Учебное пособие 1583

Exercise 2. In some of the following sentences either could or was able could be used. In others only was/were able is possible. Fill the spaces and put to where necessary before the infinitives.

1.He was very strong; he ... ski all day and dance all night.

2.The car plunged into the river. The driver . . . get out but the passengers were drowned.

3.I was a long way from the stage. I ... see all right but I... hear very well. {2nd verb negative}

4.We . . . borrow umbrellas; so we didn't get wet.

5. ... you walk or did they have to carry you?

6.I had no key so I... lock the door. (negative)

7.I knew the town so I ... advise him where to go.

8.When the garage had repaired our car we ... continue our journey.

9.At five years old he ... read quite well.

10.When I arrived everyone was asleep. Fortunately I ... wake my sister and she let me in.

11.The swimmer was very tired but he ... reach the shore before he collapsed.

12.The police were suspicious at first but I... convince them that we were innocent.

Exercise 3. Use could for polite requests and as a conditional.

1. ……….. I speak to Mr Pitt, please? - I'm afraid he's out at the moment. . . . you ring back later?

2.If you stood on my shoulders ……... you reach the top of the wall?-No, I'm afraid I ………………. (negative)

3.If I sang . . . you accompany me on the piano? -No, I. ………..., I ………... play the piano! (negative, negative)

4.If a letter comes for me .……….. you please forward it to this address?

5.She made the wall very high so that boys . ………. . climb over

it. (negative)

6.They took his passport so that he ……….... leave the country.

(negative)

7.……….. ... you tell me the time, please? - I'm afraid I. ... I haven't got a watch. (negative)

8.If you had to, ………………... you go without food for a week?

— I suppose I... if I had plenty of water.

9.……………… . . .you lend me £5? - No, I.……………..

(negative)

10.They used to chain valuable books to library desks so that people ………….. . . take them away. (negative)

11.He says that he saw Clementine drowning but. ……………. . help her as he ... swim. (negative, negative)

12.If you had had the right tools .. ……………. you have repaired the engine?

MA Y

The verb may is used to express:

(1) Possibility due to circumstances; in this meaning may/might is generally used in

affirmative sentences and is followed by the indefinite infinitive.

From here you may go to London by bus or by car, but you cannot go by train. He said we might go by bus there.

May can occasionally be used in negative sentences to express the idea of possibility mixed with uncertainty.

He may or may not come tomorrow. Don't worry. Things may not be so bad after all.

The subjunctive form might + perfect infinitive shows that the action was not performed due to certain circumstances.

He might have been injured if he hadn't driven the car so carefully.

(2) Supposition implying uncertainty; in this meaning it occurs in affirmative and negative sentences with all forms of the infinitive. It is an alternative to perhaps or maybe.

May/might + indefinite or continuous infinitive expresses uncertainty about present or future actions.

She may come today/tomorrow. (Perhaps she will come.) She might still come. (The idea of uncertainty is emphasized still more in the subjunctive form.) She may/might not know that you are here. She may/might be waiting for you.

However, only might is to be used with a past time reference. Compare:

He said, ―I may/might be late tonight.‖ He said that he might be late that night.

May/might is not used in interrogative sentences in the meaning of supposition. Instead we use such expressions as Do you think...? or Is he likely…?

Is he likely to meet us? Do you think it will rain?

May/might + perfect/perfect continuous infinitive is used in speculations about past actions.

She may/might have come. (== It is possible that she came.) She may/might have been waiting for us since morning. I think she may/might have missed the train.

Might is used when the main verb is in the past.

He thought she might have missed the train.

Only might is used when the uncertainty no longer exists.

The boy came home alone. You shouldn‘t have let him do that; he might have got lost. (but he didn't get lost)

Might, not may, is also used when the matter was never put to the test.

Perhaps we should have taken the other road. It might have been quicker. If we had taken the other road, we might have arrived earlier.

(3) Permission, request; in these meanings may is found in affirmative and_ interrogative sentences. In negative answers to questions May I? it is usually replaced by can’t (the form may not is too formal).

Formal permission is always expressed by may; informal permission by can.

May I smoke in here? Yes, you may. No, you can’t.

You may/can smoke in here. Candidates may not leave the room till the end of the examination.

Might I? can be used instead of May I? when asking for permission and is a more polite form.

May/might I use your phone?

(4) The subjunctive form might can be used in affirmative sentences to express a mild request or reproach.

You might tell me what he said.

It may mean: (a) Please tell me. (b) I am annoyed that you haven't told me already. You should have told me. I have a right to know.

When followed by the perfect infinitive it expresses the

speaker‘s irritation at the non-performance of the action in the past.

You might have helped me.

(5)The expression may/might as well.

(a)I may as well + infinitive is a very mild and emphatic way of expressing an intention. It can be used with other persons to suggest or recommend an action.

I may as well take it with me. Я, пожалуй, возьму это с собой. You may as well give him the letter. Пожалуй,

отдайте ему письмо.

It is also possible to use might instead of may.

I might as well take it with me.

(b) Might just as well means ―It would be equally good to‖ and is used to suggest alternative actions.

