Delia's English Hub

  Modal Verbs:   Modal verbs are a type of auxiliary verb that indicate modality, or the speaker’s attitude towards the action or state described by the main verb.    Some common modal verbs in English:   Can: expresses ability, possibility, or permission   Could: expresses past ability, possibility, or polite request   May: expresses possibility or permission   Might: expresses possibility or uncertainty   Must: expresses obligation or strong necessity   Should: expresses advice or recommendation   Would: expresses hypothetical situations, politeness, or habits in the past   We use modal verbs to add nuance and meaning to the sentence, such as indicating the level of certainty, obligation, or permission associated with the main verb.   Modal verbs can also affect the tense and mood of the sentence. It’s important to note that modal verbs do not have a separate third-person singular form (e.g., he can instead ...

  Modal Verbs: might     Might with the Indefinite Infinitive:   Might with the indefinite infinitive is used to express possibility or uncertainty in the present or future.   Examples: I might go to the gym later. (possibility)   He might need some help with his project. (uncertainty)   Might can also be used to make polite requests, similar to may.   Example: Might I borrow your pen, please?  (polite request)     Might with the Continuous tenses:   Might can be used with continuous tenses to express possibility or uncertainty over a period of time.   Examples: She might be studying for her exam right now. (possibility over a period of time)   They might be having trouble finding the restaurant. (uncertainty over a period of time)         Might in Negative form:   In negative form, might not is used to indicate that something is not possible or likely.   Examples: We might not be a...

  Modal Verbs: may   May with the Indefinite Infinitive:   May is used with the indefinite infinitive to express permission, possibility or probability in the present.   It can also be used to make polite requests.   Examples: You may leave the meeting early if you need to. (permission)   It may rain this afternoon. (possibility or probability)   May I borrow your pencil, please? (polite request)     May with the Continuous tenses:   May can be used with continuous tenses to express permission or possibility over a period of time.   Examples: I may be using the conference room all morning. (permission over a period of time)   He may be playing basketball right now. (possibility over a period of time)     May in negative form:   In negative form, may not is used to indicate that permission is not granted or something is prohibited.   Examples: You may not smoke in this building. (prohibition)   She ...

  Auxiliary Verbs:  Should and would     Should and would are both auxiliary verbs used in English grammar to indicate different meanings       Usage of Should:   Should is used to indicate:   Advice or recommendation   Necessity or obligation   Expectation or probability     For example: You should start studying for the exam now.   I should call my parents more often.   We should not waste water.         Usage of Would:   Would is used to indicate:   Past habits or repeated actions     Polite requests or invitations   Hypothetical situations     For example: When I was younger, I would always go to the beach on weekends.   Would you mind opening the window, please?   If I had more time, I would travel the world.         Should for hypothetical situations:   Should can also be used to express hypothetical situat...

Modal Verbs: could   Could with the Indefinite Infinitive:   Could can be used with the indefinite infinitive to express past actions.   When using could in this way, it usually indicates ability or possibility in the past.     Here is an example sentence:   He could play the piano when he was young.   The indefinite infinitive to play is used to indicate that the action is not specific or definite.         Could in indirect speech:   Here is another example that uses the same structure in indirect speech:   Direct speech: I could speak French when I was in high school.   Indirect speech: She said (that) she could speak French when she was in high school .   In this example , the verb speak follows the modal verb could and is in the base form because it is an indefinite infinitive.     The indirect speech is in the past tense because the original statement was made in the past.   The me...

Modal Verbs: can   Can is a modal verb that can be used to indicate ability, permission, or possibility. Here’s how it can be used in different tenses and forms:       Present tense:   Affirmative: Subject + can + base form of the verb (e.g., I can swim)   Negative: Subject + can’t (or cannot) + base form of the verb (e.g., I can’t swim)       Future tense:   Affirmative: Subject + will + be able to + base form of the verb (e.g., I will be able to swim)   Negative: Subject + won’t (or will not) + be able to + base form of the verb (e.g., I won’t be able to swim)       Indefinite infinitive passive:   Affirmative: can + be + past participle of the main verb (e.g., The door can be opened)   Negative: can’t (or cannot) + be + past participle of the main verb (e.g., The door can’t be opened)       Indefinite infinitive:   When can is used with the indefinite infinitive, it indicates t...

