一、虛擬語氣的重點
1、一些常見的虛擬語氣的句型或結構。
2、虛擬語氣的特殊形式，即用來表示要求、的建議、的命令、的提議、的意願等的主語從句、的賓語從句、的表語從句和同位語從句中的虛擬形式。
3、主從句表示不同的時間概念、的事實或假設情況，從而交錯成為複合虛擬語氣。
4、含蓄條件句中的虛擬語氣的表示願望的虛擬形式。
上述四個要點往往在完形填空或者閱讀理解裡面存在，尤其是每年完形填空都至少有一道直接考這方面的知識的題目，而在閱讀理解裡，我們掌握上述四個重點對於我們理解文章的大意和作者態度很有幫助，瞭解哪些觀點是作者假設的、的虛擬的，哪些是真實的，這樣對於我們回答關於作者態度觀點題很有幫助。
下面我們將主要從上述四個方面來重點論述在考試中應該注意的問題。
二、虛擬語氣的常見類型和句型
(1) 由wish引起的表示願望的虛擬語氣
A.用wish表示對現在的願望時，它所引起的賓語從句中謂語動詞形式為：過去式(be動詞用were)。
B.用wish表示對將來的願望時，它所引起的賓語從句中謂語動詞形式為：would, could, might+ 動詞原形。
C.wish用於對過去的事實表示一種不可能實現的願望時，賓語從句中的謂語動詞形式為：had+動詞過去分詞或could, would + have +動詞過去分詞。
The picture exhibition bored me to death; I wish I had not gone to it.
---“I let Joe borrow our radio for the afternoon.”
---“That’s all right, but I wish he would buy one of his own.”
I wish that he weren’t so lazy.
(2) had hoped引起的賓語從句中備用語動詞形式為would+動詞原形，表示一種過去未實現的願望或令人失望的事。
His father had hoped that his son would go to business with him, but his son became an artist later.
(3) would (had) rather, would as soon, would sooner和would prefer所引起的從句中要求用過去式表示當時或將來的情況，用過去完成時表示過去的情況，表示希望或婉轉的責備。例如：
I’d rather you posted the letter right away. 我倒希望你把這封信立刻寄出去。
I would prefer he didn’t stay there too long.我倒希望他不要在那兒可得太久。
I would just as soon you had returned the book yesterday.我真希望你昨天把這本書還了。
(4) It’s (high, about) time that 句型中that從句中要求用虛擬語氣形式，即動詞要用過去式。
It’s time that something was done about the traffic problem downtown.
It is high time that we put an end to this discussion.現在是我們該結束講座的時候了。
(5)as, 或者whether…or…謂語多用be的原形，引導讓步虛擬從句，這種用法通常採用倒裝結構：
Church as we use the word refers to all religious institutions, be they Christian, Islamivc, Buddhist, Jewish, and so on.
The business of each day, be it selling goods or shipping them, went quite smoothly.
(6)由連接詞in case, so that ,unless, lest ,for fear that引起的狀語從句中，謂語動詞要用虛擬形式，即should(might, would)+動詞原形，例如：
She put a blanket over the baby for fear that he should catch cold. 她在那個嬰兒身上蓋上了毯子以免他著涼。
The bad man was put in the soft-padded cell lest he injure himself.
(7) if it were not for…與現在事實相反， if it had not been for與過去事實相反，兩個都相當於but for：If it had not been for his help(=but for his help),we would not have succeeded.
(8) 虛擬語氣用於as if(though)引起的方式狀語從句和表語從句中，其動詞形式與wish賓語從句的形式相同。例如：She often laughs spontaneously, and her good humor breaks out as brightly as if it were a part of the sunshine above.她常常發出發自內心的微笑，而且她那美好的情緒像天上一道明亮的陽光一樣，常常流露出來。
They talked as if they had been friends for years.他們交談著，就好像他們是我年的老朋友一樣。
She looks as if she would cry.她看起來好像要哭了。
(9)其它各種句型, as though, suppose, had rather, supposing, if only等等
If I were in a movie, then it would be about time that I buried my head in my hands for a cry.