Professional Documents
Culture Documents
PRESENT PAST
Can Could
Ability
I can speak German I could speak German when I was a chil
May, Can, Might Could, Might
Permission
May I go playing football ? Could I go playing football?
May, Can, Might May, Have, Might Have
Possibility John hasnt come yet. He may work. John hadnt come yet when we got home
He might have worked overtime
Should, Ought to, Had better. Should have, Ought to have.
Advise
You should study hard. you should have studied hard.
Must, Have to. Had to
Necessity
We must eat our breakfast. We had to eat our breakfast this morning
Must Must have
Probability He is absent today. He was absent yesterday.
He must be sick. He must have been sick.
Catatan :
1. Probability adalah strong possibility.
2. Larangan (Prohibition) dinyatakan dengan menggunakan MUST NOT. Contoh :
You must not go out tonight (kamu dilarang pergi).
You dont have to go out tonight (kamu tidak perlu pergi).
3. SHOULD HAVE dan COULD HAVE menyatakan penyesalan terhadap suatu aktivitas yang
pada kenyataannya tidak dilakukan.
4. WOULD juga digunakan untuk menyatakan kebiasaan masa lalu (bermakna USED TO).
contoh :
o My Grandfather would tell bedtime story when I was a child.
o My Grandfather used to tell bedtime story when I was a child.
EXAMPLES
- He can do it
- Can I borrow your pen?
- Could I borrow your pen please? Yes, certainly or yes of course
- May I borrow your pen please?
- Would you pass the salt please?
- Will you pass the salt please?
- Could you pass the salt
- Can you pass the salt? Yes, certainly, Id be glad to
- Would you mind if I closed the window?
- Would you mind helping me?
- You must take an extra exam
Will
Used to express desire, preference, choice, or consent:
Shall we dance?
Shall I go now?
Lets drink, shall we?
Often used in formal settings to deliver obligation or requirement:
[Quiz 20.1]
[20.1]
1) should
2) should
3) Shall
4) would
5) Should
toexpressability(inthesenseofbeingabletodosomethingor
knowinghowtodosomething):
HecanspeakSpanishbuthecan'twriteitverywell.
toexpressionpermission(inthesenseofbeingallowedor
permittedtodosomething):
CanItalktomyfriendsinthelibrarywaitingroom?(Note
thatcanislessformalthanmay.Also,somewriterswillobjectto
theuseofcaninthiscontext.)
toexpresstheoreticalpossibility:
Americanautomobilemakerscanmakebettercarsiftheythink
there'saprofitinit.
Themodalauxiliarycouldisused
toexpressanabilityinthepast:
Icouldalwaysbeatyouattenniswhenwewerekids.
toexpresspastorfuturepermission:
CouldIburymycatinyourbackyard?
toexpresspresentpossibility:
Wecouldalwaysspendtheafternoonjustsittingaroundtalking.
toexpresspossibilityorabilityincontingentcircumstances:
Ifhestudiedharder,hecouldpassthiscourse.
Inexpressingability,canandcouldfrequentlyalsoimplywillingness:Canyou
helpmewithmyhomework?
Thequestionisatwhatlevelcanyousafelyignorethe"proprieties."
MerriamWebster'sDictionary,tenthedition,saysthebattleisoverandcancan
beusedinvirtuallyanysituationtoexpressoraskforpermission.Most
authorities,however,recommendastricteradherencetothedistinction,atleast
informalsituations.
Authority: The Careful Writer by Theodore Bernstein. The Free Press: New York. 1998. p. 87.
MayIleaveclassearly?
IfI'vefinishedallmyworkandI'mreallyquiet,mightIleave
early?
Inthecontextofexpressingpossibility,mayandmightareinterchangeable
presentandfutureformsandmight+have+pastparticipleisthepastform:
Shemightbemyadvisornextsemester.
Shemaybemyadvisornextsemester.
Shemighthaveadvisedmenottotakebiology.
Avoidconfusingthesenseofpossibilityinmaywiththeimplication
ofmight,thatahypotheticalsituationhasnotinfactoccurred.Forinstance,let's
saythere'sbeenahelicoptercrashattheairport.Inhisinitialreport,beforeall
thefactsaregathered,anewscastercouldsaythatthepilot"mayhavebeen
injured."Afterwediscoverthatthepilotisinfactallright,thenewscastercan
nowsaythatthepilot"mighthavebeeninjured"becauseitisahypothetical
situationthathasnotoccurred.Anotherexample:abodyhadbeenidentified
aftermuchworkbyadetective.Itwasreportedthat"withoutthispainstaking
work,thebodymayhaveremainedunidentified."Sincethebodywas,infact,
identified,mightisclearlycalledfor.
Willcanbeusedtoexpresswillingness:
I'llwashthedishesifyoudry.
We'regoingtothemovies.Willyoujoinus?
Itcanalsoexpressintention(especiallyinthefirstperson):
I'lldomyexerciseslateron.
andprediction:
specific:Themeetingwillbeoversoon.
timeless:Humiditywillruinmyhairdo.
habitual:Theriverwilloverflowitsbankseveryspring.
Wouldcanalsobeusedtoexpresswillingness:
Wouldyoupleasetakeoffyourhat?
Itcanalsoexpressinsistence(ratherrare,andwithastrongstressontheword
"would"):
Nowyou'veruinedeverything.Youwouldactthatway.
andcharacteristicactivity:
customary:Afterwork,hewouldwalktohishomeinWest
Hartford.
typical(casual):Shewouldcausethewholefamilytobelate,
everytime.
Inamainclause,wouldcanexpressahypotheticalmeaning:
MycockerspanielwouldweighatonifIlethereatwhatshe
wants.
Finally,wouldcanexpressasenseofprobability:
Ihearawhistle.Thatwouldbethefiveo'clocktrain.
Uses of Used to
Theauxiliaryverbconstructionusedtoisusedtoexpressanactionthat
tookplaceinthepast,perhapscustomarily,butnowthatactionnolonger
customarilytakesplace:
Weusedtotakelongvacationtripswiththewholefamily.
Thespellingofthisverbisaproblemforsomepeoplebecausethe"ed"ending
quitenaturallydisappearsinspeaking:"Weyoostootakelongtrips."Butit
oughtnottodisappearinwriting.Thereareexceptions,though.Whenthe
auxiliaryiscombinedwithanotherauxiliary,did,thepasttenseiscarriedby
thenewauxiliaryandthe"ed"endingisdropped.Thiswilloftenhappeninthe
interrogative:
Didn'tyouusetogojoggingeverymorningbeforebreakfast?
Itdidn'tusetobethatway.
Usedtocanalsobeusedtoconveythesenseofbeingaccustomedtoor
familiarwithsomething:
Thetirefactorydowntheroadreallystinks,butwe'reusedtoitby
now.
Iliketheseoldsneakers;I'musedtothem.
Usedtoisbestreservedforcolloquialusage;ithasnoplaceinformalor
academictext.