Questions tagged [modal-verbs]
Modal auxiliary verbs are a special type of auxiliary verb, used mainly to express ability, likelihood, permission, and obligation. These include 'will', 'would', 'can', 'could', 'shall', 'should', 'may', 'might', 'must', 'ought', 'need', and 'dare'. Please do not use this tag for the non-modal auxiliaries 'be', 'have', or 'do'.
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use "must" to conclude something
A: I wonder how you get past security. B: I suppose you must have (to show)/showed some form of ID. Does the phrase "to show" and "showed" have the same meaning in this sentence?
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- Dad, John doesn't want to go to school today! / - He shall!
How idiomatic is this dialogue?
-- Dad, John doesn't want to go to school today!
-- He shall! (whether he likes it or not, and I will make sure he does!)
Bartender
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Use of “might” to talk about the possible events in the future
She might have come/ might be coming over this evening, so can you tidy the house up a bit?
Do these phrases "might have come" and "might be coming" represent the same meaning for ...
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"would" after "if" - "If you would just tell me, it would be easier for the both of us"
"If you would just tell me, it would be easier for the both of us"
Why is there "would" after "if"? It has to be an exception because normally you can't do it.
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"Must have" in hypothetical situations
I am not a native English speaker.
Can we use "must have" when we want to express a regret about something in the past that did not happen?
For example:
If I had come earlier, I must have ...
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Does “you can go now” sound rude? Context provided in question
As an IT guy in a college, I was helping a professor with his phone problems. After I was done helping him, I told him “you can go now.” to end the interaction as I had another student waiting for my ...
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Subjunctive mood / Unreal grammar "If I were" with "when"
Which of the two sentences is grammatically more correct/consistent?("drink" or "drank")? 1. "If I were in Paris, I would be sitting at a cozy café, enjoying the beautiful ...
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Use of would with type 1 conditionals
This is regarding the use of 'would' inside type 1 conditional.
From: Britannica: How to Use "Could," "Would," and "Should"
Example 1: If we invite him, Adam would ...
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What's the meaning of "would" in this sentence?
Could you explain Damian's use of "would" when he answers a someone's question in the following? I can't understand the meaning.
Dwi: What does "emphatic" means in this sentence?
...
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"can" or "could"- general possibility
Context: My friend has been using computer a lot recently, I want to warn him
Spending a lot of time using computer can lead to eye disorders.
Spending a lot of time using computer could lead to eye ...
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Why is "would" used in this sentence, not "will?"
This question is about why my friend Jane used would be in her response to a particular language question. Here's the question:
Context:
Lady Catelyn's husband was murdered by Joffrey who belongs to ...
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"ought" with or without "to"?
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 ...
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I should have finished the book by Friday. (past or future?)
I should have finished the book by Friday.
I learned should have pp means past regret.
But the translation means future(prediction).
What's the meaning of the sentence and 'should have pp' also can ...
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Couldn't have cared less vs couldn't care less in context
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee starts with the following short paragraph:
When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken
at the elbow. When it healed, and Jem's fears of ...
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Until I fell asleep, I would/used to scroll my smart phone. - is this acceptable?
Example 1
As soon as/Once my father bought me a gift, I would/used to bring it to the school and show it off to my friends.
Example 2
After my father bought me a gift, I would/used to bring it to ...
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Why don't we need to use "was" in this sentence?
A quote from "The Great Gatsby".
As if his absence quickened something within her, Daisy leaned forward again, her voice glowing and singing.
Do we need to use was before "glowing and ...
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When he was "heading out / was going to head out / was about to head" out to get groceries, he grabbed the key - do they mean "right before"?
Example 1
When he was going to head out to get groceries, he grabbed the key and put on the sunglasses.
Example 2
When he was about to head out to get groceries, he grabbed the key and put on the ...
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At the time, I was leaving/was about to leave/was going to leave my friend's house. - do they mean the same?
Wife: You came home pretty late last night. What were you doing? I called you at 10.
Example 1
Husband: At the time, I was leaving my friend's house.
Example 2
Husband: At the time, I was going to ...
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What meaning does "should have" express in this context?
Then there's another thing. I had hoped you might have peddled that opium through the islands, which is safer and more profitable. But with this three-month limit, you must make tracks for Honolulu ...
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Use and meaning of "that+sub+should....."in a sentence
It’s strange that you should say that.
I think this sentence express "your saying of that is strange".
I'm not sure about the interpretation, someone give your valuable time to answer my ...
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Do both these structures create the same meaning: ".... would not have been able to do ...." VS ".... couldn't have done...."
The following sentence is from a text about a new genetic testing method which reveals whether a tumor is cancerous or not, without having to apply chemotherapy. BBC - Genetic testing spared baby ...
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How do you question yourself for your failing in the past: "Why couldn't I have done more?" VS "Why couldn't I do more?"
This is from the BBC where a mom, whose daughter has a phobia of talking, tells about her feelings. Phobia of Talking (See:4:49-4:54)
"....Why didn't you notice it. Why couldn't I have done more?&...
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Mary couldn't (possibly) go to jail for the crime. - "possibly" necessary here to express future impossibility?
I came across this page that teaches "could." https://www.englishpage.com/modals/could.html
The below example is from the page. I wonder whether "possibly" is a necessary element ...
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would have gone (subjunctive "would have pp" vs. past occasional habit)
By the time he reached the house, she would have gone inside to get his bowl of milk ready for him.
I think this 'would' here means 'past habit' rather than meaning the 'reversed speculation about ...
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By the time we arrive there, it will have already be 7 o'clock/later than 7 o'clock. - which is more idiomatic?
