PAST FUTURE, MODALS, EITHER, NEITHER, BOTH and TOO

PAST FUTURE, MODALS, EITHER, NEITHER, BOTH and TOOOctober 29, 2012

PAST FUTURE, MODALS, EITHER, NEITHER, BOTH, and TOO

A. PAST FUTURE

Past Simple Future Tense is used to express the events that will occur in the past (not the present, as opposed to simple future tense).

Form:

Positive SentencesNegatif SentencesIntrogative Sentences

S + Should/Would + be + S + Should/Would + not + be + Should/Would + S + be + ?

S + Should/Would + Verb I + S + Should/Would + not + Verb I + Should/Would + S + Verb I + ?

S + Was/Were + going to + Verb I + S + Was/Were + going to + Verb I + Was/Were + going to + S + Verb I + ?

Example:

1. (+) He should be in Banten next month(-) He should not be in Banten next month(?) Should he be in Banten next month ?2. (+) I should be pick up when you arrive at the station tomorrow (-) I should not be pick up when you arrive at the station tomorrow (?) Should you be pick up when I arrive at the station tomorrow ?3. (+) I would buy a new car.(-) I would not buy a new car.(?) Would you buy a new car? 4. (+) She would come to his house.(-) She would not come to his house.(?) Would she come to his house?5. (+) You were going to go to the party.(-) You were not going to go to the party.(?) Were going to you go to the party?

Uses of Past Future

Future in the Past is used to express the idea that in the past you thought something would happen in the future. It does not matter if you are correct or not. Future in the Past follows the same basic rules as the Simple Future. "Would" is used to volunteer or promise, and "was going to" is used to plan. Moreover, both forms can be used to make predictions about the future.

Examples:

I told you he was going to come to the party. (Plan) I knew Julie would make dinner. (Voluntary action) Jane said Sam was going to bring his sister with him, but he came alone. (Plan) I had a feeling that the vacation was going to be a disaster. (Prediction) He promised he would send a postcard from Egypt. (Promise)B. MODALS

Modal auxiliary verbs are used to moderate the main verb, that is to enhance or restrict the verb to a certain context.

The most common modal auxiliaries in English are:

CanCould May Should Might Will Must Would

Notice the usage of modals in the following sentences:

I pay my taxes.General declaration of fact. Paying taxes is something I normally do.

I can pay my taxes.Expresses ability. I have the means (funds) to pay.

I might pay my taxes.Expresses possibility, but not certainty. Maybe I will pay; maybe I won't.

I will pay my taxes.Expresses future intent. I resolve to do it at some later time.

I should pay my taxes.Expresses mild obligation. It is required, and I expect to comply.

I could pay my taxes.Expresses possibility. If I have nothing else to do with the money, I might pay taxes.

I would pay my taxes.(In this case), expresses reservation. If I had the money (but I don't). . .

I must pay my taxes.Expresses strong obligation. I am required and have to comply.

1. Can

UseExamples

Ability to do sth. in the present (substitute form: to be able to)I can speak English.

Permission to do sth. in the present (substitute form: to be allowed to)Can I go to the cinema?

RequestCan you wait a moment, please?

OfferI can lend you my car till tomorrow.

SuggestionCan we visit Grandma at the weekend?

PossibilityIt can get very hot in Arizona.

2. Could

UseExamples

Ability to do sth. in the past (substitute form: to be able to)I could speak English.

Permission to do sth. in the past (substitute form: to be allowed to)I could go to the cinema.

Polite question *Could I go to the cinema, please?

Polite request *Could you wait a moment, please?

Polite offer *I could lend you my car till tomorrow.

Polite suggestion *Could we visit Grandma at the weekend?

Possibility *It could get very hot in Montana.

3. May

UseExamples

PossibilityIt may rain today.

Permission to do sth. in the present (substitute form: to be allowed to)May I go to the cinema?

Polite suggestionMay I help you?

4. Might

UseExamples

possibility (less possible than may) *It might rain today.

hesitant offer *Might I help you?

