May/might
Meaning |
Forms of the MV |
Ways of rendering into Russian |
Forms of the infinitive |
Kinds of sentences |
Some other ways of expressing the same meaning |
Sentence patterns |
1. a) Permission
b) Request
c) Prohibition |
a) may – the Present Tense b) might – the Past Tense
a) may – the Present Tense b) might – the Past Tense c) might – the Subjunctive II Form
may not
|
можешь можете
можно может
не могли бы вы
не смей, нельзя, ни в коем случае |
Indefinite Infinitive
Indefinite Infinitive
Indefinite Infinitive |
affirmative
interrogative
negative |
to be permitted, to be allowed |
|
2. Possibility due to circumstances |
a) may – the Present Tense
b) might – the Past Tense |
можешь
могли |
Indefinite Infinitive |
affirmative |
|
a) Let’s meet at five o’clock at the post-office if the place and time are convenient to everybody. We may get there by bus. b) He said he might get to work by the Metro. |
3. Unreality |
might – the Subjunctive II Form |
мог бы могли бы |
Perfect Infinitive |
affirmative |
|
If he had arrived an hour earlier, he might have had a good night’ rest. Luckily I didn’t join them in their walk. It was very windy and I might have caught cold. |
4. Disapproval or reproach |
might – the Subjunctive II Form |
мог бы могли бы |
Indefinite Infinitive Perfect Infinitive |
affirmative |
|
Your child is shivering with cold. You might be more attentive to him. Tell him to put on his jacket. You answered his invitation with cold refusal. You might have invited me to this lecture. |
5. Supposition implying uncertainty, doubt |
may/might |
может быть возможно |
Indefinite Infinitive
Continuous Infinitive
Perfect Infinitive
Perfect Continuous Infinitive |
affirmative negative |
|
She looks pale. She may (might) be ill, but I think she may/might not have a high temperature. I think the doctor may/might be examining the patient now. Nick is missing today. He may/might have been taken ill. She may have been staying in bed for a week. |
NEED
Meaning |
Forms of the MV |
Ways of rendering into Russian |
Forms of the infinitive |
Kinds of sentences |
Some other ways of expressing the same meaning |
Sentence patterns |
1. Necessity |
need |
необходимо нужно |
Indefinite Infinitive |
affirmative (not typical) interrogative
|
necessary |
Need I answer the question? |
2. Absence of necessity |
needn’t |
мости, не нужно
|
|
negative |
There is no need to do it. It’s not necessary to do it. There is no necessity to do it. |
The teacher needn’t explain such simple things. The pupils know them. We needn’t have brought our grammar books today. We are having a class in phonetics instead. |
Notes | ||||||
|
MUST
Meaning |
Forms of the MV |
Ways of rendering into Russian |
Forms of the infinitive |
Kinds of sentences |
Some other ways of expressing the same meaning |
Sentence patterns |
1. Obligation, necessity with no freedom of choice or from the speaker’s point of view |
must – in present or future time contexts; in past time contexts in Indirect Speech
|
должен |
Indefinite Infinitive
|
affirmative
interrogative
|
to be obliged to, it’s necessary for smb to do smth |
If you have a new heart attack you must be taken to hospital. What must he do to keep feet? He said he must go to the dentist. |
2. Prohibition |
mustn’t |
не должен, нельзя |
Indefinite Infinitive |
negative |
to be forbidden |
Students mustn’t stay away from classes without a good reason. |
3. Emphatic request or advice |
must mustn’t |
должен |
Indefinite Infinitive
|
affirmative negative |
|
You mustn’t miss this film. It’s worth seeing this film. You must drop in at the chemist’s on your way home. |
4. Supposition implying assurance, strong probability |
must |
вероятно, должно быть, наверное, по-видимому, очевидно, по всей вероятности |
Indefinite Infinitive
Continuous Infinitive
Perfect Infinitive
Perfect Continuous Infinitive |
only in the affirmative form in affirmative and negative sentences |
probably, evidently, surely, no doubt, undoubtedly, it’s clear that, in all probability |
He must be too old to wander about the city so long. They must be admiring the beautiful flowers in Hyde Park now. They must have been watching swans and ducks floating on the pond for an hous. She must have got used to their customs and traditions. |
Notes | ||||||
e.g.: Must I mention all those facts in my report? - Yes, you must. They are important. - No, you needn’t. they are of no use.
e.g.: She is likely (unlikely) to come. |