Modal tenses

English 1b3 1) Modal tenses (modal + bare infinitive) can express different times, but not tenses--is that correct?

Yes, I would say so.

English 1b32) Also, if they can express different times, how is one to know what time it refers to in a particular sentence?

Your approach isn't quite right here. At least it may not be th

CalifJimThe three past-viewpoint modals can be "borrowed" into the present viewpoint for special uses, such as to indicate politeness, to name just one.

Thank you!

Is would in the result clause of the second conditional another example of a past view-point verb being borrowed into the present viewpoint?

English 1b3Is would in the result clause of the second conditional another example of a past view-point verb being borrowed into the present viewpoint?

Yes. That's how I view it.

CJ

Thanks!

Is this correct:

Finite verbs have tense (simple present, perfect, continuous etc), which express a time.

Modal verbs have modal tenses (modal tense and modal perfect tense), which express a time.

You're getting into a rat's nest of terminology here. Different authors have different ways of classifying verbs, tenses, and clauses. Modal verbs may be seen as a subclass of finite verbs, for example. Also, some authors prefer "tensed" and "non-tensed" as the properties of verbs; whereas they use the terms "finite" and "non-finite" to describe clauses.

Nevertheless, in a rough sort

Thanks for the reply, CJ.

Could you please give me a couple of sentence examples to show me the different ways modals express their time/tense--since I was told usually time adverbials in the sentence do this.