Past tense What did you do today? Present perfect tense What have you done today? Future tense will shall I'll do it.=willingness I won't do it.=unwillingness, refusal I'll go and get some for you. I'll wait. We'll have a competition. I won't leave until I have seen Mr. Smith. I want to go and get the paper back. All right, go then No, you can't. I'll go and get the paper back Thank you. That's all right, I already have it. What time shall we meet tonight?=simple, classical If it rains, we shall go by car. That box looks very heavy. Shall I carry for you?=offering Shall I lock up, or will you do it? Would you like me to lock up? Shall we do all the jobs? Do you want us to do all the jobs? Will I be able to take my dog with me? Will we need to take an exam at the end of the course? Will I need to change bus? We won't be able to leave tomorrow. I won't need to change any more money. Won't we need to apply for a visa first? I'll scream if you touch me. Won't you stay for dinner? Please stay for dinner. Will you be coming to the dance? (information) Will/Would you come to the dance? (invitation) My car won't start. Legal term (must) The purchaser shall return or pay for the goods within thirty days. After this time, the purchase shall be liable to a surcharge if he has failed to return or pay for the goods The vendor shall have the right to take possession of the car. I wonder if it will still be raining this afternoon. In a few minutes we shall be landing at Hong Kong airport. I'll be seeing Mary this afternoon. I'll give her a present. He is in his office. He'll be in his office, I suppose. He is having his lunch. He'll be having his lunch, I expect. You're feeling hungry. You'll be feeling hungry after all that exercise, I expect. Future perfect tense By the time you receive this letter, I will have left England. I'll call for you at seven. Will you have finished dinner by then? It is 6 o'clock. I am reading the novel War and Peace. By 8 o'clock, I will have been reading for more than 2 hours. I'm going to leave my present job. It's going to rain soon. She is going to make an excellent nurse. Tomorrow is Thusrday. The new term starts next week. I'm leaving for America soon. I'm starting a new job on Monday. Hurry up! You're going to miss your train. The train is going to leave in 5 minutes' time. I'm going to Paris next week. Are you coming to the concert this evening? is to/is about to Nobody is to leave the room until the exam is over. The boat is about to leave. Modals- Decreasing certainty It is Peter It will be Peter It must be Peter It must have been Peter It should be Peter It should have been Peter It may be Peter It might be Peter It could be Peter It can be Peter It couldn't be be Peter It can't be Peter It won't be Peter It isn't Peter Conditional if sentence Type 1 If I do X, Y will be the result If it rains, we shall go by car. The if-clause must be in present tense, past tense or perfect tense, not future tense. Decreasing certainty If I do X, Y will be the result If I do X, Y must be the result If I do X, Y can be the result If I do X, Y may be the result If I do X, Y should be the result If I do X, Y ought to be the result If I do X, Y could be the result If I do X, Y might be the result If(Whenever) you drop eggs, they break. (universal truth) Type II If I did X, Y would be the result. Decreasing certainty If I did X, Y would be the result. If I did X, Y should be the result. If I did X, Y ought to be the result. If I did X, Y could be the result. If I did X, Y might be the result. If I were to do X, Y would be the result. If I were you, I would take up a sport to keep fit. Type III If I had done X, Y would have been the result. Decreasing certainty If I had done X, Y would have been the result. If I had done X, Y could have been the result. If I had done X, Y might have been the result. If you hadn't come to Hong Kong, we would never have met. If she had married, she would not be the manager today. If you hadn't spent so much money, you would be well off today. He wouldn't have passed the exam if he had not worked hard. Old-fashion inverted written form Were I Should I/you Had I Ask for permission May I leave now? Can I leave now? Could I leave now? Can I help you? Of course you may. No, I'm afraid you can't. You must buy. (obligation come from you-inside) You have to buy. (obligation come from others-outside) You do not have to buy. You need not buy. You ought not to buy. (moral obligation only) You should not buy. /pre> Back to Home!