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Content tagged with "certainty"

6 item(s) found.

Modals in the main clause of second conditional sentences

Instead of would here we can use could (permission or ability), might (certainty/uncertainty) or should (obligation).

If you were taller, you could play for the Lakers.
If you weren’t under 18, I should punish you.

Modals in the main clause of first conditional sentences

Instead of will here we can use may/might (certainty/uncertainty), may (permission), can (permission or ability) or must/should (obligation).

Modals expressing present and future possibility

In the case of present and future the concept of possibility is more or less the same as that of certainty/uncertainty, which is discussed on the page Modals expressing present and future certainty/uncertainty.

Modals expressing past certainty / uncertainty

To express past certainty, the same auxiliariesA helping verb used with main verbs to express mood, voice and tense. E.g.: I can't stand when I am disturbed. ("can", "am") are used as in the case of present and future certainty. However, the infinitives that follow are perfectThe aspect expressing completion. E.g.: He’s finished university. infinitives.

Modals expressing present and future certainty / uncertainty

Here we discuss structureThe way in which the parts of a sentence, clause or expression are arranged. E.g.: make somebody + infinitive in "The teacher made me rewrite the composition."s that show how certain the speaker is whether something happens or will happen. Between the two extremes (the first and the last sentence below) the order of the structures (might, may, could etc.) expresses a growing amount of certainty.

Certainty / uncertainty with modals

Here we discuss structureThe way in which the parts of a sentence, clause or expression are arranged. E.g.: make somebody + infinitive in "The teacher made me rewrite the composition."s which express how certain the speaker is whether something happened, happens or will happen.

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