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Usenet Posted 22 years ago
Usage
Modals in the Past
How would you put the following sentences into a past form? It should be easy, but I'm not quite sure about the usage of "might" and "might have" in the past *.
1) "He might be dead"
2) "Tomorrow she may call me"
3) "Don't talk to him. He might be a stranger"
* I've already looked them up in "Practical English Usage" and "Advanced English Practice" (OUP).
Bye, FB
Io ho deciso di rifiutarmi di vederlo: Ettore con la faccia di Eric Banana mi fa venire i conati.
(commento sul film "Troy" su it.fan.scrittori.tolkien)
1) "He might be dead"
2) "Tomorrow she may call me"
3) "Don't talk to him. He might be a stranger"
* I've already looked them up in "Practical English Usage" and "Advanced English Practice" (OUP).
Bye, FB
Io ho deciso di rifiutarmi di vederlo: Ettore con la faccia di Eric Banana mi fa venire i conati.
(commento sul film "Troy" su it.fan.scrittori.tolkien)
Top answer
[nq:1]How would you put the following sentences into a past form? [/nq] It's easy, indeed. [nq:1]1) "He might be dead"[/nq] The heir told himself hopefully: "He might be dead".
- [nq:1]How would you put the following sentences into a past form?
- [/nq] It's easy, indeed.
- [nq:1]1) "He might be dead"[/nq] The heir told himself hopefully: "He might be dead".
- " [nq:1]3) "Don't talk to him.
- He might be a stranger"[/nq] His aunt admonished him: "Don't talk to him.
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24 Answers
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[nq:1]How would you put the following sentences into a past form? It should be easy, but I'm not quite sure about the usage of "might" and "might have" in the past *.[/nq]
It's easy, indeed.
[nq:1]1) "He might be dead"[/nq]
The heir told himself hopefully: "He might be dead".
[nq:1]2) "Tomorrow she may call me".[/nq]
He said hopefully: "Tomorrow she may call me."
[nq:1]3) "
It's easy, indeed.
[nq:1]1) "He might be dead"[/nq]
The heir told himself hopefully: "He might be dead".
[nq:1]2) "Tomorrow she may call me".[/nq]
He said hopefully: "Tomorrow she may call me."
[nq:1]3) "
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I didn't mean direct speech. The third, for example, should be something like "I told him not to talk to him, because...".
Thank you for your answer, anyway.
Ciao, FB
L'importante è che risplenda tu, sola primadonna e immarcescibile leggenda del tuo pianerottolo.
(Lucangel su it.cultura.libri)
Thank you for your answer, anyway.
Ciao, FB
L'importante è che risplenda tu, sola primadonna e immarcescibile leggenda del tuo pianerottolo.
(Lucangel su it.cultura.libri)
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FB wrote on 06 Jul 2004:
[nq:2]The heir told himself hopefully: "He might be dead". He ... him: "Don't talk to him. He might be a stranger".[/nq]
[nq:1]I didn't mean direct speech. The third, for example, should be something like "I told him not to talk to him, because...". Thank you for your answer, anyway.[/nq]
She told me that he might be dead.
She said that tomorrow she might c
[nq:2]The heir told himself hopefully: "He might be dead". He ... him: "Don't talk to him. He might be a stranger".[/nq]
[nq:1]I didn't mean direct speech. The third, for example, should be something like "I told him not to talk to him, because...". Thank you for your answer, anyway.[/nq]
She told me that he might be dead.
She said that tomorrow she might c
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[nq:1]FB wrote on 06 Jul 2004: She told me that he might be dead. She said that tomorrow she might call me. She told me not to talk to him, because he might be a stranger.[/nq]
Thank you. What if, instead, some people were speculating, now, about the past?
1) - They found a man lying on their carpet. They knew they must dosomething, but they didn't want to touch him. They were frightened.
Thank you. What if, instead, some people were speculating, now, about the past?
1) - They found a man lying on their carpet. They knew they must dosomething, but they didn't want to touch him. They were frightened.
