Modal Review
I will cut the hedge. / I would have cut the hedge.
Meanings in present and past tense
Do these modals mean the same in present and past tense?
will |
may |
can |
shall |
must |
would |
might |
could |
should |
(had to) |
In these sentences, the meaning is the same:
| PRESENT | PAST |
|---|---|
He says that he will come late. (intention) |
He said that he would come late. (intention) |
He says that he may come late. (possibility) |
He said that he might come late. (possibility) |
He says that he can help. (ability) |
He said that he could help. (ability) |
He says that we shall help them. (obligation) |
He said that we should help them. (obligation) |
In these sentences, the meaning is different:
| PRESENT | PAST |
|---|---|
I can drive there. (ability) |
I could drive there. (potential option, possibility, ability) |
I could be a little late. (possibility) |
I could have been a little late. (a guess, opportunity lost) |
You may smoke here. (permission) See may/can |
He might smoke here. (possibility) |
Shall we go in there? (invitation) |
Should we go in there? (caution) |
I will go jogging Tuesday. (intention) |
I would go jogging Tuesday. (past habit) but I have an appointment. (excuse) |
You must eat this. (necessity) |
You must have eaten this. (conclusion) |
Modals and Expressions
| PRESENT | PAST |
|---|---|
FUTURE I will leave tonight. He is going to leave tonight. (intends to) He leaves tonight. (as scheduled) |
FUTURE (from a past perspective) He said that he would leave. Maybe he did. Maybe he didn't. * He would have left, but his car was not working. He didn't leave. He said that he was going to leave. But he didn't. He said that he was going to leave, but he didn't. |
INVITATION Shall we go into this restaurant? Let's go into this restaurant. Why don't we go into this restaurant. |
INVITATION
|
REQUEST Would you please close the door? Please close the door. / Do me a favor and close the door. |
REQUEST
|
PERMISSION May I come in? Can I come in? Could I come in? Might I come in? very formal Do I have permission to come in? Am I permitted to come in? Let me in. permission or demand |
PERMISSION He said that we could come in. He said that we had permission to come in. He said that we were permitted to come in. |
PHYSICAL ABILITY She can run twenty six miles. She is able to run twenty six miles. |
PHYSICAL ABILITY She could run twenty-six miles always or multiple events Because she was naturally strong, she could lift 75 pounds. She was able to run 26 miles. single- or multiple events After working out for six months, she was able to lift 75 pounds. one-event
|
MENTAL ABILITY She can solve that problem. She knows how to solve that problem. |
MENTAL ABILITY She could solve that problem. She knew how to solve that problem. |
SUGGESTION You could try a new method. You should try a new method. Why don't you try a new method. I suggest that you try a new method. |
SUGGESTION You could have tried a new method. but you didn't. You should have tried a new method. but you didn't. |
PREFERENCE She would rather come today. She would rather come today than tomorrow. She prefers that you come today.
|
PREFERENCE She would rather have come today than tomorrow. |
OPPORTUNITY * You could go with us if you have time. |
OPPORTUNITY LOST You could have gone with us if you had said something. but you didn't. (hypothetical)
|
POSSIBILITY He may be hurt. He might be hurt. He could behurt. It is possible that he is hurt. Possibly, he is hurt. Perhaps, he is hurt. |
POSSIBILITY He may have been hurt. He might have been hurt. He could have been hurt. It was possible that he was hurt. Possibly, he was hurt. |
ADVICE You should write to your family. You ought to write your family. You ought not to write that to them. You had better write your family. You'd better not do that. It's a good idea to write your family I am supposed to write to my family. social expectation |
ADVICE TOO LATE You should have written to your family. but you didn't. (hypothetical) You ought to have written to your family. You ought not to have written to them. |
NECESSITY I must talk to you right away. It is necessary that I talk to you I have to talk to you. I need to talk to you. |
NECESSITY I had to talk to you right away. I needed to talk to you. It was necessary that I talked to you. |
EXPECTATION / PROBABILITY His train should arrive soon. I expect that his train will arrive soon. It is probable that his train will arrive soon. |
EXPECTATION / PROBABILITY His train should have arrived. but it didn't (hypothetical) I expected that his train would have arrived soon. |
CONCLUSION He is not at work. He must be sick.a sure guess He's not here, so I guess / believe / think he is sick. a sure guess I conclude he is sick.
|
CONCLUSION He wasn't at work. He must have been sick. I concluded that he was sick. |
Practice
- Select the word from each menu that best completes the sentence.
- Compare your response to the answer by clicking the "check" button to the right.