷）
A. must B. shall
C. may D. need
Key： C
2）否定语气较强时，则用can’t，译为“根本不可能”、“想必不会”，表示惊异、怀疑的感情色彩。
①—Do you know where David is? I couldn’t find him anywhere.
—Well. He ______ have gone far——his coat’s still here.（2005年湖北卷）
A. shouldn’t B. mustn’t
C. can’t D. wouldn’t
②— Isn’t that Ann’s husband over there?
— No, it _______ be him I’m sure he doesn’t wear glasses. （2004年全国卷Ⅰ）
A. can’t B. must not
C. won’t D. may not
Key: C A
3. 疑问句中的推测，往往用can或could。
Mr. Bush is on time for everything. How ______ it be that he was late for the opening ceremony？（2001年上海春季卷）
A. can B. should
C. may D. must
Key：A
4. 对已发生事情的肯定推测常用“must, may, might等+完成式”；否定推测常用“can, could, may, might等+完成式”。
①I was on the highway when this car went past followed by a police car. They _______ at least 150 kilometers an hour.（2005年重庆卷）
A. should have been doing
B. must have been doing
C. could have done
D. would have done
②He _______ have completed his work; otherwise, he wouldn’t be enjoying himself by seaside. （2005年北京卷）
A. should B. must
C. wouldn’t D. can’t
③—Tom is never late for work. Why is be absent today?
—Something ________ to him. （2005年江西卷）
A. must happen
B. should have happened
C. could have happened
D. must have happened
④ My sister met him at the Grand Theatre yesterday afternoon, so he_____your lecture.（2000年上海卷）
A. couldn’t have attended
B. needn’t have atterded
C. mustn’t have attended
D. shouldn’t have attended
Key: B B D A
二、“情态动词+完成式”
1. “should（ought to）+完成式”表示本应该做某事而实际上没有做。其否定式表示某种行为不该发生但却发生了
①—I’ll tell Mary about her new job tomorrow.
— You________ her last week. （2004年福建卷）
A． ought to tell
B． would have told
C． must tell
D． should have told
②Oh, I’m not feeling well in the stomach, I _____ so much fried chicken just now. （2002年上海春季卷）
A. shouldn’t eat
B. mustn’t have eaten
C. shouldn’t have eaten
D. mustn’t eat
Key: D C
2. “could+完成式”表示本来能够做成某事的但结果没能做成，含有遗憾的意味。
He paid for a seat, when he ______ have entered free. （2005年山东卷）
A. could B. would
C. must D. need
Key：A
3. “needn’t+不定式的完成式”表示本来不必做某事而实际上做了某事。例如：
You needn’t have watered the flowers, for it is going to rain.你本不需要浇花的，因为天就要下雨了。
— Catherine, I have cleaned the room for you.
— Thanks. You ______ it. I could manage it myself. （2005年福建卷）
A. needn’t do
B. needn’t have done
C. mustn’t do
D. shouldn’t have done
Key: B
三、常见的情态动词
1. shall用于一、三人称疑问句表示征求对方意见；用于二、三人称陈述句表示说话人给对方的命令、警告、允诺或威胁等
①“The interest be divided into five parts, according to the agreement made by both sides，” declared the judge. （2004年重庆卷）
A. mayB. should
C. mustD. shall
②—Excuse me, but I want to use your computer to type a report.
— You ______ have my computer if you don’t take care of it. （2004年湖南卷）
A. shan’t B. might not
C. needn’t D. shouldn’t
③ — The room is so dirty. ______ we clean it?
— Of course. （2003年北京春季卷）
A. Will B. Shall
C. Would D. Do
Key: D A B
2. must用于疑问句，表示责备、抱怨的感情色彩，意思为“偏偏，偏要”；mustn’t表示禁止，是说话人强有力的劝告。
①John, look at the time. _______ you play the piano at such a late hour？ （2005年全国卷Ⅲ）
A. Must B. Can
C. May D. Need
②Tom, you leave all your clothes on the floor like this！ （2005年全国卷Ⅰ）
A. wouldn’t B. mustn’t
C. needn’t D. may not
Key: A B
3. needn’t表示“没有必要”。
— Lucy doesn’t mind lending you her dictionary.
— She ______. I’ve already borrowed one. （2005年湖南卷）
A. can’t B. mustn’t
C. needn’t D. shouldn’t
Key: C
4. would表示过去反复发生的动作或某种倾向。
When he was there, he ___ go to that coffee shop at the corner after work every day.（1996年上海卷）
A. would B. should
C. had better D. might
Key: A
5. 表示经过努力而成功的某一次动作，只能用was/were able to，而不能用could。
The fire spread through the hotel very quickly but everyone _____ get out. （1997年全国卷）
A. had to B. would
C. was able to D. could
Key：C
6. 考查情态动词用作答语的情况
①—Write to me when you get home.
— _______. （2001年北京春季卷）
A. I must B. I should
C. I will D. I can
② — Could I call you by your first name？
—Yes, you ______. （1998年上海卷）
A. will B. could
C. may D. might
Key：C C
巩固练习：
1. Michael ______ be a policeman, for he is much too short
A. needn’t B. can’t
C. should D. may
2. I told Sally how to get here, but perhaps I ____ for her.
A. had to write it out
B. must have written it out
C. should have written it out
D. ought to write it out
3. Jack __
