C4: Verbs: Modals
C4: Verbs: Modals: Use modal auxiliaries (can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would) correctly with verbs to communicate the appropriate mood and tense. See Writing for Success Section 5.6 pp. 207-211 or the following: http://esl.fis.edu/grammar/rules/modal.htm
Ability:
I can carry all the groceries up the stairs.
Sam could have taken eighteen credits last semester.
Possibility:
The Hendersons may move out of the neighborhood.
Sarah might have been drinking too much coffee that morning.
Necessity:
Students must schedule time to complete their homework.
It must have been below freezing last night since the plants are dead.
Expectation or Advisement:
Mark should not be late for any more classes.
The wedding should have been held in grandma’s backyard.
Intention:
The town council shall invite all the taxpayers to the gala.
Debra shall be known as the Queen of the Heartland.
Speculation:
I would fix the fence if I knew where to buy the right nails.
I would have built the smokehouse right next to the shed.