possibility: Your purse might be in the living room.
conditional: If I didn’t have to work, I might go with you.
suggestion: You might visit the botanical gardens during your visit.
request: Might I borrow your pen?
Present Positive: might
Present Negative: might not
Past Positive: might have taken
Past Negative: might not have taken
Future Positive: might
Future Negative: might not
Should¶
recommendation: When you go to Berlin, you should visit the palaces in Potsdam.
advice: You should focus more on your family and less on work.
obligation: I really should be in the office by 7:00 AM.
expectation: By now, they should already be in Dubai.
Present Positive: should
Present Negative: shouldn’t
Past Positive: should have eaten
Past Negative: shouldn’t have smoked
Future Positive: should
Future Negative: shouldn’t
May¶
May¶
possibility: Cheryl may be at home, or perhaps at work.
give permission: Johnny, you may leave the table when you have finished your dinner.
request permission: May I use your bathroom?
Present Positive: may
Present Negative: may not
Past Positive: may have been, were allowed to
Past Negative: may not have been, were not allowed
Future Positive: may
Future Negative: may not
Shall¶
Uses1: Offers, suggestions and advice. We use shall I and shall we to make offers and suggestions, and to ask for advice.
Uses2: Predictions and intentions. We use shall instead of will with I and we in rather formal contexts to make predictions and to talk about intentions or decisions. It is much less common than will.
suggestion: Shall I help you?
promise: I shall never forget where I came from.
predestination: he shall become our next king.
inevitability: I’m afraid Mr. Smith shall become our new director.
