Search results for 'tag:Clauses tag:Modals' matching tags 'Clauses' and 'Modals'

Re: Use of modal 'could' in conditional sentences

Mister Micawber — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:41:52 GMT

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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 'can', not the past, like this:

When/If you can afford it, could you lend me some money?
When/If I have some money, I could lend you some.
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Use of modal 'could' in conditional sentences

Anonymous — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 06:20:36 GMT

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 clause for these what look to be first conditionals?

When/If you could afford, can you lend me some money?

When/If I have some money, I could lend you some money.

Re: please help

richard_s — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:13:58 GMT

Due to is a preposition, so the first clause should be a prepositional phrase (remember that you can't use modals in prepositional phrases, so you will have to change cannotÂ to not be able to. Â The verb in the clause needs to be in gerund form. You need a comma after the prepositional phrase, not a semicolon. Â

There are only 50% good included 500pcsÂ doesn't make sense. Â Probably included should be including, but I am not sure what this sentence means.

Re: Tenses on the sentence

CalifJim — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 02:42:36 GMT

Anonymous
Do the modals 'should' and 'might' have any sense of the past? I think they are all present in their implications.

Yes, they do have a sense of the past. Modals in subordinate clauses often take on the characteristics of the time frame set up by the main clause.

The teachers gave these orders:

If anyone finds the answer, he should (at the time of finding) notify the teachers so that they may verify it.

Backshifted:

The teachers had given these orders:

If anyone found the answer, he should (at the time of finding) notify the teachers so that they might verify it.

Thus:

had given is the backshift of gave; found, of finds; should, of should; might, of may. (should is its own backshift.)

_____

Your second example works the same way. The only difference I notice is the addition of a different kind of should in the if clause -- "evaluative should", not the "advisability should" seen in other places in your two examples.

_____

Uses of should are sometimes somewhat indeterminate in tense, and other tenses in the sentence have to be used as clues.

Re: versatile uses of modal verb "would"?

Anonymous — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 05:40:32 GMT

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 likely to come into effect.

It would be good to have a sister. (but I don't have a sister)

I would go for that idea. (but no one has seriously proposed it yet)

It would take more than two years. (but it has not yet been undertaken)

As far as I understand it, a conditional is a statement that is predicated on the fulfillment of the condition stated in the if-clause, but it seems difficult to follow what you are saying by "The use of would is the signal that the fulfillment of the condition(s) is not currently in effect or not likely to come into effect."

Oh... now, I think I got it, are you saying the above sentences have conditions to meet but those have not currently come into realization or not likely to come about any time soon.?

So, it could be said for the first one of the three examples:

It would be good to have a sister (a possible condition: if you asked me; could it be any other possible condtion? on second thoughts, a more possible conditional if-clause would be "if I could have have a sister" Confused... Would you say we can get the conditional if-clause most times by looking at overall context?) (but I don't have a sister)

versatile uses of modal verb "would"?

Anonymous — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 02:56:35 GMT

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 you say all these show the conditional use (with the if-clauses being absent, which could be derived from context explicitly or implicitly)?

It would be good to have a sister.
I would go for that idea.
It would take more than two years.

If I am right, what poses difficulty next is knowing whether the questions parts pose different categories than the answer parts.

Permission in question part:
Would you mind passing me the salt?
Conditional in answer part:
No, I would mind passing you the salt at all

If you have only the answer part, the obvious elliped part would be "if you asked me". Right?

Request in question part:
Would you pass the pepper please?
Conditioal in answer part:
Sure, I would pass the pepper to you.

If you have only the answer part, the obvious ellipted part would be "if you asked me." Right?

Re: is this conditional possible?

CalifJim — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 18:07:42 GMT

Anonymous
tell me if we could have the modal 'would' after an if-clause in present tense

You will see it and hear it from time to time, but the canonical form is with the if-clause in the past, as Mr. M. has illustrated above.

is this conditional possible?

Anonymous — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:30:30 GMT

Hi,

Please tell me if we could have the modal 'would' after an if-clause in present tense.

If you make some cookies, I should/would be happy/delighted.

reporting on permanent, on-going, or relevant content

Anonymous — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 22:51:00 GMT

Hi,
1. Would you say if a person is reporting on a content that is permanent, on-going, or relevant in content nature, the reporting word could be both present and past and also, do you feel both present and past tenses are OK in the that-clause?

He said/says his house is/was in Chicago.
He said/says his favorite hobby is/was playing chess.

2. Do you feel all three ar OK? Or just the modal 'would'? I think this deals with intentions and am not sure an intention can be said to be that of on-gong in nature.

His utterance: "I want/will go to the party tomorrow"

He said that he will/would/wants go to that party tommorrow.

3. we are not sure if his house is in Chicago for some reason for a number one exam ple, would you say, what I would call a reporting word should be in present tense?

His utterance: "My house is in Chicago"
He says his house in Chicago at yesterday's party.

Re: same conditional?

Anonymous — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 06:14:21 GMT

Thank you so much. This is your response in a thread named "conditional."

You said:

You have another post on nearly the same subject. See my answer there.

They are mixed conditionals, and they are very awkward.

If I am not mistaken, you seem to have said the examples given there are mixed condtionals and the examples there and here seem to be pretty similar in terms of structures. Why did you say "wrong" here and said "very awkward" there? I think it is a common knowledge that a mixed conditional can be established by mixing an imagined (could it be a real event??) in the past with its present result.

Also, I saw something like this, is this correct? I think it is rare to the modal "would" in the if-clause.

Take it if you would like to have it.

Why not make it a first conditional like this?

Take it if you like to have it.