In Conditionals^x, Modals^x

Hi, 1. Does the use of "would have left" correct in this context? Hi, we are making a list of people who will be volunteering to fill the time spots for next Monday. The time spots to fill are between 8 in the morning to 5 in the afternoon. You don't need to fill the time spot after...

I don't think "need to" is more polite than "must." You must purchase your transit pass before your board the train. You must purchase your transit pass before you board the train. You must show the librarian your library card to use the computers. You need to show the...

Hi, You wrote this in your response to the original query: will . It's the future of the present. Not would . That's the future of the past. Tomorrow, though, you can say: Yesterday I sent an e-mail to my lead, saying that I would work on task Y. What do you mean by what you...

. When we could afford it , we would get take-out fried chicken.-- This is fine 2nd conditional . Can we use the modal both in the if-clause and main clause for these what look to be first conditionals?-- It is sometimes possible if the 'could' is being used as the polite form of...

Is this a second conditional? I think in second conditional, the tense in the if-clause should be in the past tense and does the modal qualifies as that in the second conditional? When we could afford, we would get take-out fried chicken. Can we use the modal both in the if-clause and main...

Sorry, I forgot to ask you this: Can you tell me how does this use of the modal "would" work: the future of the past? I am trying very hard to understand the whole point but it is not easy. I think you said "Request" is a subcategory of the conditional use of...

Thank you. Your explanation makes much sense, yet demands more time to go over. You said: Your examples (below) are all cases of the conditional usage with one or more implicit conditions. The use of would is the signal that the fulfillment of the condition(s) is not currently in effect or not...

I think the basic functions of would are the habitual past, the future of the past, and the conditional. Requests (or asking permission) is a subcategory of the conditional use. Semantically, these are conditionals. Pragmatically, they can be requests if framed as questions. Both are...

Hi, How could a person use the modal "would" correctly? I think the uses of it can be said to be in the categories of "request", "invitation", "conditional" and others. What I have most trouble is the conditional use of the modal "would". Would...

Hi, I felt C could have been the right answer. The reason (I feel it could be faulty) is that if the situation involves a son and a father and the son happens to be new to the city and doesn't know where is where, and upon coming back somehow after a walkabout (?), his father says this. one...