Generally speaking modals in the past have the following form:
- modal + have + past participle
Example:
- Present:
You should see a doctor. - Past:
You should have seen a doctor
Except for modals that express obligation,ability and lack of necessity:
- Obligation:
Present = I must / have to work hard. -- Past = I had to work hard. - Ability:
Present = I can run fast. -- Past = I could run fast when I was young. - Lack of necessity:
Present = You don't have to / needn't take your umbrella. -- Past = You didn't have to / didn't need to take your umbrella.
| Modals in the Present | Modals in the Past | |
| Obligation | You must / have to stop when the traffic lights are red. | You had to stop. |
| Advice | You should see a doctor. | You should have seen a doctor |
| Prohibition | You mustn't smoke here. | You mustn't have smoked there. |
| Ability | I can runfast. | I could runfast. now I am old. |
| Certainty | He has a Rolls Royce. He must be very rich. He can't be American. His English is terrible. | He must have been rich. He had a big house and an expensive car. He can't have written that poem. He was illiterate. |
| Permission | Can I go out? | She could drive her father's car when she was only 15. |
| Possibility | It may / can / could / might rain. It's cloudy. | I guess it may / can / could / might have been Lacy on the phone. |
| Lack of necessity | You don't have to / needn't buy any tomatoes. There are plenty in the fridge. | You didn't have to / didn't need to buy tomatoes. |
Related materials
The infinitive
What is the infinitive?
The infinitive of a verb is its basic form with or without the particle to:
Examples:
- 'do' or 'to do'
- 'be ' or ' to be '
The infinitive without to is called bare infinitive (' do ', ' be ')
The infinitive with to is called full infinitive (' to do ', 'to be ')
The bare infinitive
- The bare infinitive is used as the main verb after the dummy auxiliary verb do, or most modal auxiliary verbs (such as will, can, or should..)
Examples:
I do know him
I do like you.
I can do it. - Several common verbs of perception, including see, watch, hear, feel, and sense take a direct object and a bare infinitive.
Examples:
I saw it happen
I watched it happen - The bare infinitive is also used with several common verbs of permission or causation, including make, bid, let, and have.
Example:
I made/bade/let/had him do it.
(However, make takes a to-infinitive in the passive voice.
I was made to do it. - The bare infinitive is also used after had better.
Example:
You had better leave now - The verb help is followed by the bare infinitive.
Example:
He helped them do it. ("He helped them to do" it is also possible) - With the word why.
Example:
Why say it?
The full infinitive
The full infinitive is used as follows:
- The full infinitive can function as a noun phrase. In this case it is used as follows.
- as a subject.
Examples:
To err is human, to forgive is divine. - as an object.
Examples:
I intended to marry her.
He wanted to know the whole truth. - It can also be used like an adjective or adverb.
Examples:
This is the game to watch. (to watch functions as an adjective, modifying the noun game)
This is the problem to think about. (to think about functions as an adjective modifying the noun 'the problem')
He went to his friend's house to study. (to study functions as an adverb answering the question why he went to his friend's house)
He is ready to go. (to go functions as an adverb, modifying the adjective 'ready'.) - It is used to mean " in order to " to express purpose
Examples:
You need to exercise regularly to lose weight. (...in order to lose weight)
He works hard to earn a lot of money. (... in order to earn a lot of money)
Gerund or Infinitive
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Some verbs can be followed by either an infinitive or a gerund:
One of the difficulties of the English language is that some verbs are followed by the gerund (ex: doing) and others are followed by the infinitive (ex: to do). Other verbs, however, can be followed by both.
Generally speaking we can use the following rules:
| Examples | Rules | Explanations | |
| Verb + gerund | 1. I enjoy playing 2. I denied stealing | Often we use the gerund for an action that happens before or at the same time as the action of the main verb. | 1. I enjoy myself at the time of playing. 2. I deny having stolen anything before. |
| Verb + infinitive | 1. I decided to visit my uncle 2. I want to go out | Often we use the infinitive for actions that follow the action of the main verb. | 1. Visiting my uncle was an action of my decision. It comes after. 2. What I want (now) is to go out (after/later) |
These rules are helpful but DO NOT always explain all uses of gerunds and infinitives.
Verbs that can be followed by a gerund (ex: doing)
1- After verbs that express likes/dislikes:
- like
- love
- enjoy
- dislike
- hate
- don't mind
- can't stand
- can't bear
Example:
" I like play ing soccer but I hate boxing."
2- After certain other verbs, such as:
- admit
- appreciate
- allow
- avoid
- advise
- consider
- deny
- delay
- understand
- finish
- fancy
- go (in go swimming)
- involve
- keep
- mention
- mind
- stop
- waste time/money
- imagine
- involve
- keep (on)
- mention
- miss
- postpone
- permit
- practice
- suggest
- resist
- reject
- risk
- can't help
- can't stand
Example:
" I suggest going to the theater."
3- After prepositions:
interested in...
instead of...
good at...
before...
after...
Example:
"I am interested in collecting stamps."