I‘ll go on Monday by the slow train.‖ ―You might just as well wait till Tuesday and go on the fast one.‖ (Уж лучше вам

подождать до вторника… С таким же успехом вы можете уехать во вторник скорым поездом.) ―I‘ll go at six.‖ ―That is far too late; you might just as well not go at all.‖ (Это все равно, что не ездить туда совсем. С таким же успехом можно вообще не ехать туда.)

CAN AND MAY COMPARED

I. Both verbs can be used to express possibility due to circumstances. However, they are not interchangeable in this meaning for the following reasons.

(1) Can is used to express a real possibility whereas the degree of possibility expressed by may is much smaller.

You may break the body, but you cannot break the spirit. A fool may ask more questions than a wise man can answer.

(2) In this meaning the use of may is restricted to affirmative sentences whereas can is found in all kinds of sentences.

He may (can) meet them there. But: He can’t meet them

there.

(3) Their time reference is also different. May refers only to the present or future; can (could) may refer to the past as well.

He may (can) find the book at the library.

He may (can) find the book at the library tomorrow. B u t: He could find the book at the library yesterday.

II. Both verbs can be used to express permission. The difference between them is rather that of style than of meaning, may be more formal than can which is commonly used in colloquial English. Besides, may in negative sentences expressing prohibition is not much used. Compare:

III. In the meaning of supposition the degree of doubt expressed by may and can is different. Compare:

He may not be right. = It is possible that he is right.

He can’t be right. = It is impossible that he is right.

Exercise 4. Answer the following questions with suitable suggestions, using may (or might) and the words in brackets.

home)………………………………………………………………

9. JOHN: Why didn‘t Rosemary come to the cinema last

night?

YOU: (feel tired)…………………………………………………………………

Exercise 5. Fill in the blanks with the verbs can or may in the correct form.

1. When you get there tell them to wait. I … be a little late. 2. I … come at six. I‘ll be free by that time. 3. … this old man be Brown? He … not have changed so much! 4. None of us know what … happen before it finished. 5. This … be a great idea. It … also be a trap in which England will perish. 6. I‘m not sure, but she

…have gone to the village shop. 7. I told them he … be in the garden. 8. Sh! She … hear you. 9. How strange! … you believe that? 10. I haven‘t seen her for ages. She … be quite middle-aged by now. 11. Don‘t send him away. We … need his advice. 12. I fear they … miss the train. They left rather late. 13. It … be seen that he was puzzled. 14. Why do what … never be needed? 15. People … chatter about her, but they don‘t know anything definite against her. 16. He … not have thought of this himself. Who suggested it to him? 17. He … a medical student though I‘m not sure. 18. But what more he … have said I don‘t know for I left. 19. You … tell me what he said! I have a right to know. 20. Miss Carter … have gone to the school to call on Mr. Everard. 21. Then he found that he

…not stay in bed. 22. I … not swim. I expect you … . everyone … except me. 23. You … have warned me beforehand! 24. He … not have said that. I don‘t believe you. 25. It was a year or two ago, or it … be three years ago. 26. She came to ask her mother if she … stay and dance a little longer.

MUST

The verb must is used to express:

1. necessity or obligation; in this meaning it is followed by the indefinite infinitive referring the action to the present or to no particular time.

It is getting late. I must go.

The verb must may be used in reported speech to refer the action to the present time even the main verb is in the past.

The teacher said we must do it.

The verb must in the meaning of necessity is found in the affirmative and interrogative sentences; when used with a negative it has the meaning of prohibition.

This is serious, you mustn’t joke about it.

The absence of necessity is expressed by needn’t.

Yes, you must. Must I do it? No, you needn’t. (не нужно)

No, you mustn’t. (нельзя)

2. Probability or supposition; in this case it is a supposition implying a very high degree of probability, almost a conviction. When used in this meaning the verb must is synonymous to the modal words evidently, obviously, apparently, certainly, surely or the word-groups most likely, most probably, etc. its meaning corresponds to the Russian modal expression должно быть.

In this meaning must may be followed by different forms f the infinitive. If reference is made to the present, the continuous infinitive is generally used.

Professor Brown must be examining the student now. Oh, there‘s the boy. He must be still waiting for you …

However, with verbs which are not normally used in the continuous form, the indefinite infinitive is used.

She must be ill; she looks pale. He must be quite middle-aged now. He must be fifty. You must think I have a very short memory.

Must in combination with the perfect infinitive refers the action to the past.

They must have finished the work. She must have come home by now.

The combination of must with the perfect continuous infinitive indicates an action begun in the past and continued up to the moment of speech.

It must have been raining since the morning. They must have been waiting for an hour.

However, if must is followed by a verb which cannot be used in the continuous form, the perfect infinitive is used.

She must have been ill for a week now. He must have known it all along.

Note: must have done and other past modals are always reduced in pronunciation, ―h‖ is dropped as standard pronunciation.

Must in the meaning of supposition is not used with reference to the future. In this case it is replaced by its synonyms.

He will probably come tomorrow. They are not likely to come so late.

Note: to express supposition of negative character some other lexical means are used in addition to the modal verb must.