A modal
verb (also modal, modal auxiliary verb or modal auxiliary)
is a type of verb that is used to indicate modality – that
is, likelihood, ability, permission, and obligation. Examples include the
English verbs can/could, may/might, must, will/would, and
shall/should.
We use modal verbs to show if
we believe something is certain, probable or possible (or not). We also
use modals to do things like talking about ability, asking permission, making
requests and offers, and so on.
Would, should and could are
three auxiliary verbs that can be defined as past tenses of will, shall,
and can; however, you may learn more from seeing sentences using
these auxiliaries than from definitions. Examples of usage follow.
Would
Technically, would is
the past tense of will, but it is an auxiliary verb that has many
uses, some of which even express the present tense. It can be used in the following ways:
·To ask questions:
Would you like some coleslaw? = Do you want some coleslaw? Would you turn in your assignment now? = Please
turn in your assignment now.
·With who, what, when, where, why, how:
How would the neighbors react?
What would you do if I sang out of tune?
In the two sentences above, would means about the same thing
as will.
·To make polite requests:
I would like more coleslaw, please. = I want more coleslaw, please.
I would like you to sit down now. = I want you to sit down now.
·To show a different response if the past had been different:
I would have helped you if I had known you were stranded.
(I didn't know that you were stranded. This "not knowing" occurred
before my not helping you.)
John would've missed the trail if Mary hadn't waited for him at the stream.
(First Mary waited for him. If her response had been to not wait, then next
John would have been on the wrong trail.)
·To tone down strong, controversial statements-not recommended in formal
essays:
I would have to say that you're acting a bit immature.
Here would has a similar meaning to do but
less emphatic.
·To explain an outcome to a hypothetical situation:
Should I win a million dollars, I would fix up my house.
Think of should as if, and would as will.
·To show habitual past action:
Helen
would sob whenever John would leave home.
Think of would as did.
·To show repetitive past action:
For a moment the plane would be airborne, then it would bump back down
along the hard earth.
(The plane was in the air and then back on the ground several times.)
·To show preference between two choices, used with rather or sooner:
I would sooner die than face them. = I prefer death in place of facing
them.
I would rather handwrite than type. = I prefer handwriting instead in typing.
However,
the second choice may by implied but not stated:
I would rather die.
Implied is that I would rather die than...do whatever it is that the context
has provided as an alternative to dying.
·To show wish or desire:
Those people would allow gambling. = Those people want to allow gambling. Would it were so.= I wish it were so. (Infrequently
used) We wish that he would go. = We want
him to go.
·To show intention or plan:
She said she would come. = She said she was planning to come.
·To show choice:
I would put off the test if I could.
This means my choice is to delay taking the test, but I do not have the ability
to delay taking it.
·To express doubt:
The answer would seem to be correct. = The answer is probably correct.
·To show future likelihoods relative to past action:
He calculated that he would get to the camp around 6 p.m. The men would
have dinner ready for him.
The first sentence means he believed his camp arrival time was going to be
about 6:00 p.m. The "calculating" (or believing) happened in the
past, yet the arrival is going to occur later. The second sentence predicts
that, at that future time, dinner will be ready for him.
·Strange but true: Notice how changing have to had can
change the way would works:
Would you had changed your mind. = I wish you had changed your mind.
Would you have changed your mind. = If circumstances had been different, is it
possible that you might have changed your mind?
Should
Technically, should is the past tense of shall,
but it is an auxiliary verb with a few uses, not all of which are in the past
tense, namely, the following:
·To ask questions:
Should you have erased the disk? = Were you supposed to have erased it?
Should I turn in my assignment now? = Am I supposed to turn in my assignment
now? Here, should means about the same thing
as ought.
·To show obligation:
You should floss and brush your teeth after every meal.
Think of should as supposed to, as in the previous example, but here to make a
persuasive statement.
·To show a possible future event:
If I should find your coat, I will be sure to call you.
Think of should as do; furthermore, should could
be left out of the above sentence, leaving, "If I find your coat, I
will be sure to call you." Alternately, if could be
left out of the sentence: "Should I find your coat, I will be sure to
call you."
·To express a hypothetical situation:
Should
you wish to do so, you may have hot tea and biscuits. = If you wish to do so,
you may have hot tea and biscuits.
·To express what is likely:
With an early start, they should be here by noon. Think of should as ought
to or probably will.
·To politely express a request or direct
statement:
I should like to go home now. = I want
to go home now.
I should think that a healthy forest program is essential to any presidential
victory.= I think that a healthy forest program is essential to any
presidential victory.
Could
Technically, could is the past tense of can, but it is an auxiliary verb with a
few uses, not all of which are in the past tense, namely the following:
·As the past tense of can:
In those days, all the people could
build houses. = In those days, all the people had the ability to build houses.
·To ask questions:
Could you have erased the disk? = Is it possible that you erased the disk?
Could I leave now? = May I leave now; am I allowed to leave now?
·To show possibility:
You could study harder than you do. =
You have the potential to study harder than you do.
He knew the sunset could be spectacular. = He knew that the sunset was
sometimes spectacular.
·To express tentativeness or politeness:
I could be wrong. = I may be wrong.
Could you come over here, please? = Please come here.
In conclusion, you could use these three
auxiliaries if you would, and you should!
There are
many adjectives that we have in English that end in -ED or -ING.
Yes, that's correct, they are not only endings that we use for verbs!
An adjective
that ends in -ING is used to describe: the characteristic of
a person, a thing or a situation.
An adjective
that ends in -ED is used to describe: a feeling (or
how a person feels) or an emotion. It is used to describe a
temporary thing. Since only people (and some animals) have feelings, -ed
adjectives cannot be used to describe an object or situation.
Compare the difference:
My girlfriend is bored. - (My girlfriend feels bored)
My girlfriend is boring. - (My girlfriend is a boring
person)
You can use
these adjectives to describe people or situations but be careful that you are
using the correct adjective. For example, there is a big difference in meaning
between:
I am confused. - (I don't understand something)
I am confusing. - (I will cause you to be confused)
Note that
the sentences below are to highlight the difference between the two types of
adjectives. They are NOT common to do or say because they sound repetitive.
I was shocked by how shocking the
accident was last night.
They were frightened by the frightening roller-coaster
ride!
I am annoyed by how annoying that
person in front of us is.
Sally was confused by the confusing street
signs in the city.
Example
sentences of adjectives ending in -ED and -ING
This grammar lesson is boring. I am bored reading
all about these grammar rules.
I am tired right now. My flight was tiring (because
it was a twelve-hour flight).
Public toilets are usually disgusting. I am disgusted by
the smell in some of them.
Your speech was very inspiring. I am now inspired to
do wonderful things with my life.
List of Adjectives ending in -ED and -ING
There is
quite a long list of adjectives ending in -ED and -ING in
English, and most of them are based on a verb that can be changed into an
adjective by adding either -ED or -ING.
Este post
también va dirigido especialmente a mis alumnos de la E.O.I. Aquí os dejo un enlace a otro post que igualmente colgué hace ya un tiempo con diferentes links a páginas donde
podéis escuchar listenings tanto en inglés británico como en inglés americano y que además contienen
ejercicios online con soluciones para que podáis practicar en casa. Espero que
os sirva de ayuda. Pinchad en enlace debajo:
Este post va dirigido especialmente a mis alumnos de la E.O.I. Aquí os dejo un link a una serie de
posts que ya colgué hace algún tiempo sobre las diferencias entre Past Simple y
Present Perfect que espero terminen de solucionar vuestras dudas. Pinchad en enlace debajo:
