English Grammar: Modal Verbs and Conditional Sentences
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Passive Voice Structure
The passive voice is formed using the following structure:
- Subject + to be (conjugated) + Past Participle
Modal Verbs and Their Uses
| Modal Verb | Function/Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| must | Strong Obligation | You must stop when the traffic lights turn red. |
| Logical Conclusion / Certainty | He must be very tired. He's been working all day long. | |
| must not | Prohibition | You must not smoke in the hospital. |
| can | Ability | I can swim. |
| Permission | Can I use your phone, please? | |
| Possibility | Smoking can cause cancer. | |
| could | Ability in the Past | When I was younger, I could run fast. |
| Polite Permission | Excuse me, could I just say something? | |
| Possibility | It could rain tomorrow! | |
| may | Permission | May I use your phone, please? |
| Possibility / Probability | It may rain tomorrow! | |
| might | Polite Permission | Might I suggest an idea? |
| Possibility / Probability | I might go on holiday to Australia next year. | |
| need not | Lack of Necessity / Absence of Obligation | I need not buy tomatoes. There are plenty of tomatoes in the fridge. |
| should / ought to | 50% Obligation | I should / ought to see a doctor. I have a terrible headache. |
| Advice | You should / ought to revise your lessons. | |
| Logical Conclusion | He should / ought to be very tired. He's been working all day long. | |
| had better | Advice | You had better tell her everything. |
Conditional Sentences
Zero Conditional
Structure: If + Simple Present, ... Simple Present
Use: Describes general truths and scientific facts. If this thing happens, that thing happens.
First Conditional
Structure: If + Simple Present, ... Simple Future
Use: Describes a realistic future possibility. If this thing happens, that thing will happen.
Second Conditional
Structure: If + Simple Past, ... Present Conditional (would + verb) or Present Continuous Conditional (would be + verb-ing)
Use: Describes a hypothetical or unlikely situation. If this thing happened, that thing would happen (or would be happening).
Third Conditional
Structure: If + Past Perfect, ... Perfect Conditional (would have + past participle) or Perfect Continuous Conditional (would have been + verb-ing)
Use: Describes a hypothetical past situation that did not happen. If this thing had happened, that thing would have happened (or would have been happening).