This topic is discussed under Future time » BE GOING TO » BE GOING TO for predictions and Future time » Future simple » Future simple for predictions.
Modals to express requests: CAN, COULD, WILL, WOULD
Can, could, will and would are used to express requests:
Can
you
lend
me $10?
Can
I
borrow
your car?
Could
you
tell
me where the train station is?
Could
I
have
a cigarette?
Will
you
turn off
your mobile phone, please?
Would
you
open
the door for me?
Would
you
mind
stepping outside for a moment?
Modals to express suggestions: SHOULD, COULD, MIGHT, SHALL
Should, could, might and shall are used to express suggestions:
Shouldn't
we
have
a pizza instead?
You
could talk
to your parents and
ask
them.
You
might consider
taking up meditation.
Shall
we
throw
a party sometime next week?
Might is often used with want or like to add politeness:
I thought you
might want/like to read
this.
May/might as well is often used in everyday conversation to suggest something when you can't think of anything better to do:
We
may as well call
it
off
.
You
might just as well order
it on the internet.
Quotes:
No city should be too large for a man to walk out of in a morning. - Cyril Connolly
The modal SHOULD to express surprise
Should in that-clauses is used as an alternative to present or past tenses to express surprise or disbelief:
I'm sorry that he
should feel
that way.
It's funny that we
should be living
in the same block of flats.
It's surprising that she
should have said
that.
The modal WOULD to express unreal situations
Present and future
Would + infinitive can refer to unreal situations in the present or future. An unreal situation is one which is not true in the present or one which may or may not happen in the future:
It
would be
nice to live by the sea.
(I don't live by the sea)
It
would be
great to go hiking in the Appalachians again.
(I may or may not go)
Would is often used in the main clause of a sentence in the second conditionaclass="underline"
I
wouldn't do
that if I were you.
(I am not you)
I
would help
you if you asked me to.
(you may or may not ask me)
Past
Would + perfect infinitive refers to unreal situations in the past. We imagine a hypothetical past situation which did not happen. We often use an if-clause to describe the situation:
It
would have been
wonderful to meet you in person.
I
would have helped
you if you had asked me to.
(you didn't ask me)
Quotes:
What would I do if I had only six months left to live? I'd type faster. - Isaac Asimov
If it weren't for the fact that the TV set and the refrigerator are so far apart, some of us wouldn't get any exercise at all. - Joey Adams
If people behaved like governments, you'd call the cops. - Kelvin Throop
The soul would have no rainbow if the eyes had no tears. - Native American proverb
How old would you be if you didn't know how old you were? - Satchel Paige
We would accomplish many more things if we did not think of them as impossible. - Vince Lombardi
Related topics:
Second conditional
Third conditional
Modals to express willingness / unwillingness: WILL, WOULD
Present
Will can express willingness in the present:
I
will take
you to the airport. I have nothing to do tomorrow.
If you
will wait
for a moment, I'll see if Mr Hawking is available.
Won't can express unwillingness or refusaclass="underline"
My bank
won't allow
me to make international transactions.
Greg just