" After playing football I drank an orange juice".
4- After certain expressions:
it's no use...
it's no good...
there's no point in...
I can't help...
I don't mind...
I can't stand/bear...
Example:
" It's no use convincing him to revise his lessons. He's so stubborn."
Verbs that can be followed by an infinitive (ex: to do)
1- After verbs that refer to a future event:
- want
- hope
- aim
- intend
- arrange
- attempt
- promise
- be determined
- plan
- consent
- decide
- demand
- deserve
- determine
- endeavor
- expect
- offer
- proceed
- promise
- threaten
- swear
- volunteer
- want
- would like
- would hate
- would love
Example:
" I want to finish my work early.
2- After certain other verbs, such as:
- afford
- agree
- help
- choose
- fail
- happen
- refuse
- manage
- need
- seem
- learn
- choose
- pretend
Example:
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"She refused to forgive him."
3- After adjectives:
- glad
- pleased
- disappointed
Example:
"I'm glad to know that you passed the exam."
"I'm pleased to meet you."
"I'm disappointed to hear that you flunked maths."
4- After "too" & "enough":
too difficult
easy enough
Example:
"It's too difficult to convince him to be helpful."
" But it's easy enough to fool him to get what you want."
Verbs that can be followed by both an infinitive and a gerund:
Some verbs can be followed by either a gerund or an infinitive. Here are some examples:
- start
- begin
- stop
- remember...
Example:
"I started smoking when I was young."
"I started to smoke when I left the office."
The Gerund
What is a gerund?
The gerund always ends in ing.
Example:
- Swimming is my hobby
- Writing is more difficult than reading
However, it should be noted that the present participle also ends in ing.
Example:
- They were watching TV when I arrived.
- John will be teaching in that school for the next two years.
What is the difference between a gerund and the present participle?
You can differentiate between the gerund and the present participle as follows:
- Gerunds function as nouns.
- Gerunds can be a subject, direct objects, indirect objects, and objects of prepositions.
- Present participles, on the other hand, complete progressive verbs or act as modifiers.
Examples of gerund:
- Cycling is fun. (subject)
- I like cycling. (direct object)
- He gives fishing all his time.(indirect object)
- He has devoted all his life to fishing. ( object of the preposition to)
Examples of present participle:
- They were eating when the bell rang. (eating is a present participle which is part of the past progressive tense " were eating")
- I bought a fishing book. (writing is a present participle modifying book)
Related material:
Too / Enough
Too and Enough
Too and enough indicate degree. They are used with adjectives.
- Too means more than what is needed.
- Enough means sufficient.
Examples
He is too old to play football with the kids.
Dave is intelligent enough to do the write thing.
You're not working fast enough
I don't have enough time.
He has too many friends.
She has got too much patience
Use of too and enough
1. Enough precedes adjectives and adverbs:
He isn't old enough to watch this program.
We're not walking quickly enough.
2. Enough may also precede nouns:
We have enough money.
I have not got enough money to buy this computer.
3. Too comes before adjectives and adverbs:
It's too hot to wear that coat.
I was driving too fast.
4. Too may also come before nouns when it is used with the expressions too much and too many.
a. Too much is used before uncountable nouns.
There is too much salt in this food.
b. Too many is used before countable nouns
There are too many students in this classroom.
See more about countable and uncountable nouns
Some and Any
Use of some and any
Some and any are used to state the quantity, amount of something. When using some or any, the exact number is not stated. Some and any are quantifiers.
Some and any can be used when:
- The exact number is not known.
- The exact number is not important or relevant.
- Some and any are used with countable and uncountable nouns.
Study the following tables:
| Interrogative | Affirmative | Negative |
| Are there any tomatoes in the fridge? | Yes, there are some. | No, there aren't any. |
| Is there any orange juice? | Yes, there is some. | No, there isn't any. |
| Offering | Responding |
| Would you like some coffee? | Yes please I'd like some. |
| Making a request | Responding |
| Would you mind lending me some money? | Of course here you are. |
The rules of some and many:
SOME:
Use some in positive (affirmative) sentences. Some is used for both countable and uncountable nouns.
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Examples:
I have some friends. (friends is countable)
I'd like some water. (water is uncountable)
ANY:
Use any for countable and countable nouns in:
- interrogative sentences.
Examples:
Have you got any cheese?
Have you got any friends? - negative sentences.
Example:
He hasn't got any cheese
He hasn't got any friends in Chicago.
EXCEPTION:
Use some in questions when offering or requesting something.
Example:
- Would you like some bread? (offer)
- Can I have some water, please? (request)
Something, anything, somewhere, anywhere, someone,anyone:
The same rules are true for something and anything, someone and anyone, and somewhere and anywhere.
| Policeman: | Is there anyone at home? |
| Criminal: | Yes there is someone there! My friend. |
| Policeman: | Is there anything in your pocket? |
| Criminal: | Yes there is something. A gun! |
| Policeman: | Did you go anywhere recently? |
| Criminal: | Yes I went somewhere. I went to the old man's house to steal his money. |
