Module 05Grammar Review 05Salengke, Ph. D.Agricultural Engineering, Hasanuddin University

Modal AuxiliaryModals are used to indicate something which is potential or uncertain.Modals are auxiliary thus they are never used with do, does, or did.Modals must be followed by simple form of verb (verb word).willwould (used to)cancouldmaymightshallshould (ought to, had better)must (have to)(had to)

Examples:I will go fishing this afternoon.I will be fishing this afternoon.I will have been gone for fishing at 5 this afternoon.You all can score 500 on TOEFL easily.All students must finish their study in seven years.I may leave early today.I may be leaving at 1 pm.I may have been leaving after 1 pm.

Negation of ModalsUse particle not after the modals to make a modal negative.I will eat after sunset.I will not eat until sunset.You must do the project by yourself.You must not ask help from others to do the project.I can reach the summit of Bawakaraeng in three hours.I cannot reach the summit of Bawakaraeng in three hours.

Questions with ModalsTo make a question with modals, put the modal at the beginning of the sentence.

Could you help me with these boxes?Would you like some coffee?Should we wakeup this early for sahur?

WillWill indicates future certaintyJohn will begin the job tomorrowMaria will leave in January

Conditional SentencesConditional sentences usually contain the word if. The modals will, would, can, and could often appear in conditional sentences.Two types of conditionals:

Factual or habitual conditional is used when the speaker expresses an action or situation which will occur or usually occur if conditions in the main clause are met.Hypothetical or contrary to fact conditionals expresses a situation that would take place or would have taken place if the circumstances expressed were or had been different.

Real Conditions (Possibly true)Examples:If I have the money, I will buy a new car.I will buy a new car if I have the money.If I have the time, I will go.I will go if I have the time.Future Time

Real Conditions (Possibly true)HabitualExamples:If the doctor has morning office hours, he visits his patients in the hospital in the afternoon. (no modal)John usually walks to school if he has enough time.If you go to the post office, please mail this letter for me.Please call me if you have any news.Command

Unreal Conditions (Not true)Present or Future timeExamples:If I had the time, I would go to the library tomorrow.He would tell you about it if he were here.If he didnt speak so quickly, you could understand him.If I were rich, I would buy a Hummer.

Unreal Conditions (Not true)Past TimeExamples:If we had known that you were there, we would have written you a letter.She would have sold the house if she had found the right buyer.If we hadnt lost our way, we would have arrived sooner.

Unreal Condition without ifUse auxiliary had before the subject.The had clause usually come first in the sentence.Examples:Had we known that you were there, we would have written you a letter.Had she found the right buyer, she would have sold the house.

as if / as thoughThese conjunctions indicate something unreal or contrary to fact.The verb that follows these conjunctions must be in the past tense or past perfect.The past tense of verb be in a contrary to fact statement must be were and NEVER was.

as if / as thoughExamples:The old lady dresses as if it were winter.Angelique walks as though she studied modeling.He acts as though he were rich.He talks as if he knew about the matter.

as if / as thoughExamples:Betty talked about the contest as if she had won the grand prize.Jeff looked as is he had seen a ghost.He looked as though he had run ten miles.

as if / as thoughIf the conjunction as if and as though indicate something that may have happen (real), the previous rules do not apply.

Examples:He looks as if he has finished the test. (Perhaps he has finished the test.)He looked as though he was leaving. (Perhaps he was leaving).

hope / wishThe verb hope is used to indicate something that possibly happened or will possibly happen. It can be followed by any tense.The verb wish is used to indicate something that definitely did not happen or definitely will not happen. This verb MUST NOT be followed by any present tense verb or present tense auxiliary.

Examples:

We hope that they will come. (We dont know if they are coming).We wish that they could come. (They are not coming).We hope that they came yesterday (We dont know if they came)We wish that they had come yesterday. (They didnt come yesterday.)I wish that I had had money to buy bluechip-stocks when the stock market was down.I wish I were smart.

Wish is very similar to unreal conditionPresent unreal condition:If I were rich, I would be very happy

Present wish: I wish I were rich

Past unreal condition: If you had worked hard last year, you would not have been here this semester.

Past wish: I wish that you had worked hard last year.

Future wishExamples:We wish that you could come tonight.I wish that you would stop saying that.She wishes that she were coming with us.

Present wishExamples:

I wish that I had enough time to finish my project.I wish that I were smart enough to go to Harvard.They wish that they didnt have to go to class during Ramadan.

Past wishExamples:

I wish that I had finished my report last week.She wishes that she could have finished her Ph.D. last summer.We wish that we had had more time last night.

Past time habitWould can also be used to indicate past time habit.

Examples:

When I was in graduate school, I would be in a library until midnight.When she were young, she would spend her weekends in a beauty salon.

Past time habitused to means the same as would in this usage.It can never be use to.When David was young, he used to swim once a day.John is used to swimming every day.John got used to swimming every day.The program director used to write his own letters.George is used to eating at 7:00 pm.We got used to cooking our own food when we were in college.The man is used to reading his newspaper in the morning.

would ratherWould rather means the same as prefer.Would rather must be followed by a verb, while prefer may or may not be followed by a verb.Would rather is followed by than when two things are mentioned, but prefer is followed by to.John would rather drink Coca-Cola than orange juice.John prefers drinking Coca-Cola to drinking orange juice.John prefers Coca-Cola to orange juice.

Present

Past

John would rather go to class tomorrow than today.John would rather have gone to class yesterday than today.

Present Subjunctive

Present contrary to factI would rather that you call me tomorrow.We would rather that he take a bus.I would rather that you all worked hard for this class.The farmers would rather that it were rainy season these months.His parents would rather that he studied at Harvard.

Past contrary to factHis parents would rather that he had enrolled at Harvard last year.The farmers would rather that it had rained last month.I would rather that you all had worked hard for this class.

Negation with would ratherExamples:

John would rather not go to class tomorrow.John would rather not have gone to class yesterday.John would rather that you not call him tomorrow.

Contrary to fact sentencesPresent: use didnt + [verb in simple form]Past: use hadnt + [verb in past participle]

Examples:John would rather stay home tonight.We would rather that you call tonight.Mayra would rather drink coffee than Coke.Ricardo would rather not be here.Ritsuko would rather that we didnt leave nowHenry would rather that his sister didnt work in the same department as he does.John would rather that Jill had nor gone to Mexico last week.

Would likeOften used in invitationsIt can also mean wantIncorrect to say Do you like ? To invite somebody to do something.

Examples:Would you like to dance with me?I would like to visit JapanWe would like to order now, please.The president would like to be re-elected.Smart kids would like to study Medicine at John Hopkins University.Would you like to go hiking this weekend?

Could / May / Might