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Anonymous Posted 18 years ago
Grammar

use of modals for past sense

0Hi,02br
02br
00If you want to express what you did yesterday, I think you would write like this:02br
02br
01i00I washed my car yesterday.02i02br
02br
00If you want to add elements of intent, possibility, etc. to the event that might have taken place yesterday, I think you would resort to the use of modals.02br
02br
00I01i00 must/should/would/might have washed my car yesterday.02i02br
02br
00Am I right?02br
02br
00But the use of these forms seems to have limitations in that there aren't any other forms that can be used for the event before that, but instead, the same above modal forms must be used. 02br
02br
01i00I 01u00must/should/would/might have washed02u00 my friend's car yesterday afternoon during his birthday party, and I01u00 must/should/would/might have was02u00hed my neighbor's car when I started to leave for his birthday party yersterday morning. 02i0-
  

Top answer

0 00If you want to add 01u 00negative02u 00 elements of intent, possibility, etc. 02i 02br 02br 02br 00The use of these forms seems to have limitations in that there aren't any other forms that can be used for the event before that, but instead, the same above modal forms must be used. 02u 02br 02br 01i 00I 01u 00must/should/would/might have washed02u 00 my friend's car yesterday afternoon during his birthday party, and I01u 00 must/should/would/might have was02u 00hed my neighbor's car when I started to leave for his birthday party yesterday morning.

— 26TMNTJG2PG

  • 0 00If you want to add 01u 00negative02u 00 elements of intent, possibility, etc.
  • 02i 02br 02br 02br 00The use of these forms seems to have limitations in that there aren't any other forms that can be used for the event before that, but instead, the same above modal forms must be used.
  • 02u 02br 02br 01i 00I 01u 00must/should/would/might have washed02u 00 my friend's car yesterday afternoon during his birthday party, and I01u 00 must/should/would/might have was02u 00hed my neighbor's car when I started to leave for his birthday party yesterday morning.
  • 02u 00 02i 0-
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7 Answers
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0 00If you want to add 01u00negative02u00 elements of intent, possibility, etc. to the event that might have taken place yesterday but 01u00did not02u00, you would resort to the use of modals.02br
02br
02br
00I01i00 must/should/would/might have washed my car yesterday.02i02br
02br
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0> the use of these forms seems to have limitations in that there aren't any other forms that can be used for the event before that, but instead, the same above modal forms must be used.02br
00I agree that there are not many levels in the past that you can expreess when using "have" with the modals, but your last sentence is awful. Find something better in the literature and
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0I have learned it is incorrect to write the auxiliary verb 'must' in the past.02br
02br
00I must go to the gym now. [ In 2 hours I am leaving for the gym.]02br
02br
00I must go the gym tomorrow. 02br
00Yesterday I had to go to the gym. --> This is correct.02br
02br
00Yesterday I must go to the gym. --> This is incorr
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0 BTW, placing too many subjunctive mood forms in the same sentence (as you do in the last sentence) is not recommended. Restrain yourself, if you want to keep clarity to your sentences. 0-
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1i00I 01b00must have02b00 washed the car yesterday, but I don't quite remember. 02br
02i02br
00is correct, but it lacks the obligation of01b00 had02b00. 02br
00Instead, it shows the probability, meaning:02br
01i00It's very probable that I washed the car yesterday02i00, but
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1blockquote
01cite10Anonymous12cite10But the use of these forms seems to have limitations in that there aren't any other forms that can be used for the event before that, but instead, the same above modal forms must be used. 12blockquote
10Yep, but it's not a limitation, is it? You can express yourself quite well anyway. 050010id
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0 01blockquote
01cite10Anonymous12cite10the use of these forms seems to have limitations12blockquote
10 Yes. The modals are sometimes called "defective verbs", meaning that they cannot be conjugated in all the tenses available for other verbs. If you need the subtleties of those tenses, you have to switch to some other verb or equ
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