All Questions
Tagged with modal-verb or modal-verbs
642 questions
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How to render the word WOULD / MUST in the Reported Speech? [migrated]
I.
If I have this sentence in the direct speech:
She said: "I would like a cake."
How to change the word "would" in the reported speech? I've heard that the word "would" ...
- 11
0
votes
0
answers
27
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"Will be living since" vs "Will have been living since" [duplicate]
Could you tell me which is correct, please? The following is just part of an exercise given at B2 British Council online course, so no context at all.
Joe will be living in Austria since April.
Joe ...
0
votes
0
answers
36
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Present Continuous: Is there an oughting to, shoulding, or musting? [duplicate]
I just tried to say "I detest my bed oughting to stay clean" before my brain short-circuited.
Naturally the structure of the sentence works if "ought to" is replaced by other ...
- 109
5
votes
2
answers
454
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What's quasi-modal be?
What's quasi-modal be? It is not a traditional grammar term. Google says
You are to be good. <=> You must be good.
Other than obligation, what modalities can the quasiness refer to?
What ...
- 161
1
vote
1
answer
198
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"must" vs "be required to"
I am a non-native speaker. I understand that both sentences below have the same meaning. However, I feel that the use of the word "must" isn't suitable for a document such as a questionnaire ...
3
votes
3
answers
566
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The usage of the modal verb "must be"
Is this sentence grammatically correct?
These two people must be freelancers working hard on their computers.
This sentence is a translation from Russian Эти два человека, должно быть фрилансеры, ...
- 185
-3
votes
2
answers
93
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It can't possibly be true, but somehow maybe
How is this sentence to be construed:
'It can't possibly be true, but somehow maybe.' ?
Can you rephrase it?
Source: https://youtu.be/X19aZ-MgibA?t=663
Would I Lie to You S17 E8. Non-UK viewers. 16 ...
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4
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1
answer
246
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Can 'would' be used for something probably true without any conditional clause implicit or explicit?
I was reading Mari-Lou A's answer would have done on a use of would have without involving any conditional clause, implied or otherwise.
My question is with would. Can would be used for showing ...
- 205
0
votes
1
answer
105
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will + perfect construction
In section "10.3.4 Will / would" of "Oxford modern English grammar", the author gives the following example:
31 You will have gathered from the above that I, for one, do not
...
user474469
0
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0
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27
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This question popped up on my mind: "why do we use bare infinitives after modal verbs?" [duplicate]
So, I know that after modal verbs, the bare infinitive or base form of a verb is used according to Oxford ("Modal verbs are followed by the infinitive of another verb without to. The exceptions ...
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0
votes
1
answer
67
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Usage of "may" instead of "might" in the past context
I came across the following sentence while reading "A Clash of Kings" book by George R. R. Martin:
Whitetree was the fourth village they had passed, and it had been the
same in all of them. ...
- 123
0
votes
0
answers
154
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"ought" with or without "to"? [duplicate]
We usually say "ought to" not "ought". (Although more often we say "should"). I wonder when I can say "ought" without "to".
Some examples:
1: Ought I ...
- 149
2
votes
3
answers
733
views
Max couldn’t go out after dark. <permission at a past time?>
A linguistics paper titled "Tense and Modals" by Tim Stowell shows these examples and explains them as follows:
(9) a. Carl can’t move his arm. (ability at the utterance
time)
b. Carl ...
- 7,316
3
votes
2
answers
317
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How does "dare" change in indirect speech?
In indirect speech some modal verbs usually change.
can -> could
He said "I can ride a bike" = He said that he could ride a bike
may -> might/could
He asked "May I use the ...
- 149
16
votes
12
answers
4k
views
The usage of "can not" vs. "cannot" in mathematics
I saw the following passage in Professor West's homepage, and I hadn't noticed this point before. See https://dwest.web.illinois.edu/grammar.html#cannot
"Can not" and "may be". ...
- 319
0
votes
3
answers
174
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"No, it can't be...." vs " No, it may not be..."
I know "No, it can't be" can mean "It's impossible that it is", but I don't think "No, it may not be" can also mean "It's impossible that it is". I know that &...
