Level: beginner
The modal verbs are:
| can may must shall will |
could might should would |
We use modals to show if we believe something is certain, possible or impossible:
My keys must be in the car.
It might rain tomorrow.
That can't be Peter's coat. It's too small.
We also use them to do things like talk about ability, ask permission, and make requests and offers:
I can't swim.
May I ask a question?
Could I have some tea, please?
Would you like some help?
- Modal verbs
Comments
Hello. Can you help me to choose the correct answer? I think that all of them are correct, right?
- (Were he - Had he - Did he have) to stay up late, he would have tomorrow off.
Thank you.
Hi teacher,
What is the function of "should" in the following sentence?
"We only married in order that the child should be legitimate."
Thank you.
Hi patph0510,
The phrase '...in order that the child shoud be...' means the same as '...so that the child would be...'
This use of should is very formal and rather archaic. It is highly unusual in modern English.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi team,
I am very confused about the use of 'Could'. I was watching one of learning videos and I saw the use of below statement :
Could you say that again, please?
Here in above statement , why we used 'Could'. We can say like :
Can you say that again , please?
Hello nitishpandey9814,
Both 'can' and 'could' are often used to make requests, ask permission and for many other reasons. 'could' is generally a bit more polite than 'can' but otherwise means exactly the same thing here.
All the best
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi sir,
It means I can use - " Can you say that again, Please ?'
Hello nitishpandey9814,
Yes, that's fine. Both are polite, but perhaps could is a little more polite. That said, how polite the setnence is really depends more on how you say it.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello. Could you please help me? Some English teacher are for "have to" but others are for "must". What do you thin?
- You (must - have to) get a licence if you want to drive a car.
Thank you.
Hello Ahmed Imam,
Both forms are possible here. It entirely depends on how the speaker sees the situation: more as a legal requirement or more as something a person should (morally, sensibly) choose to do.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Good evening Teachers, i have a couple of questions for you:
1)
if i were to go on Holiday i would visit colorado spring next summer;
if i was gonna go on Holiday i would visit colorado spring next summer
I think they have different meanings , don't they?
2)
i was never gonna do that ; i should never have done that. here i guess they have the same meaning instead.
thanks in advance.
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