Models
Can
The use of can is as
follows.
a. General possibilities
1
You can ski on the hills. There is enough
snow.
2
We cannot bath here on account of sharks
(it is unsafe)
3
Can you get to the top of that mountain in
one day? (if is impossible).
You might have noticed
that possibility/impossibility shown in the above sentences is not meant only
for one person but for general public (for all).
The
factors making possible or impossible are external.
a. Ability
1
She can speak English.
2
Fish cannot swim out of water.
3
He can help you.
The ability or otherwise
depends upon the individual. The individual is capable or not capable of doing
something.
b. Permission
Can
I borrow your car? Of Course, you can/cannot.
c. For Orders
1
This is awful word. You cannot do it again.
2
You cannot go there again.
3
You cannot leave office early.
d. Offer
1
Can I help you?
2
I can give you this pen if you hurry?
e. Opportunity
You
can catch the 7:30 train if you hurry.
May
In
several cases the use of ‘May’ is just the same as of ‘Can’.
a. Permission
1
May I borrow this book.
2
Of course you may.
3
Only the members may play in the club.
b. Offer
1
You may stay with me.
2
May I help you?
c. Likelihood
1
You may be right here but I don’t agree
with you.
2
You may be old but does not excuse you from
this duty.
3
He has not phoned. He may not know the
number.
d. May and Can Together
1
We can have a picnic but we may not (we
have the opportunity but we won’t take advantage of it).
2
We may have a picnic but we can’t. (it
expresses likelihood but at the same time we don’t have the permission)
Could
a. It shows permission in past
I
could use my father’s car whenever I liked.
b. Expresses ability in past
1
She could speak English when she was six.
2
They could not find the way home that night.
It may be noted that
“Could” is the past tense of “Can” and we have seen in the above sentences that
it has been used for past time, but now let us see how we can use it for other
times.
1
Could I borrow your car next week (it shows
permission, asking for permission for future).
2
Could You hold the door open for me (it is
request for present time).
3
You could type this for me now/tomorrow (it
is an order for present time or future).
4
Come early so we could have a picnic (it is
a suggestion for present/future).
5
There could be life on some of the planets
(possibility for present/future).
Might
a.
Possibilities
It is used to show possibilities.
Example
1
Don’t tell him anything, he might tell
others.
2
He might know Shahid’s address.
It may be noted here that
in these sentences we can mean both present and future times. We can have some
more examples.
1
He might be waiting at the railway station.
2
He might be doing his homework when we
visit him at 9:00 tonight.
a. Speculation about past
He
might have left for Karachi.
Here we guess or imagine
about his leaving for Karachi but we are to sure whether he left or not.
It can be used in
conditional sentences. (We will discuss about the conditional sentences later
on in this unit). It shows a possible result.
Example
1
If you poured hot water into it, it might
crack (for future).
2
If you had left it there someone might have
stolen it (past).
Would
a. It
is used to express a repeated action in the past.
Example
When
I was a child, my father would read me a story every night before bed.
It
means my father used to read stories.
b. Used in Soft Statements.
Example
I
would like a cup of tea.
Note:
“I want” is a strong statement.
c. Used for expressing preference
Example
I
would rather go to a movie tonight then to study grammer.
d. Expresses Polite Requests
1
Would you mind opening the window?
2
Perhaps you would like to help me with this
language.
3
Would you help me please?
Should
a.
It is used to express advisability when we
advise someone.
1
You should lose some weight.
2
You should not leave your keys in the car.
b.
It is used to express an idea.
I
should wait for him before I start this work.
c.
For obligation
You
should listen to your parents.
d.
Assumption
Shahid
should be in the department soon. (We assume here that he will be in the
department soon).
Must
a. It expresses necessity
1
Ali’s driver must have license.
2
I must be at home at night. I am expecting
an important telephone call at night.
3
You must not tell anyone about this.
b. It expresses probability
Example
Why
is not Amir in the class? He must be sick.
It
must be noted that the speaker is not sure about the sickness of Amir, but he
has some reason for making him believe that Amir is sick and that is, let us
suppose, he saw him last night, he was not feeling well.
Ought To
a.
It is used to express advisability.
1
You ought to lose some weight.
2
You ought to study harder.
b.
Can be used for expressing expectation.
1
The bus ought to be here soon.
2
The bus ought to have been here 10 minutes
ago (but it has not come whereas it was expected to be here 10 minutes before).