Modal verbs (such as can, could, shall, should, will, would, may, might, and must) combine with verbs in the bare infinitive to express information about the verb such as possibility or necessity.
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Are modal verbs finite or non-finite?
According to Oxford Dictionaries Online,
finite ... 2 Grammar (of a verb form) having a specific tense, number, and person.
non-finite ... Grammar (of a verb form) not limited by tense, ...
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2answers
189 views
Dare + have done
Here is an example from an old book. I know it’s old but it can’t be simply discarded, I hope.
"I never dare have spoken — never dare have told you that my love for you was killing me"
So, I ...
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1answer
75 views
Is “should've” a word? [closed]
I've used the word many times but different sources say different things. Is it recognized as a word in the British standard?
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1answer
72 views
“I may know where it is” vs. “I know where it may be”
I am wondering if the following two sentences have different meanings.
I may know where it is.
I know where it may be.
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1answer
83 views
Are “could I have been able to cope with” and "could I have coped with” the same?
I am a bit confused with the formation of this sentence. My lines are:
What if I were a girl? Would I have been able to cope with the ordeal that women and girls live through every day?
But I ...
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4answers
122 views
Is the structure “can have verb-ed” possible?
I have seen and heard sentences like these:
He could have gone too far.
John can't have eaten all the cake.
But I don't seem to encounter this structure:
She can have done the work.
I ...
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1answer
133 views
Use of “would” in the specific situation
A man asked a question to his friend, “Why was it the best time for
Bilal to be in his home?”
His friend replied, “It would be the best
time for Bilal to be in his home because his uncle ...
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1answer
115 views
“To have to” vs. “should” [closed]
I wonder which one to choose here:
My father should drive carefully when it’s raining.
My father has to drive carefully when it’s raining.
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0answers
34 views
The verb “should” as a conjunction [duplicate]
Here is the phrase from Wikipedia:
CFO Peter Klein has said that Microsoft has no alternate plan should its current mobile strategy fail.
Another example:
Should Microsoft’s tablet and phone ...
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1answer
62 views
'What may it be'/ 'what may be it' which one is correct? [closed]
I think,saying 'what may it be' is correct in the sense of something that i did not see before,it is new to me and on my hand.and i am saying this sentence "what may it be"/"what may be it".which one ...
11
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3answers
298 views
Strange grammar in Dracula
There is a place in Bram Stoker’s Dracula where I can’t quite parse the grammar:
8 May. — I began to fear as I wrote in this book that I was getting too
diffuse. But now I am glad that I went ...
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2answers
88 views
“I stay in Canada” vs. “I will stay in Canada” [duplicate]
Situation: I am in Canada and will go back to Hong Kong next week. So, I want to tell my friends that "I will stay in Canada until the 6th of March".
Question: I do not know if the word will should ...
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1answer
63 views
counterpart of “Shall I/we …” in written English
See my title. I am looking for a word or expression to replace the way of "Shall I/we ...?"
The context is I am asking for permission or suggestion but it is not in conversation. I want to apply such ...
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1answer
95 views
Is “he should be seventeen” correct?
Is the following sentence correct to describe a young man?
He should be seventeen.
My colleague was absolutely sure it was correct. I disagreed, so we had a bit of an argument. I would agree on ...
4
votes
2answers
188 views
could versus be able
Let me start by saying what is written in grammar books on this issue and after that I will put my question. (Take heed that this usage of "could" ONLY refers to the past and ONLY to affirmative ...
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3answers
169 views
Are there other verbs that work like “dare” and “need”? [duplicate]
The verbs dare and need do not require auxiliaries when used in the interrogative; for example, “need I?” is as acceptable as “do I need?”
Excluding the auxiliaries themselves (like be, do, have),
...
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3answers
140 views
Saying about many related events in the future
My question relates to these questions :
Conditionals in the future
Future tense in conditional clauses
“If I go..” vs. “If I will go..” referring to the future
About two mutually related, future ...
6
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4answers
417 views
“need to do” vs “need do”
Consider:
I need to do this.
I need do this.
My English grammar knowledge tells me that "need" doesn't have the same status as the modal verbs "may", "can", "should" and what not. Hence the second ...
4
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1answer
134 views
Why are 'preterite presents' called so?
While reading about 'defective verbs' on Wikipedia, I came across this term – preterite present verbs.
The most commonly recognized defective verbs in English are auxiliary verbs — the class of ...
32
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7answers
2k views
What is the infinitive of “can”?
Like the title says: I don't think "to can" is right :)
I mean "can" as in to be able to. I'm aware of other meanings.
I can't find the answer here. (There's What is an "infinitive"? which ...
0
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1answer
84 views
“He was so desperate that he would have given anything” vs. “that he did give anything”
A: I heard he promised to buy her anything she wants.
B: Right. He was so desperate that he would have given anything to win her over.
In sentence B, instead of "would have given," is "did ...
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3answers
173 views
Is there a rule for “wouldn't” used to mean “didn't want”?
I have seen the sentences in books where wouldn't seems to have been used in the meaning of didn't want, and I wonder if such a rule exists. For instance,
I wanted to participate, but he wouldn't ...
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0answers
10 views
“Could someone please” versus “Can someone please” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
When do I use “can” or “could”?
Is either “can” or “could” more polite?
“Can” vs. “could” in asking a question
“Can I have one apple from your box?” vs “Could I have one ...
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2answers
446 views
Is it “What should he have done?” or “had he done”?
What should he have done?
What should he had done?
Could you tell me which one is correct? (If any.)
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4answers
2k views
What is the difference between 'can', 'could', 'may' and 'might'?
