MODALITY

Modality is the language user’s attitude towards the world. It is related to things such as certainty, possibility, willingness, obligation, necessity and ability.

would + easily | strongly | especially | actually | absolutely | gladly

ADVERBS, C1, MODALITY, range

C1 point 178 in MODALITY is defined as: an increasing range of adverbs with ‘would’, including ‘strongly’, ‘easily’, ‘especially’, ‘actually’, ‘absolutely’, ‘gladly’ A search in iWeb for: would easily|strongly|especially|actually|absolutely|gladly _VVI 1 WOULD STRONGLY RECOMMEND 4687 2 WOULD STRONGLY SUGGEST 2216 3 WOULD ABSOLUTELY LOVE 1889 4 WOULD ABSOLUTELY RECOMMEND 1773 5 WOULD ACTUALLY MAKE 1435 […]

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if you should

C1, CLAUSES, conditional, formal, FUTURE, MODALITY, polite, possibility, should, subordinate

C1 points: 114 in CLAUSES/conditional is defined as: subordinate conditional clauses with ‘if you should’, in polite, formal contexts *Most of the English Grammar Profile examples include: ‘if you should have any’ (questions|concerns|problems) + don’t hesitate…’ Therefore, this is offering help or giving advice.  ‘should’ here gives a slight feeling of  ‘it is unlikely’ or

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if + PAST PERFECT + MODAL VERBS

C1, CLAUSES, conditional, imagine, MODALITY, PAST, perfect, regret, simple, subordinate

C1 point 112 in CLAUSES/conditional is defined as: Conditional subordinate clauses with ‘if’ + the past perfect simple and modal verb + ‘have’ + ‘-ed’ in the main clause, to talk about imagined situations in the past, often with regret. *Note the same definition with ‘would‘ is listed at B1!  Basically, this means that for

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SHALL (formal & predictions)

C2, formal, FUTURE, MODALITY, prediction, simple

Here are examples of using ‘shall’ in a formal context and to make a prediction: You shall shortly be sent home in disgrace. listen We shall have no peace until she goes. listen This post is another example of two overlapping grammar points found in two different categories in the English Grammar Profile.  Although they are worded differently, they can be used to describe the exact same examples. C2

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dare not

auxiliary, B2, MODALITY, semi, VERBS

This is another overlapping B2 grammar point found in a few different places in the English Grammar Profile. Point 47 in VERBS is defined as semi-modal auxiliary verbs, ‘dare’ and ‘need’. The two examples are both in the negative. And the comments in the EGP are very interesting for this point: LOW FREQUENCY ITEM. There

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SHOULD ( advice | suggestions | ideal or desired situations | likelihood )

A2, advice, affirmative, B1, desire, ideal, likelihood, MODALITY, NEGATIVE, range, recommend, should, suggestion, VERBS

The text discusses the use of the modal verb “should” in English, focusing on its usage at different levels of language proficiency (A2 and B1) and in various contexts. It explains that “should” is used to give advice, make suggestions, and talk about ideal situations. The text also provides examples of common phrases using “should”, such as “maybe you should try” and “I think you should leave.”

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ADVERBS (hedging | emphasis)

A2, ADVERBS, emphasis, hedging, MODALITY, position

Adverbs can modify assertions by hedging or emphasizing when placed in mid-position or after the main verb ‘be’. For example, “probably” in “you’re probably busy” hedges the assertion, making it less absolute. Conversely, “definitely” in “it is definitely the right thing to do” emphasizes the assertion, reinforcing its certainty. This usage of adverbs is categorized as A2 in the English Grammar Profile, with higher levels for certain constructions.

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LIKELY

ADJECTIVES, ADVERBS, B1, C1, MODALITY, probability

In the English Vocabulary Profile, at B1, ‘likely’ is listed as an adjective meaning something might happen or be true; probable. People who are depressed are 40% more likely to develop memory problems. listen At C1 as an adverb, it means probably.   It is often found between a modal verb and its infinitive. And she will likely be on medication for the rest of her life. listen By hearing this tape, you will likely assume this is over. SAW VI A

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will be + VERBing (future continuous)

A2, arrangements, B1, certainty, confirming, continuous, expectation, FUTURE, indirect, informal, MODALITY, plan, polite, will

The future continuous tense, used in sentences like “Sarah will be joining us for dinner,” indicates a planned or confirmed action that will occur over a period in the future. It expresses certainty about the future and is often used when the action is expected to happen as a matter of course. While usually not used with stative verbs, exceptions exist, especially in informal contexts. For instance, “I guess I’ll be needing a receipt off you there, Red” is a polite, indirect request.

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going | have | need | want + TO BE + past participle

B1, infinitive, MODALITY, necessity, obligation, PASSIVES

Here’s an example of an infinitive passive structure. He said it was the summation of the parts working together in such a way that nothing needed to be added, taken away, or altered. listen The English Grammar Profile B1 point 4 in the category of passives is defined as: an infinitive after a limited number of forms including ‘going to’, ‘have to’, ‘need to’, ‘want to’. *Note that Pearson lists this as: GSE 59 B2

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CAN (focus)

C1, emphasis, fixed expressions, FOCUS, MODALITY

“As you can see” is used to draw attention to something that is obvious or visible. For example, you might say “As you can see, the cat is sitting on the mat” or “As you can see, the results of the test are not good.”
“I can’t say” is used to express uncertainty or doubt. For example, you might say “I can’t say for sure when I’ll be finished with this project” or “I can’t say that I agree with your decision.”
“I can tell you that” is used to make a statement that is certain or factual. For example, you might say “I can tell you that the meeting will start at 10am” or “I can tell you that I’m not happy with the way things are going.”
“As you can imagine” is used to express something that is easy to understand or picture. For example, you might say “As you can imagine, I was very excited to get the job offer” or “As you can imagine, the traffic was terrible today.”
“I can say that” is used to make a statement that is true or accurate. For example, you might say “I can say that I’m very proud of my children” or “I can say that I’ve learned a lot from this experience.”
“I can assure you that” is used to express confidence or certainty. For example, you might say “I can assure you that I will do my best” or “I can assure you that your information is safe with me.”

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can’t (questions)

ability, B1, MODALITY, NEGATIVE, permission, QUESTIONS, surprise

Negative questions with the modal verb “can’t” are used to ask for permission or confirmation in a polite or surprised way. For example:

Can’t we go to the park today? (asking for permission)
Can’t you see I’m busy? (expressing surprise)
To form a negative question with “can’t”, we put “can’t” before the subject and the main verb after the subject. For example:

Can’t + you + see?
Can’t + we + go?

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