這個情態動詞后該接什么

請看題，這個情態動詞后該接什么？

That day Mr Smith got up late, so he ran as fast as he could _________ the early bus.

A. catch                        B. to catch                  C. catching                    D. caught

【分析】此題容易誤選A，認為情態動詞后只能接動詞原形。但是，錯了，正確的答案是B。其實情態動詞 could 后本來有動詞原形 run，只是被省略了，即此句的完整形式應是 …so he ran as fast as he could run to catch the early bus，其中的不定式 to catch the early bus 為目的狀語。又如：

(1) My parents did what they could _________ my aunt and uncle.

A. help                        B. to help                       C. helping                        D. helped

(2) He read what he could _________ his knowledge.

A. widen                     B. to widen                     C. widening                     D. widened

以上兩題均選B，即選不定式，且此不定式為目的狀語。但是，同學們若據此形成思維定勢，也會麻煩。為此，請再看兩題：

(1) He ran as fast as he could _________to catch the bus.

A. hope                       B. to hope                       C. hoping                        D. hoped

【分析】此題的最佳答案不是B，而是C，其中的現在分詞短語 hoping to catch the bus 用作伴隨狀語，即一邊跑一邊在希望能趕上早班車。

(2) He spent every minute he could _________ foreign languages.

A. study                      B. to study                      C. studying                     D. studied

【分析】此題也應選C，但是，它與上題選現在分詞 hoping 表伴隨有所不同，此題的 studying 其實與其前的動詞 spend 有關，即此句中的 studying 為動名詞，其前省略了介詞 in。注意spend 的句型：spend + 時間或金錢 + (in) doing sth(from www.hz123456.com)。