I'm a native English speaker and I've been doing some research into English grammar for a programme I'm working on. However, on looking into modal verbs, I've only just come to appreciate how subtle ...
2
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4answers
118 views
“Would” in a reported statement
I am teaching some students changing original quotes into reported speech. Well, one of my students asked how the following quote can be changed into reported speech:
I would like to swim.
From ...
0
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2answers
340 views
question about the future tense
In a sentence like
How do you get to the train station?
What would be an appropriate answer (tense wise)? Could you say both of these two:
I’ll drive you.
I’m going to drive you.
...
13
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2answers
641 views
When did periphrastic tenses stop being tenses?
English sometimes has several different ways of expressing the same thing. For example, it can form a possessive either by using an old case inflection:
The dog’s tail was always wagging.
Or it ...
0
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2answers
403 views
Is there any difference between “He won't do something” and “He wouldn't do something”? [closed]
I have read somewhere that He won't do something means He refused to do something and also He wouldn't do something has the same meaning.
Now I'd like to know, what is the difference in usage of ...
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0answers
57 views
“can I speak to Mr Tom” or “May I speak to Mr Tom” which one is correct [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Can/May/Will you help me with this?
Difference between “can” and “may”
Can I speak to Mr Tom?
May I speak to Mr Tom?
Which one is correct?
My thinking is ...
7
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3answers
219 views
“He grew up around cars that would later become classics.”
My question is about the use of would in the following sentence.
He grew up around cars that would later become classics.
The use of would in this particular sense always looks confusing to me ...
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1answer
400 views
Question about the future “tense”
My daughter, who is in the 4th grade, was asked to answer questions about the following sentence:
What time can you meet us at the school on Tuesday?
She was asked questions about the usage of ...
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2answers
259 views
Why “should be doing” and not just “should do” in the following sentences?
What is the difference between "should X" and "should be Xing" in the following contexts? Or are they interchangeable?
10 Things you should do to improve the health of your hair.
10 Things ...
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3answers
196 views
“Can” or “may” and “have to” or “must” [closed]
There are two typical situations: when someone asks for a permission or for a obligation. I am totally confused, because there seems to be two ways to ask and to reply, and I don't know which one is ...
57
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10answers
7k views
How many tenses are there in English?
Do we have 16 tenses in English?
With
future
present
past
future in the past
in these forms
simple
continuous
perfect
perfect continuous
Can we manipulate these together to create English ...
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2answers
316 views
“I wouldn't ever” vs. “I would never”
The two expressions from the title, “I wouldn't ever” and “I would never”, are very similar. But are they completely equivalent or do they bear any subtle differences? If so, how do they differ in ...
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3answers
151 views
“Fortunately I could get into the next bus” vs. “fortunately I managed the next bus”
Which of the following sentences is more acceptable in the meaning "fortunately someone get into or was able to catch the next bus"?
Fortunately I could get into the next bus.
Fortunately I ...
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2answers
397 views
When is “will” used in an “if” clause?
Given the following sentences that use will in the if clause (which is seldom with if-clauses and therefore, I'm not sure they all are even grammatical or not).
If you will/would kindly lend me ...
2
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3answers
2k views
“Can’t help but” vs. “can help but”
Is "can’t help but" considered to be a confused mix of the expressions "can but" and "can’t help"? If not, what is the difference between "can help but" and "can’t help but"?
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1answer
2k views
When to use “cannot” versus “can't”?
When is it best to write "can't" versus writing "cannot"? Are they interchangeable in every situation?
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4answers
420 views
Can “be” be used with the modal verb “do”?
These two sentences are both valid
I write this sentence.
I do write this sentence.
Are these both valid?
I am writing this sentence.
I do be writing this sentence.
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3answers
2k views
Why to use “May” before using “May God bless you”?
I heard it many times but I haven't really pondered on that. We can hear these following sentences in our daily lives:
May God bless you.
May God be pleased with you.
May God accept your ...
21
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5answers
3k views
Why should I use “ought to”?
Is "ought to" still used in modern English? If yes, in what contexts is it used, and is it used more in formal or informal cases?
2
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1answer
671 views
Would certainly have or certainly would have?
I have these confusions sometimes. Firstly, which among the following are grammatically correct to use in sentences-
She would certainly have loved that.
She would have certainly loved ...
3
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3answers
1k views
Using “so that” without modal verbs
I know that usually with "so that" there is a modal verb. However, I do not know if this is correct because there is not a modal verb.
I will wake him up so that he does not (will not) miss the ...
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1answer
385 views
How to create a questions from past modal verb sentences
I have no idea why my question was closed as it was pretty clear (at least for a person of average intelligence) so I am trying again:
There is a sentence, e.g:
He could have seen that.
Will the ...
6
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2answers
465 views
Why is “can” such an odd verb?
The English verb can is very strange for several reasons:
It drops the to on any infinitive verb forms that follow it. That is, unlike in the verb want in the sentence I want to eat, you would not ...
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2answers
239 views
Can I drop 'might' in this sentence without changes in meaning?
I was interested in the following sentence which appeared in an article titled “Rethinking the Afghanistan War’s What-Ifs" by David E. Sanger in The New York Times (July 31, 2010).
The British ...
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4answers
182 views
“It might not be adequate and worsen” vs. “it might not be adequate and worsens”
The problem is this sentence:
It might not be adequate in some cases and worsen the results.
Is it correct or should I write "worsens the results"? If the effect of might not is propagated to ...
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2answers
185 views
“how soon I get” vs. “how soon I will get”
What is the difference between the following:
It depends on how soon I get my visa.
It depends on how soon I will get my visa.
