WOULD

WOULD

Would is an auxiliary verb, a modal auxiliary verb. We use would mainly to:

·         talk about the past

·         talk about the future in the past

·         express the conditional mood

We also use would for other functions, such as:

·         espressing desire, polite request and questions, opinion or hope, wish and regret…

Affirmative: would	Neg: would not/ wouldn't	Interrogative Would ...?
I would speak English	I wouldn't say that	Would you come to the party?
You would understand soon	You won't be here tomorrow	Would you play chess with me?
He would go to Paris	He wouldn't go to Madrid	Would he study French?
That would be very exciting	It wouldn't be boring	Would she go out tonight?
It would be expensive	We wouldn't stay inside	Would it fly?
We would do that very easily	They wouldn't see me	Would they start tomorrow?
Everybody would see this	She wouldn't call anybody	Would I be with you?
We would be very tired	They wouldn't live here	Would they stay with us?

Affirmative
I You He She It We You They	would	go come work live speak ...

Negative
I You He She It We You They	would not wouldn't	go come work live speak ...

Interrogative
Wouldn't	I you he she it we you they	go ? come ? work ? live ? speak ? ...

MAY/MIGHT

May
May is a polite modal verb used to ask for permission.  Here
are some examples:

·         May I use a calculator on the test?

·         May I have another piece of cake?

The polite answers using may are as follows:

·         Yes, you may.

·         No, you may not.

Affirmative

• We may stay here for the night.
  
  
• Jack may be telling the truth.
  
  
• You may ask three questions.
  
  
• I may visit Susan on Monday.
  
  
• The road may be blocked.
  
  
• That may be a good idea.
  
  
• Carol may go when she finishes.
  
  

Negative

• Mr. Johnson may not remember anything.
  
  
• You may not leave the classroom without permission.
  
  
• I may not come next week.
  
  

Interrogative

• May I go to the bathroom?
  
  
• May you take this to Mr. Richards?
  
  

Might

"Might" is most commonly used to express possibility. It is also often used in conditional sentences. English speakers can also use "might" to make suggestions or requests, although this is less common in American English.

Affirmative: might	Negative: might not	Interrogative: Might...?
I might finish tomorrow	I might be resting tomorrow	Might I use your telephone?
You might be wrong	He might not be right	Might you tell me something?
He might go to Paris tomorow	They might not know that	Might I ask you a question?
That might be a mistake	It might not be so easy	Might I interrupt you?
It might be very raining	It might not be a good idea	Might we suggest something?
That might be a good sign	It might not be permitted	Might they come to my house?
She might give us a surprise	He might not want that	Might you call me later?

Affirmative
I You He She It We You They	might	go come work live speak ...

Negative
I You He She It We You They	might not	go come work live speak ...

Interrogative
Might	I you he she it we you they	go ? come ? work ? live ? speak ? ...

CAN/COULD

Can

Can is an auxiliary verb, a modal auxiliary verb. We use can to:

• talk about possibility and ability
• make requests
• ask for or give permission

Structure of Can

subject + can + main verb

The main verb is always the bare infinitive (infinitive without "to").

	subject	auxiliary verb	main verb
+	I	can	play	tennis.
-	He	cannot	play	tennis.
		can't
?	Can	you	play	tennis?

Could

Could is an auxiliary verb, a modal auxiliary verb. We use could to:

• talk about past possibility or ability
• make requests

Structure of Could

subject + could + main verb

The main verb is always the bare infinitive (infinitive without "to").

	subject	auxiliary verb	main verb
+	My grandmother	could	swim.
-	She	could not	walk.
		couldn't
?	Could	your grandmother	swim?