http://www.englishforums.com/English/FrequentlyAskedEnglishQuestions-AnswersArchivedPosts/Forum31.htmArea designed to store the most commonly asked questions and their accepted answers.enXMOD (Build: 3607.32596)http://www.englishforums.com/English/ConditionalWithModalVerbs/2/mghl/Post.htm#61886Sun, 22 Mar 2009 03:18:38 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:61886jack1120http://www.englishforums.com/English/ConditionalWithModalVerbs/2/mghl/Post.htm#61886http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments31-61886.xmlThank you very much. You've been very helpful.http://www.englishforums.com/English/ConditionalWithModalVerbs/2/mghl/Post.htm#61516Sun, 22 Feb 2009 03:18:38 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:61516CalifJim1http://www.englishforums.com/English/ConditionalWithModalVerbs/2/mghl/Post.htm#61516http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments31-61516.xmlI was trying to show you the most typical uses. You can probably find all possible combinations somewhere. Without writing an entire book or two on the subject, it would be impossible to discuss them all. When reporting speech, you can use the present introduced by the past if what you are reporting is "timelessly" true. You can , but you don't have to. If it is simply a fact that such-and-such is illegal, you can say "He said that it is illegal". But you'll be correct with the standard tense matching as well: "He said that it was illegal". Note that "He is going to the party" is not a "timeless" or "eternal" truth, but if said quite soon after he said, "I can go to the party" or if said before the party has even taken place...http://www.englishforums.com/English/ConditionalWithModalVerbs/2/mghl/Post.htm#61457Sun, 22 Feb 2009 03:18:38 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:61457jack1122http://www.englishforums.com/English/ConditionalWithModalVerbs/2/mghl/Post.htm#61457http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments31-61457.xmlIs this wrong? If so, how can I repair it? 1. Why would she do that if I don't even talk to her. He said that he go to the party Are these correct? If not, why? What do they mean? 2. He said he can go to the party. (Why can't I use 'can' here?) 3. He said you needed some help. 4. He said you need some help. (Why is this incorrect?) 5. He said that is illegal. (Is this correct? Why isn't #2 correct as well?) 6. He said that was s illegal. He says that he go to the party. He said that he go to the party. How come I don't need quotation marks for the two sentences above?http://www.englishforums.com/English/ConditionalWithModalVerbs/2/mghl/Post.htm#61208Thu, 22 Jan 2009 03:18:38 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:61208jack1123http://www.englishforums.com/English/ConditionalWithModalVerbs/2/mghl/Post.htm#61208http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments31-61208.xmlThanks.http://www.englishforums.com/English/ConditionalWithModalVerbs/2/mghl/Post.htm#61128Thu, 22 Jan 2009 03:18:38 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:61128zed4http://www.englishforums.com/English/ConditionalWithModalVerbs/2/mghl/Post.htm#61128http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments31-61128.xmlhalla i think that u r tribble and confuse..be polite.. CAN we use can (do) to say that something is possible or that someone has the ability to do something. the negative is can't ( cannot) ex.. you can see the ocean from our bedroom window..it's a nagitive can you speak any foreign languages? ... it's a qustion i'm a fraid i can't come to your party next frieday... it's nagtive. WOULD:" we use would or can when we ask someone to do somthing...we also use could to ask somone to do something'' ex. would u wait here, please? to ask for someone ypu can say Can i have ...could i have ... may i have... we also use can, could or amy to ask permission to do something...but to give permission we use can or may but not could.. also we...http://www.englishforums.com/English/ConditionalWithModalVerbs/2/mghl/Post.htm#61108Sun, 22 Mar 2009 03:18:38 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:61108CalifJim5http://www.englishforums.com/English/ConditionalWithModalVerbs/2/mghl/Post.htm#61108http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments31-61108.xmlIt's not always clear what is grammatical and what is ungrammatical. Sometimes it depends on which author you read. In your place I would not use this kind of combination of tenses. I believe most authors would say it's possible but not standard. This means they consider it grammatical, but not the best way to express it. 1 uses "could" to mean "may" or "might", i.e., "It might be anyone" = "It is possible that it is anyone". I would not consider this part of a conditional structure, no. (However, the form "could" can be thought of as a conditional form when used as such, as in "If I were taller, I could (would be able to) touch the ceiling".) 