关于虚拟语气，还有几个问题需要回答。
问一： 你所说的七种虚拟时式中没有进行式，这是否意味着虚拟语气不可用进行式呢？
不，虚拟语气亦可用进行式，如虚拟式were即可后接现在分词构成虚拟进行式，如：
(1)I suppose it's almost time we were leaving .
(2)I would have stopped him if five men were not sitting on my chest.
should, would 等亦可后接“be+现在分词”从而构成虚拟进行式，如：
(3)Sometimes she would suggest I should be saving some of the money.
(4)—You mean you didn't hear?
—If I did, Would I be asking ?
问二： 请问下面的第二句话为什么用表与将来事实可能相反的虚拟语气？
(5)—Shall I call for you?
—It would probably save time if we met downtown. You tell me where.
这又是一种特殊情况。一般说来，虚拟语气皆用于表与事实相反或很可能相反的情况。但例 （5）中的虚拟语气则属例外。这种虚拟语气当然不强调与事实可能相反，而是强调一种非常有礼貌的请求。这种用以表示请求的虚拟语气并不少见，再如：
(6)If you were to help him, it would keep him safer.
(7)It would be best if you didn't write them down, but carry them in your mind.
这种表示请求的虚拟语气还可以与祈使语气连用，如：
(8)If you enjoyed this book, just send your name and address and ten dollars to us.
有时这种虚拟语气则表示一种愿望，如：
(9)Cissy Topping would make you happy. And if you married her, it would make me happy.
（这是一位母亲对她的儿子讲的话）
问三：虚拟语气的时态有时与直陈语气的时态互为影响，有时相互之间又似乎没有影响，这到底是怎么一回事？ 请解释。
这个问题，用语法术语来说，即是一个虚拟语气与直陈语气二者的时态何时有时态一致的问题。这个问题比较复杂一些，这里只能做一般性的讨论。
全句的谓语动词如属直陈语气，其时态对从句的虚拟时态一般没有影响，即没有时态一致的问题，如：
(10)It is （was）important that she have confidence in herself. （虚拟式have 不受谓语动词直陈式is 或was的影响）
(11)I suggest （suggested）that he should go tomorrow. （虚拟式should go 不受谓语动词直陈式suggest 或suggested 的影响）
(12)I wish （wished）I hadn't been so forgetful.（虚拟式hadn't been 不受谓语动词直陈式wish 或wished的影响）
(13)A prize of one hundred thousand florins has （had）been promised to him who should grow the black tulip. （虚拟式should grow 不受谓语动词直陈式has 〈或had〉 been promised 的影响）
但在间接引语中，如强调时间性，则须遵守时态一致的原则，如下面句中的直接引语的虚拟时态：
(14)“If I knew how it worked, I could tell you what to do，” he said.
须变为下面的间接引语的虚拟时态：
(15)He said that if he had known how it worked, he could have told me what to do.（注意how 从句中的时态不变）
但如不强调时间性，直接引语变为间接引语时，其虚拟时态则可不变，如：
(16)“If I knew the answer to all your questions, I'd be a genius，” he said.
可变为：
(17)He said that if he knew the answer to all my questions, he'd be a genius.
如果句中的谓语动词属虚拟语气，其后从句的直陈语气则多受其影响，即现在时态应随之变为过去时态，如：
(18)I would think he was wrong. （从句应用was, 试比较：“I think he is wrong.”）
(19)It would seem that she was right.（从句应用was, 试比较：“It seems that she is right.”）
(20)If we weren't living in the twentieth century, I would think you were a sorcerer. （would think 后的从句用过去式were）
(21)—You keep poultry then.
— I should think we did keep poultry.（由keep 变为did keep）
— You have got pigeons too, I see.
— Yes, I shouldn't wonder if we had got pigeons too! （由have got 变为had got）
但有时人们并不遵守这一时态一致的规则，如：
(22)I should say that this book meets your requirements. （meets 未变作met）
下面表愿望的两句中的现在式一般皆不变作过去式：
(23)If you knew they have been for me! （have been 不变为had been）
(24)Oh, if I knew how he is suffering. （is 不变为was）
问四：为什么会有混用虚拟语气与直陈语气的现象？
在同一句中，说话人有时会中途改变语气，这就是混用语气的原因。有时说话人在条件从句中用了虚拟语气，强调现实性小，主句中却改用了直陈语气，又强调现实性大了，如：
(25)Surely if they had been zealous to pluck a brand from the burning, here was a noble opportunity.（先在条件从句中用虚拟式had been, 后在主句中用直陈式was）
(26)I am not bad looking if my skin were not so sallow. （先在主句中用直陈式am, 说自己不难看，后在条件从句中用了虚拟式were）
下面一句中的混用语气现象已属司空见惯的了：
(27)Should there possibly be any such case, I have not seen it. （从句中用虚拟式“should+动词原形”时，主句则常用直陈语气）
有时恰恰相反，说话人在条件从句中用直陈语气，强调现实性大，在主句中用虚拟语气，又强调现实性小，如：
(28)If he lost his health and lost his job, we would all have starved. （从句用直陈式 lost，主句用虚拟式would have starved）
(29)If you fall into his hands, you'd soon have known the difference. （从句用直陈式fell, 主句用虚拟式would have known）
(30)If you don't come down sharply on some of those people, they'd soon be asking for the earth. （从句用直陈式don't come, 主句用虚拟式would be asking）
注意下面一句中的从句是由when 所引导：
(31)When it rains you wouldn't think it was the same place as on a fine day. （when 从句用直陈式rains, 主句用委婉的虚拟式wouldn't think）
问五：有时虚拟条件从句中的动作与虚拟结果主句中的动作在时间上并不一致，这时应如何用表不同时间的虚拟时态？
当虚拟条件从句所表的动作或状态与虚拟结果主句所表的动作或状态在时间上不一致时，必须用表不同时间的虚拟时态。其用法应视具体情况而定，例如：
(32)If the weather had been more favourable, the crops would be growing even better. （条件从句用指过去的过去完成虚拟式，结果主句用指现在的过去将来虚拟式）
(33)If he had left earlier, he would arrive home this evening. （条件从句用指过去的过去完成虚拟式，结果主句用指将来的过去将来虚拟式）
(34)If he were my son, I would have given him a spank on the bottom. （条件从句用表经常的过去虚拟式，结果主句用表过去的过去将来完成虚拟式）
(35)Even if he were my brother, I would expose him.（条件从句用指经常的过去虚拟式，结果主句用指将来的过去将来虚拟式）
关于虚拟语气，就谈到这里。
