Hi Pleasehelp, The usage on and explanations on the modals have been discussed many times. Google "modals". I think the basic explanations can be found quite easily. Is could the past tense of can? What other uses can could

I am curious if the following would also be right: "We need dance." No. In its modal usage, need requires a non-assertive context, for example, a question or negation. Therefore, the assertive form requires the non-modal usage of need ,

Hi pleasehelp In your sentence, "have been" is what is known as a perfect infinitive . There are some other threads here that discuss perfect infinitives. Here are a few of them:

with regards to snow falling and Mister Micawber's response. You wrote 2 is more likely than 3 but how ability and skill (which are human/animal characteristics) refer to snow?? Sunday roast. Look at the context. It is quite clear

* Can I eat my lunch here? - 5 (To me it sounds that the person is asking for permission. -- Yes . But this could also be no.7, as the person could be making a request. Is there anyway to tell?-- I see no difference in meaning between 5 and 7 here

Thank you. You wrote/corrected (with your comment): 2. This seminar could prove beneficial to those who haven't attended a school in the past. -- In the right context you could say this but as a standalone sentence the article

Is it correct to use the modal verb "would" in what looks seems to be a first conditional sentence? ... I am uneasy about using the modal verb "would" in the main clause if the if-clause is in the present tense. It's

Hello all, I have read that the verb "need" can be used in modal form only in the present tense. This makes me wonder in what tense it is in the following passage from "Jekyl and Hyde": «The letter was written in an odd,

I agree with Planet Hopper on this one. Both choices are valid depending on the context.

Would you say there is no difference ... I can't possibly think of all the sentences that might be possible with those words, so no, I wouldn't say there is no difference. There may be a difference I'm not aware of. Maybe it's just