| Meaning
| Forms of the MV
| Forms of the infinitive
| Kinds of sentences
| Some other ways of expressing the same meaning
| Sentence patterns
|
| 1. Ability, capability
| can (can’t) – the Present Tense
could (couldn’t) – the Past Tense
| Indefinite Infinitive
| affirmative
interrogative
negative
| to be able to, to know how to do smth, to have the ability to do smth.
| He can perform complicated operations. He is a very skilful surgeon. Can she swim well? He could not feel or hear anything.
|
| 2. Possibility due to circumstances
| can (can’t) – the Present Tense
could (couldn’t) – the Past Tense
| Indefinite Infinitive
| affirmative
interrogative
negative
| to be able to, it’s possible to do smth
| At a chemist’s shop you can get medicines of all kinds. I can go to the seaside this summer if I have enough money.
|
| 3.
a)Permission
b) Request
c)Prohibition
| can– the Present Tense
could– the Past Tense in Reported Speech
can
could(a polite request)
can’t
|
Indefinite Infinitive
Indefinite Infinitive
Indefinite Infinitive
|
affirmative
interrogative
negative
|
to permit, to be allowed
|
The doctor said: “You can take long walks early in the morning”
Can (could) you give me some medicine for my headache?
You can’t visit him, he has an infectious disease.
|
| 4. Unreality
| could –the Subjunctive II Form
| The Indefinite Infinitive refers the action to the present or future.
The Perfect Infinitive indicates the action which was not carried out in the past
| affirmative
interrogative
negative
| would be able to do smth;
would have been able to do smth
| Why don’t you want the doctor to come? He could prescribe some medicine to bring down the fever (if he came).
You could have stayed in bed for a few days. But you didn’t.
|
| 5. Uncertainty, doubt, astonishment
| can/could
| The Indefinite Infinitive refers the action to the present or future.
The Continuous Infinitive refers the action to the present.
The Perfect Infinitive refers the action to the past.
The Perfect Continuous Infinitive denotes an action begun in the past and continued into the moment of speaking
| interrogative (general questions)
| Is it possible that …?
Do you believe that …?
| Can (could) he be her husband?
He is twice as old as she is.
|
|
| Can (could)she still be running a high temperature?
Can (could)he have been operated on?
Can (could)they have been keeping to a diet for a few years?
|
| 6. Incredulity, improbability
| can’t/
couldn’t
| Indefinite Infinitive
Continuous Infinitive
Perfect Infinitive
Perfect Continuous Infinitive
| negative
| It’s hardly possible that; I refuse to believe that; I don’t think it’s possible that; it’s next to impossible that; I don’t believe that; I doubt that; It’s incredible (doubtful) that
| He can’t (couldn’t) be her husband.
She can’t (couldn’t) be still running a high temperature.
He can’t (couldn’t) have been operated on.
They can’t (couldn’t) have been keeping to a diet for a few years.
|
| 7. For emotional colouring
| can/could(in present time contexts)
| Indefinite Infinitive
Continuous Infinitive
Perfect Infinitive
Perfect Continuous Infinitive
| interrogative
(special questions)
|
| What can (could) you know of such things?
What can (could) they be speaking about?
How can (could) you have made such a mistake?
What can (could) he have been doingall this time?
|
| Meaning
| Forms of the MV
| Forms of the infinitive
| Kinds of sentences
| Some other ways of expressing the same meaning
| Sentence patterns
|
| 1.
a) Permission
b) Request
c) Prohibition
| a) may– the Present Tense
b) might– the Past Tense
a) may– the Present Tense
b) might– the Past Tense
c) might– the Subjunctive II Form
may not
|
Indefinite Infinitive
Indefinite Infinitive
Indefinite Infinitive
|
affirmative
interrogative
negative
|
to be permitted,
to be allowed
|
a) I have got two historical novels. So you may take one of them.
b) Mother said you might take some oranges.
a) May I see him in the hospital on Tuesday?
b) He asked me if he might rest for an hour.
c) Might I spend the weekend with you?
- May I have a look at the picture?
- No, you may not. I don’t want you to.
|
| 2. Possibility due to circumstances
| a) may– the Present Tense
b) might– the Past Tense
| Indefinite Infinitive
| affirmative
|
| a) Let’s meet at five o’clock at the post-office if the place and time are convenient to everybody. We may get there by bus.
b) He said he might get to work by the Metro.
|
| 3. Unreality
| might– the Subjunctive II Form
| Perfect Infinitive
| affirmative
|
| If he had arrived an hour earlier, he might have had a good night’ rest.
Luckily I didn’t join them in their walk. It was very windy and I might have caught cold.
|
| 4. Disapproval or reproach
| might– the Subjunctive II Form
| Indefinite Infinitive
Perfect Infinitive
| affirmative
|
| Your child is shivering with cold. You might be more attentive to him. Tell him to put on his jacket.
You answered his invitation with cold refusal. You might have invitedme to this lecture.
|
| 5. Supposition implying uncertainty, doubt
| may/might
| Indefinite Infinitive
Continuous Infinitive
Perfect Infinitive
Perfect Continuous Infinitive
| affirmative
negative
|
| She looks pale. She may (might) be ill, but I think she may/might not have a high temperature.
I think the doctor may/might be examining the patient now.
Nick is missing today. He may/might have been taken ill.
She may have been staying in bed for a week.
|
| Meaning
| Forms of the MV
| Forms of the infinitive
| Kinds of sentences
| Some other ways of expressing the same meaning
| Sentence patterns
|
| 1. Necessity
| need
| Indefinite Infinitive
|
affirmative
(not typical)
interrogative
| necessary
| Need I answer the question?
|
| 2. Absence of necessity
| needn’t
| 1. Indefinite Infinitive
2. Perfect Infinitive (expresses an action which was performed though it was necessary)
| negative
| There is no need to do it.
It’s not necessary to do it.
There is no necessity to do it.
| The teacher needn’t explain such simple things. The pupils know them.
We needn’t have brought our grammar books today. We are having a class in phonetics instead.
|
| Notes
|
| 1. When rendering in Russian “íå íóæíî áûëî” use “needn’t have done” to show that the action was performed though it was not necessary. Use “didn’t have to do” to indicate that the action was not performed as there was no obligation. e.g.: He needn’t have bought the book (but he did). It is available at the library. I didn’t have to buy the textbook (and I didn’t) as I had it at home.
2. In negative sentences negation is not always associated with the verb “need”, it may be found elsewhere in the sentence, e.g.: I don’t think we need continue our talk. They need hardly discuss the problem again.
|
