Modal verbs

Question

I have a few problem with modal verbs and how to use them. For example this sentence: "Certain things should be carried in your bag"

How do you use "carried" here? As a participle or some kind of passive verbform? Could you actually change the sentence to different kind of times, like:

"Certain things should have been carried..."
"Certain things should had been carried..."
"Certain things should will be carried..." (sounds wrong, but why?)

How could you say the sentence above in simple past tense?

I am a little bit confused because of the infinitive "be" in the sentence - this sounds like "carried" is used rather as an adjective phrase and not as a time form. I hope you understand what I'm trying to say

Thank you

(I would be very grateful for a good english website explaining the propper use of modal verbs)

Fivejedjon · Accepted Answer

Modals are followed by a bare infinitive. ... should had carried is not possible.

Be is a bare infinitive. When it is followed by a past participle, it is a passive infinitive. ... should be carried is a passive infinitive following should.

... should have carried is a modal perfect form, active. ... should have been carried is a modal perfect form, passive.

Modals cannot be used together. ... should will be carried is not possible.

CalifJim · Answer

AnonymousCould you actually change the sentence to different kind of times

No.

Modal tenses are different from the tenses of other verbs. The modals only have two "times" — non-past and past. (Non-past includes present and future.)

Non-past: can, could, shall, should, will, would, may, might, must [+ plain form of the verb]
Past: can have, could have, shall have, should have, will have, would have, may have, might have, must have [+ past participle of the verb]

Examples:

George may want to rest for an hour when he gets to the hotel. (Maybe he will want to rest ...)
George may have wanted to rest for an hour when he got to the hotel. (Maybe he wanted to rest ...)

Lucy should join our book club. (It is advisable for her to join ...)
Lucy should have joined our book club. (It was advisable for her to join ..., but she did not.)
______________________________________________

You can change all of the patterns above into passive voice. Then you need to add be in the non-past and been in the past. In these you always add a past participle.

Non-past: can be, could be, shall be, should be, will be, would be, ... [+ past participle]
Past: can have been, could have been, shall have been, should have been, ... [+ past participle]

Compare active with passive below.

................. active voice .............................. > ......................... passive voice ..................................
You should carry these things in your bag. > These things should be carried in your bag.
You should have carried these things in your bag. > These things should have been carried in your bag.

See also for more information about modal verbs.

CJ

Fivejedjon · Answer

Note that (sometimes) could, might,should and would serve as past-tense forms of can, may, shall and would, for example,

I can run a mile in under five minutes.
I could run a mile in under five minutes when I was in college.

Luke will spend hours on his computer games.
When he was a child, Luke would spend hours on his computer games.

CalifJim · Answer

fivejedjonI can run a mile in under five minutes.

Or more appropriately in my case,

I might be able to walk a mile in five days.

CJ

Modal verbs

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