Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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What is Phrase?
Phrases and clauses are the most important elements of English grammar. Phrase and clause cover everything a sentence has. Clauses are the center of sentences and phrases strengthen the sentences to become meaningful. If the clauses are the pillars of a building, the phrases are the bricks. A phrase usually is always present within a clause, but a phrase cannot…
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Should
Should indicates obligation and probability. Example: You should come home early. You should not smoke at all. I should visit my parents more often. There should be an extra key for the lock in the drawer. (probability) He should have reached by now. (probability) I should have done that. (obligation in the past) Ought to and had better sometimes…
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Must
Must indicates necessity. Example: I must leave now. He must study hard. Alex must go home by 6.00 pm. Have to has the similar meaning to must but implies less urgency. Example: I have to leave now. He has to study hard. Alex has to go by 6.00 pm. I had to leave then. (past) He had to…
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Can- Could -May -Might
These modals express possibility and ability. Can indicates ability. Could indicates ability with an option. Example: I can do it. (The subject ‘I’ is sure about his/her ability) I could do it. (The subject ‘I’ is not sure about his/her ability) They cannot do it. (present) They could not do it. (past) Can & could also indicate possibility. Example: The temperature…
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Will – Would
Will indicates a ‘willingness’ to do something in the future. The negative form of will – will not (won’t) indicates an ‘unwillingness’ (refusal, reluctance) to do something. Example: I will give you another opportunity. I will play tomorrow. They will arrive at 10 AM. She won’t come today. Would indicates general or repeated willingness in the past. It also indicates preference in the present. …
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Modal Auxiliaries
Modal verbs are a kind of auxiliary verb. They facilitate the main verb for suggesting potential, expectation, permission, ability, possibility, and obligation. When used with the main verb, modal verbs do not end with –s for the third-person singular. Modal auxiliary verbs never change form, but they have a different form for past tense. The modal auxiliaries…
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The unreal conditionals
The unreal conditionals express hypothetical conditions which have no possibility to occur in the past, present or future but describe what could/might have occurred supposedly. Example: If I were rich, I would travel my whole life. If I had a car, I could go anywhere. If we had not missed the train, we would have reached…
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The real conditionals
The real conditionals express factual or habitual conditions which have the possibility to occur in the future or generally occur in the present. Example: I’ll go if you give me the ball. If I feel better, I’ll certainly play. If you do well in the exams, I’ll buy you a gift. Structures of the Real Conditionals:…
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Types of Conditionals
There are mainly two types of conditionals: The Real Conditionals and The Unreal Conditionals The real conditionals The real conditionals express factual or habitual conditions which have the possibility to occur in the future or generally occur in the present. Example: I’ll go if you give me the ball. If I feel better, I’ll certainly play. If…
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Conditionals: Definition, Structure
Normally conditional sentences are called conditionals. These sentences usually contain the conjunction IF. Sometimes they are called ‘if clauses’. Types of Conditionals There are mainly two types of conditionals: The Real Conditionals and The Unreal Conditionals The real conditionals The real conditionals express factual or habitual conditions which have the possibility to occur in the future or generally occur in the…
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