- 112
1
vote
0
answers
48
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Should I use 'can' or 'will be able to'? "If he fixes your car tonight, you [?] drive it to school tomorrow." [closed]
Should I change "will be able to" to "can" in the bolded sentence from the exchange below?
A: My car broke down and I have to drive to school to pick up my daughter tomorrow. I ...
- 21
0
votes
1
answer
62
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What is this conditional-type sentence used to express reluctance or uncertainty?
The difference between "I can fix the computer" and "I could fix the computer" (present tense) is that the latter expresses more reluctance or doubt.
What is this type of sentence ...
3
votes
2
answers
87
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When the verb dare is an auxiliary, can it take the preterite form dared?
I need to distinguish the auxiliary dare and the lexical dare. I know that as semi-modals need and dare act similarly. As a modal the verb need can only have present tense forms without the 3rd person ...
- 137
0
votes
2
answers
93
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Could "It needn't have been Jill that wrote the note" be interpreted other than deontic?
I know that the modality can be ambiguous and many clauses can be interpreted in many ways. I find that the clause "It needn't have been Jill that wrote the note" can be interpreted as ...
- 137
2
votes
1
answer
119
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Is "Could you help me move these boxes?" interpreted as deontic or dynamic when it comes to the modality families?
I have a problem with the following clause:
Could you help me move these boxes?
I would like to know for my upcoming English test that if this clause is interpreted as epistemic, deontic or dynamic.
...
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1
answer
92
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How modal verbs change while converting active voice to passive voice? [closed]
We can buy electrical appliances from Amazon.
Electrical appliances can be bought from Amazon.
Electrical appliances could be bought from Amazon.
Which among the two is the correct passive voice of ...
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1
vote
0
answers
25
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I may go to the party - permission or possibility? Or both? [duplicate]
Hope you can help me to answer this tricky question. I´m posting here as I got the impression that it needs a linguist or at least a native to answer it.
When you say: I may go to the party. Does this ...
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-1
votes
1
answer
66
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Should "seem" be used instead of "seems" in this sentence: "Technology may have made the world seems smaller." [closed]
An editing textbook suggested that "seem" should be used instead of "seems" in this sentence:
Technology may have made the world seems smaller.
The shorter sentence "the ...
1
vote
3
answers
218
views
The possibility of can and may
I ask about the possibility of can.
I would like to ask further to the past Stack Exchange answer.
Question
What is the difference between 'can', 'could', 'may' and 'might&#...
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3
votes
2
answers
297
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What are the roles of ‘can’, ‘do’, and ‘is’ in ‘All a man can do is smile back’?
What roles (Subject, Head etc) do the words can, do and is each play in this sentence in terms of its syntactic grammar, either individually or as a group?
Death smiles at us all, but all a man can ...
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0
answers
118
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Can "must have + past participle" ever express obligation (deontic modality)?
Can a sentence using a must have + past participle construction ever express deontic modality?
These are all epistemic:
He must have showered.
Someone must have eaten the apple.
The laundry must have ...
user163011
0
votes
1
answer
460
views
What’s the difference between saying “I’m willing ɴᴏᴛ to do it” and “I’m ɴᴏᴛ willing to do it”? [duplicate]
I’ve been asked to paraphrase this sentence without changing the meaning:
I won’t do it.
I’m confused as to which of these possible rewrites I should choose:
I’m willing not to do it.
I'm not ...
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3
votes
3
answers
548
views
How did "ought" lose its original usage as the past tense of "owe"?
Ought is originally the past tense of owe (v.). It appears that this usage is retained in Scottish and in some dialects of English. The current use of ought in standard English is a modal auxiliary (...
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1
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3
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213
views
Is "can be able to" idiomatic among native speakers at all? If not, what's its origin?
I've heard the expression can be able to consistently from a couple of folks from India, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Here are a couple of paraphrased examples:
By signing up to our service,...
- 5,561
2
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0
answers
105
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What is the reason for quasi-modals existing and why do they imply different meaning than the modals themselves?
What I mean is - Why do we have collocations such as "be supposed to", "have to", "be able to"? I understand that modals are defective, but maybe more fundamentally, why ...
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-1
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1
answer
87
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Difference between must and have to, and might and may [closed]
So what is the difference between "you have to do this" and "you must do this"? Don't they mean the same?
Same goes with "he may be in the library" and "he might be ...
