By Auxiliaries, Modal auxiliaries

Thank you to all those who have posted their suggestions to my little imagination game. Some have taken it very seriously thinking they would have to relearn English after the 'changes'. This was meant to be just a game, not for those wo take everything seriously, and of course in this game...

Milky wrote:<The easy one first: #3 is wrong; two modal auxiliaries cannot co-occur.> Where are the two modal auxiliaries there?Guess MM's talking about the 2 woulds: 3) If you would have arrived sooner, you would have missed the train. Anyway, one can't normally have would in...

<The easy one first: #3 is wrong; two modal auxiliaries cannot co-occur.> Where are the two modal auxiliaries there?

The easy one first: #3 is wrong; two modal auxiliaries cannot co-occur. Change to: if you had arrived sooner, you would have missed the train. (By the way, the meaning seems odd; I would have thought: if you had arrived later, you would have missed the train.Now, #1 and #2: This one...

A grammar book I use lists the following as the modal auxiliaries:can/couldmay-mightwill/wouldshall/shouldmust oughtand the following as modal-like auxiliaries:had betterhave gotget (to) have (to)be ablebe supposedbe boundI've never heard of usedn't, or You do not ought to stop smoking. I would...

Inchoateknowledge wrote:there are some oddities I have just dug up in a grammar book and in which you might be interested:Marginal modal auxiliaries:used to, ought to, need, dareused to:He usedn't to smoke.He did not use to smoke.He used to drink, did he not.Did he use to drink?ought to:Ought I...

there are some oddities I have just dug up in a grammar book and in which you might be interested: Marginal modal auxiliaries: used to, ought to, need, dare used to: He usedn't to smoke. He did not use to smoke. He used to drink, did he not. Did he use to drink? ought...

Inchoateknowledge wrote:"This is the only form you need fill in" I saw it in a grammar book. Why is it correct? I believe 'need' can only be used this way as modal auxiliary verb when in non-affirmative structures. Is this structure a such one? I do not think so. You are right in your...

"This is the only form you need fill in" I saw it in a grammar book. Why is it correct? I believe 'need' can only be used this way as modal auxiliary verb when in non-affirmative structures. Is this structure a such one? I do not think so.

A. The present perfect in the passive: A new house has been built. Two new houses have been built.B. The perfect infinitive in the passive: The perfect infinitive is usually used with a defective auxiliary (also known as a modal auxiliary). The defective auxiliaries are can, could;...