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Hello FriendsI have question regarding "could" , "would" and "Should". Kindly tell me where we can use them, and please elaborate it with some examples RegardsObaid Tariq

Marlena · Accepted Answer

COULD:
Sometime is the past form of can.
I had a chance to visit my parents. = I could visit my parents.

You can also use could to say that somebody has general ability or permission to do something:
ability: He could write and speak two different languages at the same time.
permission: We could do what we wanted.

SHOULD:
When you say 'you should do something' it means that this is a good or right thing to do. So basically you can use should to give a tip, opinion, advice:
"You look tired. You should take a nap."
You can also use should to say what are you expecting to happen:
"You are learning English fast, so you should be fluent soon."

WOULD:
Mainly we use would when we imagine a situation or action (when we think of something that is not real):
-It would be nice to buy a new car
-I would love to live by the sea.

For that reason we often use would with sentences with if:
-If I had her phone number I would call her.

You can also use would when you are talking about things that happed regularly in the past:
-Whenever my dad was angry, he would walk out of the room (the meaning is the same when we use 'used to' instead of would)

Hope you will find it handy

CalifJim · Answer

obaidtariqI have question regarding "could" , "would" and "Should"

It takes a book to answer this question. Below you'll find a few of the most frequent uses. There are others. Note that the most central of these three modal verbs is would because the concept of would often enters into the explanation of the use of could and should.

would is used to talk about what might be done if the situation were not what it is now. It's often used with if.

-- What would you do if you won a million dollars?
-- I would buy a big house.
-- I would buy a new car.
-- I would take a long vacation.
-- I would give a lot of it to charity.

would is also used to soften requests. Note that would like is the softer form of want, for example -- and not would want, as you might expect. Sometimes it is better to soften a request (first example below), and sometimes it is better to be more forward (second example). It depends on all of the various aspects of the situation.

Ordering in a restaurant:

-- I want a hamburger and fries. (Very bold and forward.)
-- I would like a hamburger and fries. (Polite.)

Greeting a guest who is a good friend of yours:
-- Come in and sit down! (Bold and hearty and familiar. Imperative.)
-- Would you come in and sit down? (Polite, but more formal and less enthusiastic.)

would is used to indicate habitual actions in the past, like the idiom used to. This usage is completely different from the two discussed above.

When we were young, we would often spend the afternoons gathering wild raspberries.
= When we were young, we often used to spend the afternoons gathering wild raspberries.
= When we were young, it was our habit to spend the afternoons gathering wild raspberries.

___________________

could adds the idea of ability or possibility to the idea of would. So could can substitute for would be able to.

-- What could you do if you won a million dollars?
(= What would you be able to do if you won a million dollars?)
-- I could buy a big house. (= I would be able to buy a big house.)
-- I could take a long vacation. (= I would be able to take a long vacation.)

could can also substitute for might, which is similar to would be able to.

-- What could happen if there were an earthquake?
(=What might happen ...?)

-- Things on shelves could fall onto the floor. = (= ... might fall ...)

-- The roof could collapse. (= The roof might collapse.)

-- People could be injured or killed. (= People might be injured or killed.)

could, like would, can be used to talk about habitual actions in the past, or rather, about the ability to act repeatedly in a certain way. In this usage it is a substitute for was/were able to or used to be able to.

When Jack was in college, he could run for miles without getting tired.
= When Jack was in college, he was able to run for miles without getting tired.
= When Jack was in college, he used to be able to run for miles without getting tired.
= When Jack was in college, he had the ability to run for miles without getting tired.

____________________

should is used to say or suggest what is advisable (or wise). As such, it can substitute for I believe it would be advisable/wise for ... to ....

You should take a vacation. ~ I believe it would be advisable/wise for you to take a vacation.
Karen should try to get a job as a journalist. ~ I believe it would be advisable/wise for Karen to try to get a job as a journalist.
We should plan a party for Larry's birthday. ~ I believe it would be advisable/wise for us to plan a party for Larry's birthday.

CJ

Obaidtariq · Answer

Thanks alot both of you "marlena" and "Calif" . Thanks for the handy elaboration

Regards
Obaid Tariq

Anonymous · Answer

Thank you.. nice one

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