有一读者问： 有这样一道选择题：
(1)Five minutes earlier_________we could have caught the last train.
A. but B. and C. or D. so
我认为应选B，但答案却不是B，你的看法呢？
你的看法是对的。“名词短语+and+虚拟语气句”可看作一种句型，再如：
(2)Only a couple of minutes later and you'd have made me blunder against the fellow poking about here with his damned dark lantern.
这种句型中的虚拟句亦可代之以陈述句，实例如：
(3)The slightest slip-up and we will be exposed.
读者一般对“祈使句+and+陈述句”结构比较熟悉，实例如：
(4)Try again and you will succeed.
但对上述“名词短语+and+陈述句或虚拟句”则可能不甚熟悉，所以应该对此加以注意。
