The sequence of tenses
217 Subordinate clauses A sentence can contain a main clause and one or more subordinate clauses. A subordinate clause is a group of words containing a subject and verb and forming part of a sentence: We knew that the bridge WUB unaafe. He gave it to me because he trusted me. He ran foster than […]
The future
198 Future forms There are several ways of expressing the future in English. The forms are listed below and will be dealt with in the order in which they are given. Students should study them in this order, as otherwise the relationship between them will not be dear. (a) The simple present (see 199) (b) […]
The past and perfect tenses
I The simple past tense 175 Form A The simple past tense in regular verbs is formed by adding ed to the infinitive: Infinitive: to work Simple past: worked Verbs ending in e add d only: Infinitive: to love Simple past: loved The same form is used for all persons: / worked you worked he […]
The present tenses
There are two present tenses in English: The present continuous: I am working. The simple present: I work. The present continuous m 164 Form The present continuous tense is formed with the present tense of the auxiliary verb be + the present participle: A Affirmative Negative Interrogative I am working you are working he/she/it is […]
The auxiliaries dare and used
161 dare i A In the affirmative dare is conjugated like an ordinary verb, i.e. dart/dares in the present, dared in the past. But in the negative and interrogative it can be conjugated either like an ordinary verb or like an auxiliary, i.e. it is a semi-modal. Negative: present do/does not dare dare/dares not past […]
Must, have, will and should
[’ for deduction and assumption 156 mu»t used for deduction A Forms Present must + present infinitive: He must live here, or must + continuous infinitive: He must be living ken. Past must + perfect infinitive: He must have lived here, or must + continuous perfect infinitive: He must Have been living here. Note the […]
Ought, should, must, have to,
need for obligation 139 ought: forms ought is a modal verb (see 107 B). The same form can be used for present and future and for the past when preceded by a verb in a past tense or followed by a perfect infinitive: I ought to unite to him today/tomorrow. I knew I ought to […]
Can and be able for ability
136 can and be able: forms can is used here in conjunction with be + the adjective able, which supplies the missing parts of can and provides an alternative form for the present and past tense. We have therefore the following forms: Infinitive: to be able Past participle: been able Affirmative Negative Interrogative Future will/shall […]
May and can for permission and possibility
Permission 127 may used for permission: forms may for aD persons in the present and future. might in the conditional and after verbs in a past tense. Negative: may not/mayn’t, might not/mightn’t Interrogative: may I? might I? etc. Negative interrogative: may 1 not/mayn’t I? might I not/mightn’t I? etc. Other forms are supplied by allow, […]
Be have Do
be as an auxiliary verb . 13 Form and use in the formation of tenses A Form Principal parts: be, was, been Gerund/present participle: being Present tense: 11 be, have, do B Use to form tenses be is used in continuous active forms: He is working/will be working etc., and in all passive forms: He […]