Evan

Can Could

May Might

Must

Shall Should

Will Would

Ought to

Future movement, prediction The finance executive will be promoted by the CEO

sometime this fall.

The finance executive will not be promoted after all.

Voluntary action, to promise I will take care of everything for you.

I will never forget you.

Conditions for action If I were the girl, I would break up with him. If I were the boy, I would not stop her.

“Will” - past tense I said I would help you. I said I would not help you.

Past repetitive actions (used to) When I was a kid, I would always go to the beach.

When I was a kid, I would not go into the water.

Future action I shall be going to New York City in the fall. I shall not be replaced after all.

Suggestion (should) Shall we begin dinner?

Obligatory action On the 18th of May, the principle shall transfer $240,000 to the

agent.

Voluntary action, to promise I shall take care of everything for you.

I shall never forget you.

Inevitability All man shall succumb to death one day.

They shall be married by next June.

Recommendation, advisability (ought to) People with high cholesterol should eat low-fat foods. Sarah should not smoke so much. It is not good…

Obligation (supposed to) I should be at work before 9:00.

Expectation (ought to, supposed to) Susan should be in New York by now. Susan should not be in New York yet.

Pertaining to a possibility (might) Jack may be upset. I can't really tell if he is annoyed or

tired. Jack may not be upset. Perhaps he is tired.

Permissive action (can) You may leave the table now that you are finished with

your dinner. You may not leave the table. You are not finished with

your dinner yet.

Requesting permission (can, might)

May I borrow your eraser?

Students may not use the elevator.vs

Students cannot use the elevator.

General ability (able to) I can speak Chinese. I cannot speak Swahili.

Ability during a special event (able to) Upon seeing the sharks coming up behind him, even Johnny can swim to

shore. Even with a burst of adrenaline, people cannot out-swim a great white.

Opportunity (able to) I have some free time. I can help her now. I do not have any time. I cannot help her now.

Permission (may) I can throw a party while my parents are out of town. I cannot throw a party while my parents are out of town.

Request (may, could) Can I have a glass of water? Can I not have a glass of water?

Possibility, impossibility (could) Anyone can become rich and famous if they know the right people. Jill cannot be the winner of the competition.

Possibility (might, may) John could be the one who stole the money. Mary could not be the one who stole the money.

Suggestion You could spend your vacation in the Virgin Islands.

Past ability (used to be able to) I could run marathons in my twenties. I could not run more than a mile in my twenties.

Conditional of “can” If I had more time, I could travel to the United States. Even if I had more time, I could not travel to the United States.

Cannot be used in a sentence that describes a momentary or one-time ability Yesterday, I could lift the couch by myself. Not Correct

Can be used in negative sentences in which you describe a momentary or one-time ability Yesterday, I could not lift the couch by myself. Correct

Polite request (can, may, might)

Could I have something to drink?

Could he not come with us?

"Could not" : impossible for something to happen "Might not" : do not know if something happens

Absolute certainty That must be Bill. They said he would be attending

the party with Olivia.

That must not be Jerry. He is supposed to be wearing a gingerbread man costume.

Prohibition You must not swim in that river. It is full of piranhas.

Strong recommendation (should) You must take some time off and get some rest. You must not drink so much. It's not good for your health.

Necessity (have to) You must have a permit to enter the national park. We do not have to get a permit to enter the national park.

"Must not“: prohibited from doing something. "Do not have to“: not required to do something.

Past participle: a verb that expresses an action that has been completed

Will + have + p.p. (will happen at a certain time in the future) By September, Tex Johnson will have been working for ExxonMobil for

42 years.

Shall + have + p.p. (future event + time) I shall have left for the airport when you arrive home.

Cannot + have + p.p. (expressing strong “impossibility” towards past event) He cannot have slept through all that noise.

Could + have + p.p. (having the ability to complete, but did not)： You could have informed me of your decision.

Must + have + p.p. (strong deduction for past event) Before the invention of anesthetics, patients

must have endured great pain during operations.

I can… I could… I may… I might… I must… I shall… I should… I will… I would… I ought to…

…go to the gym

頁碼 作品 版權圖示 來源/作者

17,18 英語宅急便--Language Tips. (2013).英語學習報, (236). Retrieved November 13, 2014, from

http://epaper.ntu.edu.tw/view.php?listid=37&id=1

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of Article 46, 50, 52, 65 Taiwan Copyright Act.