Paraphrasing using modals.

Question

Dear experts,Could you please correct these uses of modals?I'm trying to rewrite the following sentences using the suitable modal without changing the original meaning.1) It was a beautiful day, but we stayed inside.It was beautiful day, we should have stayed inside.2) My tutor reproached me for using a pencil when I did my homework.I shouldn't have used a pencil when I did my homework.3) I have little bit of fever, and I have been sneezing a lot for the past hour.I must have caught a cold.4) When they returned from their vacation, they looked very refreshed.They must have enjoyed their vacation.5) We wanted to take a drive to Smithtown, but we ended up in Bordentown instead.We lost our way to Smithtown, we should have taken a map with us.6) She took woolen clothes when when went to to Florida on her trip.She needn't have taken woolen clothes when she went to Florida on her trip.7) During the break in my English class, some of the students were speaking Spanish and French.They shouldn't have spoken Spanish and French during the break in my English class.8) I got up late and missed the train.I shouldn't have got up late. I missed the train.9) They haven't received the E-mail yet. Perhaps, I had forgotten to put in their exact E-mail address.They haven't received the E-mail yet. I may may have forgotten to in their exact E-mail address.10) When I saw him on the street, he didn't day hello.He should have said hello, when I saw him in the street.Thanks a lot.

Angel girl1 · Accepted Answer

Please help me.

Nugso · Answer

Hello

1-) Even though it was a beautiful day, we stayed inside OR If you really want to use 'should have'; It was a beatiful day, we should NOT have stayed inside.

2-) Should not it have been better if you had used when I was doing my homework? ( I'm not an expert, so I'm not sure, sorry.)

8) If only I had not gotten up late, I would/might not have missed the train.

9) They have not recieved the E-mail yet, I may have forgetten to put their exact E-mail adress.( Not sure if in is necessary)

10) Despite seeing me on the street, he did not say hello.
Did not 'should have said' change the meaning of sentence?

Again; I'm not an expert nor a native speaker. I'm not 100% sure whether my corrections are correct. Let's wait the experts' opinion.

Hope I helped a bit.

CalifJim · Answer

angel girl1I'm trying to rewrite the following sentences using the suitable modal without changing the original meaning.

I hope you realize that this is not always possible. I take it that the second sentence in each case represents your attempt to introduce a modal.

1) It was a beautiful day, but we stayed inside.
It was beautiful day, we should have stayed inside. Changes the meaning.

2) My tutor reproached me for using a pencil when I did my homework.
I shouldn't have used a pencil when I did my homework. Changes the meaning very much.

3) I have little bit of fever, and I have been sneezing a lot for the past hour.
I must have caught a cold. Almost no resemblance to the original.

4) When they returned from their vacation, they looked very refreshed.
They must have enjoyed their vacation. As with 3.

I guess I don't understand what you're trying to do. It's certainly not in conformance with the task quoted above, so I'm not even going to comment on the rest of them.

CJ

Angel girl1 · Answer

Thanks a lot.

CalifJimI guess I don't understand what you're trying to do. It's certainly not in conformance with the task quoted above, so I'm not even going to comment on the rest of them.

I don't know the reason behind your rough way of talking, but could you please show me, just in one example,how a paraphrased sentence will be in conformance with the task quoted above, in order to know how I did them wrongly by comparison.

Angel girl1 · Answer

I just want to add that the purpose of this exercise is to ensure that the student grasp the use of modals, not to give sentences that have severe similarity in meaning with other sentences.

"There are no facts, only interpretations" - Nietzsche

This is not mathematics "1- Two and two are four" = "Two plus two makes four" .

CalifJim · Answer

angel girl1to rewrite the following sentences ... without changing the original meaning

OK. Let's back up and start again. My understanding, from what is quoted above, is that you are changing something like this:

I have little bit of fever, and I have been sneezing a lot for the past hour.

To something like this:

I must have caught a cold.

And claiming that the two sentences have the same meaning.

Now there is no way that if someone tells me "I must have caught a cold" that I will know that they have a little bit of fever, and I certainly will not know that they have been sneezing a lot for the past hour. In the statement "I must have caught a cold" there is no mention of fever or sneezing, so the two sentences can't possibly have the same meaning.

I also know that you know they don't have the same meaning, so that means I have misunderstood what you really want to accomplish here, and I need some clarification before I can help. Are you just looking for some sort of comment that a person might make on hearing the first sentence? It seems that way, but I can't be sure because you specifically stated that you want something that doesn't change the original meaning, and yet uses a modal verb.

As I said, it's not always possible to do this, and I don't see a way of doing it at all for any of the sentences you presented. The example given above, to take just one, is a very plain statement about fever and sneezing. There is nothing modal in it - nothing about being able (can), being possible (may, might), being obligatory (must, have to) - so there is no way to restate it with a modal. It seems as though you are trying to do the impossible!

CJ

Angel girl1 · Answer

Thanks a lot for your comment.

CalifJimNow there is no way that if someone tells me "I must have caught a cold" that I will know that they have a little bit of fever, and I certainly will not know that they have been sneezing a lot for the past hour. In the statement "I must have caught a cold" there is no mention of fever or sneezing, so the two sentences can't possibly have the same meaning.

I see what you mean, but fever and sneezing are some of the symptoms of cold.

First and foremost, you are the expert, this is your language in addition to that you may also have much experience than me (age).

Thanks a lot again.

Paraphrasing using modals.

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