Let’s start with A1 grammar to explain how to form modal verb questions when asking for something. Here is an affirmative declarative sentence: I can get some help. To form a yes/no question with a modal auxiliary verb, invert the subject and the modal verb I can → Can I follow it with the bare […]
questions with modal verbs Read More »
A2 point 52 in MODALITY:
‘could’ with a limited range of verbs to make suggestions.
A2 point 27 in MODALITY:
negative form
B1 point 78 in MODALITY:
affirmative form of ‘could’ to talk about ability.
B1 point 79 in MODALITY:
‘could’ with an increasing range of verbs to make suggestions.
declarative COULD ( past ability | suggestion | possibility ) with a range of verbs Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 74 in MODALITY is defined: ‘can you believe’ to express surprise PELIC STUDENT EXAMPLE: Can you believe that my poor mother still did not know that she was dying? Mongol female level 4 grammar class. TLC SPEAKING TEST EXAMPLE: Can you believe that only in Niger there are one point three million people who are in critical need of food and assistance due to corruption? female Sri Lanka B1 An iWeb search: 1 Can you believe it? 2387 listen 2
Can you believe it? Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 71 in the category of MODALITY is defined: ‘must’ with the following verb ellipted where the previous main verb is understood *an ellipted subject is also B1. PELIC STUDENT EXAMPLE: [The] coach must have a capability to solve problems of teammates, just as business managers must. Korean Female level 5 writing class EXPERT EXAMPLE: We can do this because we must. We did an iWeb search
MUST (ellipsis of following verb) Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 69 in the category of MODALITY is defined: DEDUCTIONS AND CONCLUSIONS: ‘must’ to guess and deduce, most commonly with ‘it must be’, or ‘you must be’. *We cannot ensure automatically that this form will point to the usage. We have deleted some ngrams that are obviously not the
You must be | It must be Read More »
B1 FUTURE continuous NEGATIVE WITH ‘WILL’ (won’t)
English Grammar Profile
will not be VERBing Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 94 in the category of MODALITY is defined:
‘may’ negative
In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 98 in the category of modality is defined:
GENERAL TRUTHS AND TENDENCIES: ‘can be’
In the context of the sentence “What may mean nothing to you, may be very important to me,” the word “may” is used as a modal verb to express possibility. The sentence is not referring to a specific time frame, but rather to a general situation where different people can have different opinions about the
may | might (modal verbs) Read More »
Here’s a very advanced hypothetical conditional example of using a negative modal verb phrase in a question: If worms were evading the vibrations, wouldn’t they burrow deeper instead? listen Here are simpler examples of negative modal questions: Now who wouldn’t want that? listen Won’t you join me? listen Shouldn’t we save everything we can on the lifeboats? listen Question tags are also B1: Your life would be pretty different, wouldn’t it? listen Here are B2 examples: Wouldn’t that be cool? listen Why, if we knew this was going to happen every year, why couldn’t we just do something to make sure that we were safer?
NEGATIVE QUESTIONS with MODAL VERBS Read More »
Existential “there + BE” is a grammatical construction that asserts the existence or non-existence of something. It is usually followed by a noun phrase that is the real subject of the sentence. For example:
There is a book on the table.
There are many stars in the sky.
Modal verbs are verbs that express possibility, necessity, obligation, permission, etc. They can be used with existential “there + BE” to hedge claims or express hypothetical situations. For example:
There may be no simple solution to this problem.
There should be some food in the fridge.
there + MODAL VERB + BE Read More »
Listed at A2, the “future” or “first” conditional in English is a grammatical structure used to discuss possible future events. This structure often expresses a cause and effect relationship, with the effect (main clause) being conditional on the cause (if-clause). The typical structure is: “If” + present simple tense, “will” + verb (base form). The page provides examples of this structure from various sources, including student writings, expert examples, and lines from 1934 movies. It also discusses how different English Grammar Profile points highlight this grammar point.
if CLAUSE + will CLAUSE (FUTURE CONDITIONAL) Read More »
“If + present simple + present simple in the main clause”: This structure is used to talk about things that are always true, such as scientific facts, or to give advice. For example, “If this happens, money only brings him loneliness, not happiness.” Here, the speaker is expressing a general truth or observation about the consequences of a certain situation.
“If + present simple + imperative in the main clause”: This structure is used to give advice or make suggestions. The “if” clause presents a condition, and the imperative in the main clause suggests what should be done if that condition is met. For example, “If you feel sick, see a doctor.” Here, the speaker is giving advice on what to do when feeling sick.
“If + present simple + can in the main clause”: This structure is used to talk about possible or likely situations in the future. The “if” clause sets up a condition, and “can” in the main clause expresses what will be possible if that condition is met. For example, “If we properly invest into data infrastructure and data preparation, all this can be avoided.” Here, the speaker is expressing that a certain undesirable outcome can be avoided if proper investments are made.
These structures are very common in English and are used in various contexts to express conditions and their potential outcomes.
IF + present simple Read More »
In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 74 in the category of CLAUSES/conditional is defined as: PRESENT SIMPLE ‘IF’ CLAUSE + MODAL, FUTURE, POSSIBLE OUTCOME: introduce a possible future condition, with modal verbs in the main clause, to talk about a possible result. A search in TED corpus for expert examples: If you‘ve got a couple of final words you want to share, that would be great. listen So if you look that up, you can hear more of those tunes. listen PELIC
If + PRESENT SIMPLE + MODAL CLAUSE Read More »
Hedging is used to express uncertainty or doubt. For example, the sentence “I might possibly go to the party” uses the modal verb “might” and the modal adverb “possibly” to hedge the speaker’s commitment to going to the party. The speaker is not sure if they will go to the party, but they are open to
modal verb + modal adverb Read More »
English Grammar Profile C1 point 80 in the category of PAST is defined as: past simple ‘I thought’ as a politeness structure to sound less direct. However, there is no way to formally decide if this is actually a politeness construction. If it is not, it might still contain B2 modal passive or B1 reporting structures. For
I thought… (polite) Read More »
C1 MODALITY
‘might or may + not have’ + ‘-ed’ to talk about possibility with a past reference
English Grammar Profile
might | may + not have + PAST PARTICIPLE (past possibility) Read More »
The pronoun ‘it’ can be used where the subject is unclear at C1, and verbs such as ‘conclude’ are only used by C1 learners. For example: It was concluded that it never existed. However, this post is about reporting with modal verbs. C1 point 208 in MODALITY is defined as: ‘can’ in passive reporting clauses in a more formal impersonal
It can | could + be + said | argued | concluded | considered Read More »
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
if + PAST PERFECT + MODAL VERBS Read More »
The modal verbs: Will / Shall are often used with the pronouns I and we to show our intentions and to make promises with future simple. In the mid-position, the adverbs: ‘always’ and ‘never’ can make it quite clear that these statements are intended to be true for a long time. For example: This is a day we shall
will | shall + always | never (long-term intention) Read More »