0
votes
1
answer
60
views
Is "should" in if-clause common in the USA?
I was wondering if the "should" in if-clause is commonly used nowadays, or if it's kinda outdated. E.g.,
If you should meet him, tell him he owes me.
0
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2
answers
62
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Grammatical Structure of Complex Sentence
The Sentence in Question
The legal “theories” of democracy that evolved in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries were precisely intended to provide such definitions as would link certain actual or ...
0
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0
answers
152
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Meaning of "shall be of" in regulation language
There is an interesting style in some regulations e.g, in NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) I often see "shall be of".
For instance; Sprinklers shall be of the open or automatic ...
0
votes
2
answers
394
views
Can "may have" be used in a past-tense narrative?
In a narrative written in third person past tense, such as you'd find in most published books, can the phrase "may have" be used after verbs like "thought" or "said"? As ...
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0
votes
2
answers
844
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"Will have done" vs "would have done" in expressing certainty
Recently, I have been looking a little bit deeper into the modal verb “will”, its usage and properties. In the process I have been able to find the usage I have already encountered, though have seen ...
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6
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6
answers
1k
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What tense is "He would never see her again"?
In the following passage, what tense is the second sentence?
John said goodbye to his mother. He would never see her again.
I know it's not the past tense, which would be "He never saw her ...
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0
votes
0
answers
39
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Confusion with 'Would" [duplicate]
What could be the possible meaning of the sentence?: "If you would agree to my conditions, I would give you compensation."
I would highly appreciate your response.
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12
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2
answers
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If saying 'Why can't I ...?' is correct, would 'Why cannot I ...?' be technically correct?
Why can't I ...?
is perfectly correct grammar as far as I can tell. But what happens if the contraction is removed,
Why cannot I ...?
This sounds bizarre, but would this be technically correct ...
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3
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2
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107
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"I might do too"
Today I came read someone write "I might do too" and it struck me as non-idiomatic – but I was unable to identify the offending aspect.
Near variations all sound acceptable to my ear:
"...
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3
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1
answer
302
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Another one on the past tense of must have
I'm having a disagreement with two of my (non-native English speaker) country people about the (un)grammaticality of the following sentences:
I had to tell him at least five times before he actually ...
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3
votes
3
answers
493
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Embedded phrases and clauses in "May I know..." questions
Hello everyone and thank you for your consideration. I am a professional English teacher and I usually can find answers for every grammar question, but I have one student that is very good at coming ...
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1
vote
0
answers
52
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Real Conditional Clause + Present Unreal Main Clause [closed]
Is it grammatical to say these four sentences?
If I have studied it for four years, I should be good at it.
If I had studied it for four years, I should be good at it.
If I have been studying it ...
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votes
1
answer
30
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Is the verb 'will' modal in these sentences? [closed]
Everyone will get it: Virus warning.
Virus will ‘get worse, very quickly’.
0
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1
answer
1k
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"Could have + past participle" in questions
I have a hard time understanding the meaning of the following question:
Who could have taken my coffee? I thought I was the only person in the office today!
All grammar books say that the structure &...
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0
votes
1
answer
79
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Why use subjunctive mood in 'all the force would be transferred back to the ship'?
When reading a discussion about whether the Titanic could have avoided sinking, I saw a sentence that puzzled me a lot, as following:
– it would probably have survived. [When a ship hits an iceberg ...
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0
votes
0
answers
82
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What is the history of the incomplete "can"/"could" verb?
The verb can/could is incomplete in the following sense. There is a present tense:
I can
You can
He/she/it can
[…]
There is also a past tense:
I could
You could
He/she/it could
[…]
But there is ...
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3
votes
1
answer
110
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Is there a term for a construction like "...can and has developed," where the omission ("develop") results in an apparent lack of agreement?
Perhaps I'm just overlooking the explanation in grammar references (and questions on ELU), but I haven't found a discussion of this construction (or its advisability): a verb is omitted after a modal, ...
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0
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0
answers
33
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'I would have liked to see' or 'I would like to have seen'? [duplicate]
When teaching my students the usage of the verbs 'like, love, hate, prefer' with the modal verb 'would', I stumbled upon the following:
"It's a shame we didn't see Anna. I would like to have seen ...