Modal Verbs: ought to   Ought to is a modal auxiliary verb that is used to express obligation or duty.   It is often used to suggest a moral or ethical obligation, rather than a legal obligation.   Here are some examples of how to use ought to:       Obligation in the present:   You ought to eat your vegetables if you want to stay healthy.   We ought to be more environmentally conscious and reduce our carbon footprint.       Obligation in the past:   I ought to have studied harder for my exam.   You ought to have called me before coming over.       Advisability:   He ought to take a break and get some rest.   She ought to consider taking a different approach to the problem.           Probability or likelihood:   It ought to stop raining soon.   They ought to arrive at the airport on time.     Note that ought to is followed by the base form of the ve...

Modal Verbs: need       Need as a Modal verb:   Need can function as a modal auxiliary verb when used in certain contexts, indicating a lack of necessity or obligation.   Here are some examples of how to use need:     Necessity and obligation:   You need to finish your homework before you can go out to play.   I need to get to the airport on time for my flight.         Lack of necessity and obligation (modal usage):   You needn’t worry about it. ( negative form of need indicating no obligation or necessity )   We needn’t have gone to the meeting. ( indicating that something was unnecessary in the past )     Polite requests (modal usage):   Need I remind you to take out the trash? ( indicating a polite request )   Need you leave so soon? ( indicating a polite request for someone to stay longer )     Note that when need is used as a modal verb , it is often followed by the base fo...

Modal Verbs: must     Must with the Indefinite Infinitive in the Present:   Must with the indefinite infinitive is used in the present to express a strong obligation, necessity or deduction.   Examples: I must study for my exam. (strong obligation)   You must be tired after working all day. (deduction based on evidence)   We must be at the airport by 6 am. (necessity)       Note: In negative form , must not is used to express a prohibition or obligation to not do something.     Example: You must not forget to bring your passport to the airport. (prohibition)       Must with  the Indefinite Infinitive in the Past:   Must with the indefinite infinitive can also be used in the past to express a strong obligation, necessity or deduction that was true in the past.   Examples: He must have forgotten his wallet at home. (deduction about the past)   They must have worked very hard to finish the proj...

Auxiliary verbs: shall and will   Shall and will are both auxiliary verbs used in English grammar to indicate the future tense.   However, they have slightly different meanings and uses.     Shall:   Shall is used with I and we to indicate a future action that is a promise or an intention.   For example: I shall arrive at the airport at 5 PM.   We shall discuss this matter at our next meeting.       Will:   Will is used with you , he, she, it, and they to indicate a future action that is a promise, an intention, or a prediction.   For example: You will receive your package tomorrow.   He will go to the store later today.   They will probably finish the project by Friday.     Shall for suggestion and offer:   Shall is also used in questions to make a suggestion or offer.   For example: Shall we go for a walk?   Shall I help you with your bags?       Will for off...

Modal Verbs: to be   To be can be used as a modal verb in certain situations, although it is not as common as other modal verbs like can, must, or should.   When to be is used as a modal verb , it is usually followed by an infinitive without to, and is used to express a sense of obligation or necessity.    Usage of to be for        (expressing obligation) We are to meet at the station at 3 PM.       (expressing necessity) He is to finish his project by Friday       (expressing expectation) The president is to make an announcement later today.     In these examples, to be is used as a modal verb to express an obligation, necessity, or expectation.   Note that to be is conjugated to match the subject of the sentence, and is followed by an infinitive without to.   To be and modal verbs: going to or will   To be can also be used in combination with other modal verbs like going to or will...

   Auxiliary verbs: to have     Some examples of to have as an auxiliary verb:     Present indefinite:   Affirmative: I have You have He/she/it has We have They have     Negative: I do not have or I don’t have You do not have or You don’t have He/she/it does not have or He/she/it doesn’t have We do not have or We don’t have They do not have or They don’t have     Question: Do I have? Do you have? Does he/she/it have? Do we have? Do they have?         Present continuous:   Affirmative: I am having You are having He/she/it is having We are having They are having     Negative: I am not having or I’m not having You are not having or You aren’t having He/she/it is not having or He/she/it isn’t having We are not having or We aren’t having They are not having or They aren’t having     Question: Am I having? Are you having? Is he/she/it having? Are we having? Are they having?     ...