5. Must

UseExamples

Force, necessityI must go to the supermarket today.

PossibilityYou must be tired.

Advice, recommendationYou must see the new film with Brad Pitt.

6. Must not / May not

UseExamples

ProhibitionYou mustn't work on dad's computer.You may not work on dad's computer.

7. Need not

UseExamples

Not necessaryI needn't go to the supermarket, we're going to the restaurant tonight.

8. Ought to

UseExamples

AdviceYou ought to drive carefully in bad weather.

ObligationYou ought to switch off the light when you leave the room.

9. Shall

Instead of will in the 1st person

UseExamples

SuggestionShall I carry your bag?

10. Should

UseExamples

AdviceYou should drive carefully in bad weather.

ObligationYou should switch off the light when you leave the room.

11. Will

UseExamples

Wish, request, demand, order (less polite than would)Will you please shut the door?

Prediction, assumptionI think it will rain on Friday.

PromiseI will stop smoking.

Spontaneous decisionCan somebody drive me to the station? - I will.

HabitsShe's strange, she'll sit for hours without talking.

12. Would

UseExamples

Qish, request (more polite than will)Would you shut the door, please?

Habits in the pastSometimes he would bring me some flowers.

* no past forms - future forms

C. EITHER, NEITHER, BOTH and TOO

1. Either, Neither, and Both

One of the tricky things about either,neither andboth is knowing whenthey should followed by singular or plural nouns and verbs. The rules, with examples, are given below:==Either, Neither, Both

We use either, neither and both when we are talking about two things.

Either = one OR the other Would you like tea or coffee? Either. I don't mind.This means: 'You can give me tea OR coffee. I have no preference.'

Neither = not one and not the other Would you like ham or beef in your sandwich? Neither. I am a vegetarian. I don't eat meat.This means: 'I don't want ham and I don't want beef.'

Both = the first AND the second I take both milk and sugar in my coffee.This means: 'I take sugar. I also take milk.'

We use either with a singular noun. We use either of with a plural noun.

We use either and either of with a singular verb. Either car, Either personEither of the chairs, Either of the people

Either day is fine for me.Either of the days is fine for me.

We use neither with a singular noun. We use neither of with a plural noun.

We use neither and neither of with a singular verb. Neither house, Neither manNeither of the houses, Neither of the men

Neither day was suitable.Neither of the days was suitable.

We use both with a plural noun.

We use both with a plural verb. Both houses, Both menBoth of the houses, Both of the men

Both (of) my brothers are tall.

We need of before the pronouns us, you, them. Both of us, Both of you, Either of them, Neither of them, etc.

Between of and a noun we need to use these, those or my, your, John's, etc., or the. Both of those houses, Neither of my brothers, Both of John's sisters, Either of the cinemas

2. Too

Form

too + adjective or adverbtoo much/many + nountoo much/many + of + pronoun/determinerWe use too to mean more than sufficient or more/less than necessary.

It's too late to stop him. Jerry was too young to watch the movie. There are too many people on this train, there's nowhere to sit. You have too much money, give some to me. You've eaten too many of those cakes.

USE

"Too" is used in positive sentences to add an agreeing thought. It has the same meaning as "also," but its placement within the sentence is different.

Examples: Jane speaks French. Sam speaks French too. I love chocolate. I love pizza too. Frank can come with us. Nancy can come with us too.PLACEMENT

"Too" usually comes at the end of a clause.

Examples:

I am Canadian too. I can speak French too. I am studying economics too. If he wants to go too, he should meet us at 8:00.IMPORTANT

Although "too" is usually placed at the end of a clause, it can sometimes be used with commas after the subject of the sentence. This is usually only done in formal speech.

Examples:

Mr. Jones wanted the contract. Ms. Jackson, too, thought it was necessary. Donna is working on a solution to the problem. I, too, am trying to find a way to resolve the conflict.10UNIVERSITAS INTERNASIONAL BATAM