I meant to tell you yesterday, but you were not in your office.
薄冰教授在《薄冰英语语法》中指出：“过去完成时有时表一种未实现的愿望或想法：I had meant to come, but something happened.”(p.215)张道真教授在《实用英语语法》中也指出：“intend, hope, plan, mean, want, think等动词的过去完成时可以用来表示一个本来打算做而没有做的事。”
根据他们的论述,我断定上面援引的那个句子是错误的:应当改为 I had meant to tell ...。
上面两位教授的论述都是正确的。但是,应当补充一点:在现代英语中,尤其是在美国英语中,mean 和 intend 的过去时 + to-v 也能表示未实现的愿望(参见 intended to do)。例如:
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I meant to phone you, but I forgot. (OELD) 我本想给你打电话的,可是我忘了。
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I meant to call on you. But I was too busy. 我本来想拜访你。但是我太忙了。
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I meant to phone you earlier, but I didn't have time. (CPED) 我本想早点给你打电话，但是我没有时间。
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I meant to ring you but I'm afraid I forgot ... (EED) 我本想给你打电话,但是,很遗憾,我忘记了……
请做下面的英语试题：
- ——You should have thanked her before you left.
—I meant ____, but when I was leaving I couldn't find her anywhere.
A. to do B. to C. doing D. doing so(上海高考,00春)
- ——Why didn't you tell me that earlier?
——，but when I called you, no one answered the phone.
A. I did B. I wanted C. I meant to D. I couldn't(包头市中考)