常见的助动词有be、have和do,对于助动词,常常可以帮助我们省去句子中一些比较长的部分:
◆ Wordy: I have never seen an aardvark, but my father has seen an aardvark.
◆ Better: I have never seen an aardvark, but my father HAS.
对于这种省略肯定需要时态上的一致,如果要转换时态就不能省略:
◆ Wrong: I have never seen an aardvark, but last year my father DID.
◆ Right: I have never seen an aardvark, but last year my father saw one.
我们再看一个例子:
◆ Wrong: Our cars were designed to inspire envy, and they ARE.
◆ Right: Our cars were designed to inspire envy, and they DO.
对于第一句,they are (inspiring ) 因为时态的改变所以inspiring 不应该被省略,而第二句They DO inspire 没有什么问题。对于助动词而言,只能指代肯定的内容而不能指代否定句:
◆ Right: Some people do not eat soup, but others DO. (= do eat soup)
◆ Right: Some people do not eat soup as others DO. (= do eat soup)
在我们以前所学的过的英语中,有时会使用be to 来表示责任或义务或者是将来的一个时间,但在在GMAT中,这种表达方式容易让人产生误解,因而采用will 或should :
◆ Wrong: We ARE TO receive an invitation.
◆ Right: We WILL receive an invitation. OR We SHOULD receive an invitation.
最后在GMAT考试中对于表示条件时应用if ,而不用should :
◆ Awkward: SHOULD he PASS the test, he will graduate.
◆ Right: IF he PASSES the test, he will graduate