Reading...
Play button
Play button
Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
11 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
|
Can
"Can" is one of the most commonly used modal verbs in English. It can be used to express ability or opportunity, to request or offer permission, and to show possibility or impossibility. |
Examples:
I can ride a horse. ability We can stay with my brother when we are in Paris. opportunity She cannot stay out after 10 PM. permission Can you hand me the stapler? request Any child can grow up to be president. possibility |
|
|
Could
"Could" is used to express possibility or past ability as well as to make suggestions and requests. "Could" is also commonly used in conditional sentences as the conditional form of "can." |
Examples:
Extreme rain could cause the river to flood the city. possibility Nancy could ski like a pro by the age of 11. past ability You could see a movie or go out to dinner. suggestion Could I use your computer to email my boss? request We could go on the trip if I didn't have to work this weekend. conditional |
|
|
Had Better
"Had better" is most commonly used to make recommendations. It can also be used to express desperate hope as well as warn people. |
Examples:
You had better take your umbrella with you today. recommendation That bus had better get here soon! desperate hope You had better watch the way you talk to me in the future! warning |
|
|
Have To
"Have to" is used to express certainty, necessity, and obligation. |
Examples:
This answer has to be correct. certainty The soup has to be stirred continuously to prevent burning. necessity They have to leave early. obligation |
|
|
Have Got To
"Have got to" is used to express necessity and obligation. |
Examples:
Drivers have got to get a license to drive a car in the US. necessity I have got to be at work by 8:30 AM. obligation |
|
|
May
"May" is most commonly used to express possibility. It can also be used to give or request permission, although this usage is becoming less common. |
Examples:
Cheryl may be at home, or perhaps at work. possibility Johnny, you may leave the table when you have finished your dinner. give permission May I use your bathroom? request permission |
|
|
Might
"Might" is most commonly used to express possibility. It is also often used in conditional sentences. English speakers can also use "might" to make suggestions or requests, although this is less common in American English. |
Examples:
Your purse might be in the living room. possibility If I didn't have to work, I might go with you. conditional You might visit the botanical gardens during your visit. suggestion Might I borrow your pen? request |
|
|
Ought To
"Ought to" is used to advise or make recommendations. "Ought to" also expresses assumption or expectation as well as strong probability, often with the idea that something is deserved. "Ought not" (without "to") is used to advise against doing something, although Americans prefer the less formal forms "should not" or "had better not." |
Examples:
You ought to stop smoking. recommendation Jim ought to get the promotion. It is expected because he deserves it. This stock ought to increase in value. probability Mark ought not drink so much. advice against something (notice there is no "to") |
|
|
Shall
"Shall" is used to indicate future action. It is most commonly used in sentences with "I" or "we," and is often found in suggestions, such as "Shall we go?" "Shall" is also frequently used in promises or voluntary actions. In formal English, the use of "shall" to describe future events often expresses inevitability or predestination. "Shall" is much more commonly heard in British English than in American English; Americans prefer to use other forms, although they do sometimes use "shall" in suggestions or formalized language. |
Examples:
Shall I help you? suggestion I shall never forget where I came from. promise He shall become our next king. predestination I'm afraid Mr. Smith shall become our new director. inevitability |
|
|
Should
"Should" is most commonly used to make recommendations or give advice. It can also be used to express obligation as well as expectation. |
Examples:
When you go to Berlin, you should visit the palaces in Potsdam. recommendation You should focus more on your family and less on work. advice I really should be in the office by 7:00 AM. obligation By now, they should already be in Dubai. expectation |
|
|
Would
"Would" is most commonly used to create conditional verb forms. It also serves as the past form of the modal verb "will." Additionally, "would" can indicate repetition in the past. For more information on the grammar behind the modal verb "would," visit the following tutorials: Conditional Tutorial, Future in the Past, and Would Always. |
Examples:
If he were an actor, he would be in adventure movies. conditional I knew that she would be very successful in her career. past of "will" When they first met, they would always have picnics on the beach. repetition |