2 is more like volitional "would" ("Why would I want to lie?"), but also has aspects of...http://www.englishforums.com/English/ConditionalWithModalVerbs/2/mghl/Post.htm#61096Wed, 22 Apr 2009 02:18:39 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:61096jack1126http://www.englishforums.com/English/ConditionalWithModalVerbs/2/mghl/Post.htm#61096http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments31-61096.xmlThanks. Your original 1 and 2 are "mixed" stuctures: "would" mixed with "can". These are possible in casual conversations. Some people do speak that way. However, I recommend learning to recognize it when you hear it, but not "mixing" when you speak or write -- at least not until you gain more experience with these structures. Could you give me some examples of when would I use 'mixed' structures? Also, so these are not grammatically correct in formal writing? What do you mean by some people do speak that way? Is it ungrammatical? These are not conditional right? 1. It could be anyone. (How come this doesn't have to be conditional?) 2. Why would I lie? (Except for this one? This one is conditional?) What do they...http://www.englishforums.com/English/ConditionalWithModalVerbs/2/mghl/Post.htm#61079Sun, 22 Feb 2009 03:18:39 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:61079CalifJim7http://www.englishforums.com/English/ConditionalWithModalVerbs/2/mghl/Post.htm#61079http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments31-61079.xml"would" usually implies a conditional, even if it's not stated explicitly. The standard versions of these four are: 1. That would be cool if you could do that. 2. It would be nice of you if you could do that. 3. That will be cool if you can do that. 4. It will be nice of you if you can do that. 1 and 2 are more polite, but 3 and 4 are not by any means impolite. 1 and 2 indicate that the speaker is less certain that he will get what he wants. 3 and 4 indicate that the speaker is more confident that he will get what he wants. In 1 and 2, the speaker is trying to get something that he wants. In 3 and 4, the same thing happens, but it gives the impression that someone has already offered something to the speaker, and the...http://www.englishforums.com/English/ConditionalWithModalVerbs/mghl/post.htm#61078Wed, 22 Apr 2009 02:18:39 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:61078maverick888http://www.englishforums.com/English/ConditionalWithModalVerbs/mghl/post.htm#61078http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments31-61078.xmlI've studied in the school that first conditional goes like that: #1 If you call I will go And nothing else can be possible #2 If you called I would go #3 If you had called I would have gone Isn't it right?http://www.englishforums.com/English/ConditionalWithModalVerbs/mghl/post.htm#61069Thu, 22 Jan 2009 03:18:39 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:61069jack1129http://www.englishforums.com/English/ConditionalWithModalVerbs/mghl/post.htm#61069http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments31-61069.xmlThanks for the clear explanation. Are these correct? If not, why? For these ones, how does 'would' work? How come it doesn't need to be conditional? 1. That would be cool if you can do that. (Why isn't 'would' 'will'?) 2. It would be nice of you if you can do that. (Why isn't 'would' 'will'?) What do these mean? 3. That will be cool if you can do that. 4. It will be nice of you if you can do that.http://www.englishforums.com/English/ConditionalWithModalVerbs/mghl/post.htm#61051Sun, 22 Mar 2009 03:18:39 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:61051CalifJim10http://www.englishforums.com/English/ConditionalWithModalVerbs/mghl/post.htm#61051http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments31-61051.xmlRemember: The negative of "can" is an exception. It is written as one word: cannot. 3,4. "... could not be used ..." vs. "... cannot be used ..." The first (3.) is weaker; the second (4.) is stronger. 3. It would not be possible to use 'would' here. You can add: "even if you tried". or It was not possible to use 'would' here. You can add: "even though I tried". 4. "would" is not correct here. or "would" does not make sense here. or "would" must not be used here. 5. He says that he would do it (if we asked him politely - but maybe not otherwise). 