Example 1
It is too late now. By the time we arrive there, it will have already been 7 o'clock.
Example 2
It is too late now. By the time we arrive there, it will have already been later than 7 o'...
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He could feel yesterday that his mother would/will bombard him with new information. - which one?
When the main verb is a modal verb such as "could" or "was able to", does the principle of "sequence of tense" still apply?
Example 1
He could feel yesterday that his ...
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could not \ specific past events
Correct the sentence
I could not use my car yesterday because it was being repaired.
I understand that the sentence is grammatical as it is or with was not able to
Many grammar books suggest that ...
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Why would a native speaker use "Could" while asking a question about a situation which she saw already completed?
A famous singer is being interviewed while shooting one of her music videos. In one scene, she actually jumps in a glass pool, which is supposed to be an aquarium in the video. Taylor's interview (see:...
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'she must NOT have made it' vs. 'she mustn't have made it' vs. 'she must have not made it'
In this passage there is a slight pause after 'must' and a stress on 'not':
'I saw Isabella she had a blank expression on her face. I'm not sure what happened with the knife she was carrying it looked ...
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In what sense 'have' is used in the following sentence?
The courts have made it clear that public interest litigation is in the nature of non-adversarial litigation. This implies that governments and their counsel have a different approach to PILs, ...
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Should I use "would be" or "would've been" in this conditional?
Consider the following text:
"There are many beautiful hills and country parks in Hong Kong that I want to hike, but it's too hot right now. I would rather wait until the fall. What a pity! Hong ...
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Is "dare" as a modal obsolescent?
Many sources say that the word "dare" is or can be a modal verb. Collins Dictionary classifies it as a semi-modal (along with the word "need"). The distinguishing characteristic ...
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"could not" or "did not"?
'Could' is past of 'can', and it shows ability to do something. For example, "I could not assist him." However, I have a doubt on its use when it's compared with using "did not", ...
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So that + modal verb
I was wondering if I could use SO THAT + COULD in sentences in the present tense. For example:
The bed in the room is fixed to the floor so that it could not be moved.
Or do I have to say the ...
Mary
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Determining the Nature of Deduction in a Sentence
Does the terminology of deduction in this question belong to logic or modal verbs?
What does the following sentence express?
"Jessica can't be in Italy
because I saw her in the supermarket today....
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My father provided me with money so that I could/was able to go to those swimming lessons - differences in meaning
Example 1
My father provided me with money so that I could go to those swimming lessons.
Example 2
My father provided me with money so that I was able to go to those swimming lessons.
Example 3
...
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The use of would in a sentence
Here Jack uses "would" in his response to the questioner. Could you explain why is "would" used rather than "will?" I would have said "I will add that ..." ...
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How to paraphrase 'would' in hypothetical situations and future reference?
I quote the following from two different sources:
1) a PDF file on 'would':
In hypothetical situations
You can use would to talk about unreal or hypothetical situations. These are situations that we ...
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"could ask" or "could have asked"
A friend sent me a quote which was written by an unknown writer. We both had trouble understanding its meaning. My friend said to me jokingly-
"The writer didn't mention his name, otherwise we ...
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"He would not talk to me." Does "would" in this sentence mean "He did not want to talk to me even if I tried to make him talk."?
This is from an Australian TV programme Outliving your cancer prognosis (see: 35:29-35:35). In this discussion programme, some people who were diagnosed with cancer talk about how they lived longer ...
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Use of "will" + infinitive for recurring activities/habits [closed]
While listening to Taylor Swift's "Anti-Hero", I came across the line
I'll stare directly at the sun, but never in the mirror (lyric video)
which I intuitively understand to mean that she ...
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I may have been trying to reach her. (is this tense a past progressive or present perfect progressive?)
I may have been trying to reach her.
As the question in the title, I wonder if this sentence means
a past progressive or a present perfect progressive.
And what if the 'may' is changed to 'might'?
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She could be very unpleasant at times. (could is past or future?)
She could be very unpleasant at times.
I think the word 'could' here is ambiguous.
What's the meaning of tense of could?
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What does it mean when you insert "if you will" in such part of a sentence "....a whole suite, if you will, of depth capabilities."
This is from the BBC Earth Robots explore deep ocean, (see:2:13-2:19). In the program, a man tells about a range of different devices used for explorations under sea. One of his sentence is below:
&...
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Mrs. Johnson tell me that it (will take/ takes / must take / has taken) two more months to complete the project
This is a question from the entrance exam of a certain university in Tokyo. You are supposed to choose the most appropriate phrase out of the four, but it confuses me.
Mrs. Johnson tells me that it (...
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"Imagine, for a second, what Marcus’s life as an emperor must have been like". - how to understand "must have been"?
Help me understand the logic of using must + perfect in this sentence:
Imagine, for a second, what Marcus’s life as an emperor must have been like
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Is it correct to use 'could' to describe present ability?
The following conversation is taken from the movie, The Menu (2022)[spoiler alert]:
Peter: I mean, really, you should have your own place. Right?
Lilian (a food critic): And I could help you with ...
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What is the difference between the form with "would" and with no "would?"
I want to understand the use of "would" in this sentence.This is a reply to a question. Here, B uses "would" when answering the question. Could you explain how "would" ...
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How does "would" fuction in this sentence?
Could you explain how "would" works in the following sentence? Speaker asks a question, then speaker B uses "would" when replying to the question. I'd really like to understand its ...
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may as well vs. may well
I am a student learning English.
I know the meanings of "may as well" and "may well", but quite confusing. To understand the meaning, I need some time.
The other day I posted a ...
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