By Modals

"a form of the past tense" doesn't make sense to me. There is only one form of the past tense. I think you mean "a past tense form".Here are the forms of the modals. (Recall that this does not mean that they are used only in these tenses.)Present: will, shall, can,...

Hi,I was looking for help on the Englishpage.com website on its Modal Verb Tuturial on the modal verb 'can' and seem to have found that they use categories to explain the various uses of 'can'. One category is 'can' as 'opportunity' -- and gave this example:I have...

>In the Englishpage.com website in its Modal Verb Tutorial section, of all the list functions of the modal 'could', I could not find anything that said 'ability' although it had the 'past ability' category. Why is that? Always post the link, so we don't have to...

Hi,Since I wrote a complement of a sort, which still stands firmly, I came to have one more question.In the Englishpage.com website in its Modal Verb Tutorial section, of all the list functions of the modal 'could', I could not find anything that said 'ability' although it had the...

Sometimes it is difficult to choose 'can' or 'could' in the 'possibilty' departement (if this is the right word to use in this context).Also, how can you see which one to use in this example for the 'can' and 'could' 'possibility' department? ...

Hi,I have trouble with the modal verbs 'can' and 'could' in some of their functional capacities. I know that 'can' be used to denote possibility and ability like below:He can drive a truck. -- denote ability He can grow up to be a CEO. -- denotes possibility'Could'...

> So, the modal 'should' can function in the past-time settings as well as in the present-time settings?Yes. Most of the modals do that. They're are quite time-independent.

. Yes, we use 'had to' for past 'must' since the verb is imperfect-- it hasn't a past form for this use.Should after suggested, etc is a different should-- it is called putative-should, and is a mostly BrE equivalent of the subjunctive:He suggested that I go to church...

Thank you. So, the modal 'should' can function in the past-time settings as well as in the present-time settings? I think I heard from someone that a past form of 'should' is 'had to'. On a second thought, I think I have heard something to the effect that the past form...

.He said you should give him the watch.This is reported speech. 'That' is optional here and usually is.