I. 表示“坚持说；坚决认为(多与别人的观点不同)”，接that从句(从句的动作多为已发生之事)，从句使用陈述语气。如：

　　She insisted that he was wrong.

　　她坚持认为他错了。

　　II. 表示“坚决主张；坚持要求”，接that从句(从句的动作为将要发生之事)，谓语多为 should型的虚拟语气，即：主语+ should(可省略)+动词原形。如：

　　He insisted that we (should) accept these gifts.

　　他一定要我们收下这些礼物。

　　Jane insisted that he be present.

　　简坚持要他出席。

　　还可用于“insist on / upon + 名词或代词或 动词-ing形式”结构中。如：

　　He insisted on / upon my going with him.

　　他坚持要我跟他一起去。(= He insisted that I [should] go with him.)

　　I insist on seeing it. 我一定要见到它。(= I insist that I see it.)

　　Ⅲ. if you insist 常用于口语中，表示勉强同意。如：

　　All right, I’ll do it, if you insist.

　　好吧，如果你一定要我干这事，我就去干。

　　【跟踪练习】

　　从A、B、C、D四个选项中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。

　　1. The man insisted ______ a taxi for me even though I told him I lived nearby.

　　A. find B. to find C. on finding D. in finding

　　2. — How do you ______ we go to Beijing for our holidays?

　　— I think we’d better fly there. It’s much more comfortable.

　　A. insist B. imagine C. suppose D. suggest

　　3. He insisted that he ______ right, and so he insisted that his plan ______ carried out at once.

　　A. was; be B. be; would be C. was; was D. be; should be

　　4. Driving a car is not as difficult as you imagine, if you ______ the rules.

　　A. depend on B. insist on C. turn to D. stick to

　　5. I wanted to pay by cheque but the landlord ______ that I pay him in cash.

　　A. thought B. insisted C. ordered D. demanded

　　Key: 1-5 CDADB

　　解析：

　　1. C。insisted on finding a taxi for me，表示“坚持要为我找辆出租车”。

　　2. D。答语内容为一条建议，问句中的how表示征询对方意见，应用suggest (建议)，而不用insist(坚持)；imagine (想象)和suppose (猜测)。

　　3. A。前一个insist表示“坚决认为”，从句用陈述语气；后一个insist表示“坚持要求”，从句谓语动词用should型的虚拟语气。

　　4. D。表示“坚持(观点、理论等)，遵守(规则等)”，用stick to。 insist on 表示 “坚持要求”。

　　5. B。句意为“房东坚持要求我付他现金”，故选B。

　　(作者：山西 杨青芳)