PAST FUTURE, MODALS, EITHER, NEITHER, BOTH and TOO

PAST FUTURE, MODALS,

EITHER, NEITHER, BOTH, and TOO
A. PAST FUTURE
Past Simple Future Tense is used to express the events that will occur in the past (not the present, as opposed
to simple future tense).
Form:

Positive Sentences
Negatif Sentences
S + Should/Would + be + S + Should/Would + not + be +

Introgative Sentences
Should/Would + S + be +

?
S + Should/Would + Verb I S + Should/Would + not + Verb I + Should/Would + S + Verb I +
+

?
S + Was/Were + going to + S + Was/Were + going to + Verb I Was/Were + going to + S +
Verb I +

Verb I + ?

Example:

1. (+) He should be in Banten next month

(-) He should not be in Banten next month
(?) Should he be in Banten next month ?
2. (+) I should be pick up when you arrive at the station tomorrow
(-) I should not be pick up when you arrive at the station tomorrow
(?) Should you be pick up when I arrive at the station tomorrow ?
3. (+) I would buy a new car.
(-) I would not buy a new car.
(?) Would you buy a new car?
4. (+) She would come to his house.
(-) She would not come to his house.
(?) Would she come to his house?
5. (+) You were going to go to the party.
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(-) You were not going to go to the party.

(?) Were going to you go to the party?
Uses of Past Future

Future in the Past is used to express the idea that in the past you thought something would happen in the
future. It does not matter if you are correct or not. Future in the Past follows the same basic rules as the Simple
Future. "Would" is used to volunteer or promise, and "was going to" is used to plan. Moreover, both forms can be
used to make predictions about the future.
Examples:

I told you he was going to come to the party. (Plan)

I knew Julie would make dinner. (Voluntary action)
Jane said Sam was going to bring his sister with him, but he came alone. (Plan)
I had a feeling that the vacation was going to be a disaster. (Prediction)
He promised he would send a postcard from Egypt. (Promise)
B. MODALS
Modal auxiliary verbs are used to moderate the main verb, that is to enhance or restrict the verb to a certain
context.

The most common modal auxiliaries in English are:

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PAST FUTURE, MODALS, EITHER, NEITHER, BOTH and TOO

Can

May

Might

Must

Could

Should

Will

Would

Notice the usage of modals in the following sentences:

I pay my taxes.

General declaration of fact. Paying taxes is something I

normally do.

I can pay my

Expresses ability. I have the means (funds) to pay.

taxes.
I might pay my

Expresses possibility, but not certainty. Maybe I will pay; maybe I won't.

taxes.
I will pay my

Expresses future intent. I resolve to do it at some later time.

taxes.
I should pay my

Expresses mild obligation. It is required, and I expect to comply.

taxes.
I could pay my

Expresses possibility. If I have nothing else to do with the money, I might pay

taxes.

taxes.
(In this case), expresses reservation. If I had the money (but I don't). . .

I would pay my
taxes.
I must pay my

Expresses strong obligation. I am required and have to comply.

taxes.

1. Can

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Use
Ability to do sth. in the present

Examples
I can speak English.

(substitute form: to be able to)

Permission to do sth. in the present

Can I go to the cinema?

(substitute form: to be allowed to)

Request
Offer
Suggestion
Possibility

Can you wait a moment, please?

I can lend you my car till tomorrow.
Can we visit Grandma at the weekend?
It can get very hot in Arizona.

2. Could
Use
Ability to do sth. in the past

Examples
I could speak English.

(substitute form: to be able to)

Permission to do sth. in the past

I could go to the cinema.

(substitute form: to be allowed to)

Polite question *
Polite request *
Polite offer *
Polite suggestion *
Possibility *

Could I go to the cinema, please?

Could you wait a moment, please?
I could lend you my car till tomorrow.
Could we visit Grandma at the weekend?
It could get very hot in Montana.

3. May
Use

Examples

Possibility
Permission to do sth. in the present

It may rain today.

May I go to the cinema?

(substitute form: to be allowed to)

Polite suggestion

May I help you?