6. He says that he will do it (for sure - he promises) CJhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/ConditionalWithModalVerbs/mghl/post.htm#61049Fri, 22 May 2009 02:18:39 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:61049CalifJim11http://www.englishforums.com/English/ConditionalWithModalVerbs/mghl/post.htm#61049http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments31-61049.xmlGood question. All modals are available for a statement with a single clause. So when you report what someone says in the present tense (he says, she says, ...), you don't change the words they used. "would" is available in a direct quote, so it is available in a present-tense report. Jonathan says, "What would you do if your car were stolen?" Henry says, "I would notify the police." Note: Henry leaves off "if my car were stolen". It is unnecessary to repeat it. Reporting Henry's statement we can have either of the following, depending on which tense we want to report in. If we say it right after hearing it, we will probably use the present tense. "Henry says that he would notify the police". We can add "if his car were...http://www.englishforums.com/English/ConditionalWithModalVerbs/mghl/post.htm#60947Sun, 22 Mar 2009 03:18:39 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:60947jack11212http://www.englishforums.com/English/ConditionalWithModalVerbs/mghl/post.htm#60947http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments31-60947.xmlThanks. How come I can use 'would' here? 1. He says that he go to the party. But 'would' cannot be used here: 2. If she has time, she go to the party. Are these correct? What do they mean? 3. 'Would' could not be used here. 4. "Would' can not be used here. What do these mean? 5. He says that he would do it. 6. He says that he willd do it.http://www.englishforums.com/English/ConditionalWithModalVerbs/mghl/post.htm#60941Fri, 22 May 2009 02:18:39 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:60941CalifJim13http://www.englishforums.com/English/ConditionalWithModalVerbs/mghl/post.htm#60941http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments31-60941.xmlAll correct. Look at the list again. With "if" statements, "could" is possible for both present and past in the "if" clause. But remember that "could" is a substitute for "may" in the case of the first two in the present. If you want to express that she is able to go (to the party), you will have to use "can". "go" by itself would indicate "leave the area", "leave the premises". This would not be a situation in which one would need to consider whether one has time, so the first and third sentences are slightly anomalous. However, they are not anomalous at all if they are intended to contain ellipsis of the destination already mentioned earlier in the conversation. Do you think she could go to the concert? Yes. If she has time, she...http://www.englishforums.com/English/ConditionalWithModalVerbs/mghl/post.htm#60928Wed, 22 Apr 2009 02:18:39 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:60928jack11214http://www.englishforums.com/English/ConditionalWithModalVerbs/mghl/post.htm#60928http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments31-60928.xmlThanks. That post is very helpful. What about this? 1. If she has time, she could go. (If 'could' is incorrect here, why?) 2. If she has time, she could go to the party. (This is correct right? Why is #2 correct and #1 is incorrec?) Are these correct? 3. If she had time, she could go. (If this is correct, why isn't #1 correct as well?) 4. If she had time she could go to the party.http://www.englishforums.com/English/ConditionalWithModalVerbs/mghl/post.htm#60914Fri, 22 May 2009 02:18:39 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:60914CalifJim15http://www.englishforums.com/English/ConditionalWithModalVerbs/mghl/post.htm#60914http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments31-60914.xmlStrictly speaking, the modals are not tensed. However, they developed historically from tensed verbs. Each group below shows a "historical present / past" pair. can / could shall / should will / would may / might must - not paired In modern English, any of these can be used in a single clause sentence, but when it occurs in just one of two or more clauses in the same sentence, it needs to be matched correctly with the tense in the other clause. Typically, when the accompanying clause is an "if" clause, the historical present tense forms go with present tense verbs, and historical past tense forms go with past tense verbs. However, "could" and "might", meaning "may" ("it is possible"), can be used with present tense verbs (as...http://www.englishforums.com/English/ConditionalWithModalVerbs/mghl/post.htmFri, 22 May 2009 02:18:39 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:60820jack11216http://www.englishforums.com/English/ConditionalWithModalVerbs/mghl/post.htmhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/comments31-60820.xmlWhy is #1 correct and #2 is incorrect? 1. If she has time, she could go to the party. 2. If she has time, she would go to the party. Are these correct? If not, why? What do they mean? 3. If she had time, she might go to the party. (This is correct? How come 'might' is not in past tense? How come 'might' is not 'would'? ) 4. If she had time, she can go to the party. (How come #3 is correct but #4 is not?) 5. If she had time, she should go to the party. (Is this correct? Why?)