Questions tagged [modal-verbs]
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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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 ...
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What is the difference between verbs "will" and "would"? [migrated]
What is the difference between verbs "will" and "would"? I have two examples below:
I am trying to talk to him, but he won't listen.
I was trying to talk to him, but he wouldn't ...
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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 ...
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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, ...
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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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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 ...
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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
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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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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. ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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". ...
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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 &...
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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 ...
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