4. Might
Use
possibility (less possible than may) *
hesitant offer *

Examples
It might rain today.
Might I help you?

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5. Must
Use
Force, necessity
Possibility
Advice, recommendation

Examples
I must go to the supermarket today.
You must be tired.
You must see the new film with Brad Pitt.

6. Must not / May not

Use
Prohibition

Examples
You mustn't work on dad's computer.
You may not work on dad's computer.

7. Need not
Use
Not necessary

Examples
I needn't go to the supermarket, we're going to
the restaurant tonight.

8. Ought to

Use
Advice
Obligation

Examples
You ought to drive carefully in bad weather.
You ought to switch off the light when you leave
the room.

9. Shall

Instead of will in the 1st person

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Use

Examples
Shall I carry your bag?

Use

Examples
You should drive carefully in bad weather.
You should switch off the light when you leave

Suggestion
10. Should

Advice
Obligation

the room.
11. Will
Use
Wish, request, demand, order

Examples
Will you please shut the door?

(less polite than would)

Prediction, assumption
Promise
Spontaneous decision
Habits

I think it will rain on Friday.

I will stop smoking.
Can somebody drive me to the station? - I will.
She's strange, she'll sit for hours without talking.

12. Would

Use
Qish, request

Examples
Would you shut the door, please?

(more polite than will)

Habits in the past

Sometimes he would bring me some flowers.

* no past forms - future forms

C. EITHER, NEITHER, BOTH and TOO

1. Either, Neither, and Both
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One of the tricky things about either, neither and both is knowing when they should followed by singular or
plural nouns and verbs. The rules, with examples, are given below:
==

Either, Neither, Both

We use either, neither and both when we are talking about two things.
Either = one OR the other
Would you like tea or coffee? Either. I don't mind.
This means: 'You can give me tea OR coffee. I have
no preference.'
Would you like ham or beef in your sandwich?

Neither = not one and not the other

Neither. I am a vegetarian. I don't eat meat.

Both = the first AND the second

This means: 'I don't want ham and I don't want beef.'
I take both milk and sugar in my coffee.

We use either with a singular noun.

This means: 'I take sugar. I also take milk.'

Either car, Either person

We use either of with a plural noun.

Either of the chairs, Either of the people

We use either and either of with a

Either day is fine for me.

singular verb.
We use neither with a singular noun.

Either of the days is fine for me.

Neither house, Neither man

We use neither of with a plural noun.

Neither of the houses, Neither of the men

We use neither and neither of with a

Neither day was suitable.

singular verb.
We use both with a plural noun.

Neither of the days was suitable.

Both houses, Both men
Both of the houses, Both of the men

We use both with a plural verb.

We need of before the pronouns us,

Both (of) my brothers are tall.

Both of us, Both of you, Either of them, Neither of

you, them.
Between of and a noun we need to use

them, etc.
Both of those houses, Neither of my brothers,

these, those or my, your, John's, etc.,

Both of John's sisters, Either of the cinemas

or the.
2. Too
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Form

too + adjective or adverb

too much/many + noun
too much/many + of + pronoun/determiner
We use too to mean more than sufficient or more/less than necessary.

It's too late to stop him.

Jerry was too young to watch the movie.

There are too many people on this train, there's nowhere to sit.

You have too much money, give some to me.

You've eaten too many of those cakes.

USE

"Too" is used in positive sentences to add an agreeing thought. It has the same meaning as "also," but its
placement within the sentence is different.
Examples:

Jane speaks French. Sam speaks French too.

I love chocolate. I love pizza too.

Frank can come with us. Nancy can come with us too.

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PLACEMENT

"Too" usually comes at the end of a clause.

Examples:

I am Canadian too.

I can speak French too.

I am studying economics too.

If he wants to go too, he should meet us at 8:00.

IMPORTANT

Although "too" is usually placed at the end of a clause, it can sometimes be used with commas after the
subject of the sentence. This is usually only done in formal speech.
Examples:

Mr. Jones wanted the contract. Ms. Jackson, too, thought it was necessary.

Donna is working on a solution to the problem. I, too, am trying to find a way to resolve the conflict.

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