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FB wrote on 06 Jul 2004:
[nq:2]FB wrote on 06 Jul 2004: She told me that ... to talk to him, because he might be a stranger.[/nq]
[nq:1]Thank you. What if, instead, some people were speculating, now, about the past? 1) - They found a man lying ... told me not to talk to him. - Why? - He ("might be", "might have been"?) a stranger, I guess.[/nq]
Yes, in this case, you use the perfect as
[nq:2]FB wrote on 06 Jul 2004: She told me that ... to talk to him, because he might be a stranger.[/nq]
[nq:1]Thank you. What if, instead, some people were speculating, now, about the past? 1) - They found a man lying ... told me not to talk to him. - Why? - He ("might be", "might have been"?) a stranger, I guess.[/nq]
Yes, in this case, you use the perfect as
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[nq:1]How would you put the following sentences into a past form? 1) "He might be dead" 2) "Tomorrow she may call me" 3) "Don't talk to him. He might be a stranger"[/nq]
I don't quite understand the question, because I can't see how any of these make sense in the past.
"He might have been dead" implies that although it is possible that he was dead at some time in the past, he is not dead n
I don't quite understand the question, because I can't see how any of these make sense in the past.
"He might have been dead" implies that although it is possible that he was dead at some time in the past, he is not dead n
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[nq:1]How would you put the following sentences into a past form? It should be easy, but I'm not quite sure about the usage of "might" and "might have" in the past *. 1) "He might be dead"[/nq]
He might have been dead
[nq:1]2) "Tomorrow she may call me"[/nq]
She might have called me the next day
[nq:1]3) "Don't talk to him. He might be a stranger"[/nq]
I warned against talking
He might have been dead
[nq:1]2) "Tomorrow she may call me"[/nq]
She might have called me the next day
[nq:1]3) "Don't talk to him. He might be a stranger"[/nq]
I warned against talking
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[nq:1]Yes, in this case, you use the perfect aspect:[/nq]
Oh, wonderful, I see. I don't think I quite understand the second sentence:
[nq:1]I suppose he thought that she might have called him.[/nq]
As the modal is in a subordinate clause, I would have thought "might" to be more suitable:
"I suppose he thought that she might (the day after) call him"
But maybe the meaning was no
Oh, wonderful, I see. I don't think I quite understand the second sentence:
[nq:1]I suppose he thought that she might have called him.[/nq]
As the modal is in a subordinate clause, I would have thought "might" to be more suitable:
"I suppose he thought that she might (the day after) call him"
But maybe the meaning was no
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John Dean typed thus:
[nq:1]I warned against talking to him. He might have been a stranger. (NB - this is weird in the original. ... know. But if you can't recognise them, there's no question of 'might be a stranger' - they are a stranger.[/nq]
- Mr Speaker, Sir, I have spotted a gentleman in the public gallery whom I do not recognise. He might be a stranger.
- Mr Speaker,
[nq:1]I warned against talking to him. He might have been a stranger. (NB - this is weird in the original. ... know. But if you can't recognise them, there's no question of 'might be a stranger' - they are a stranger.[/nq]
- Mr Speaker, Sir, I have spotted a gentleman in the public gallery whom I do not recognise. He might be a stranger.
- Mr Speaker,
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[nq:2]2) "Tomorrow she may call me"[/nq]
[nq:1]She might have called me the next day[/nq]
Can this mean that she might actually have called him or not?
- He wouldn't leave for Rome.
- Why?
- She might have called him the next day.
- Did she call the next day?
- Yes, she did.
Right?
I'm not sure I understand the usage of tenses in English with modals. Why:
[nq:1]She might have called me the next day[/nq]
Can this mean that she might actually have called him or not?
- He wouldn't leave for Rome.
- Why?
- She might have called him the next day.
- Did she call the next day?
- Yes, she did.
Right?
I'm not sure I understand the usage of tenses in English with modals. Why:
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