Download Modal Verbs and Conditionals and more Study notes English in PDF only on Docsity! Modal Verbs Permission – The act of allowing someone to do something. To express permission, we normally use modals. Modals used in asking for permission are can, could, and may. Can – Most informal modal that is best used in casual conversations with someone you are close to, such as a friend. Could – Little more formal than can and is also considered more polite. May – Most formal and most polite among the three and is used particularly when speaking with older persons or people of authority. Obligation – Is a duty or a responsibility that someone is bound to do. Modals used for expressing obligation are should, must, and ought to. Must – Used to express that something is compulsory. Ought to – Expresses that something is the right thing to do such as when it is a duty, or when it is morally right thing to do. Should – Used for expressing what we think is the right or correct thing to do in a particular situation. Prohibition – The act of not allowing someone to do something. In expressing prohibition, the modal verbs are cannot and must not. Cannot (can’t) – Suggests that something is against the rules. Must not (mustn’t) – Implies that the prohibition is directly from the speaker. Conditionals Conditionals are grammatical structures or sentence patterns used to express hypothetical or conditional relationships between different events, actions, or situations. They often involve an "if" clause (the condition) and a main clause (the result). Conditionals are used to talk about possibilities, probabilities, hypothetical situations, cause-and-effect relationships, and more. Zero Conditional – Used to express general truths, facts, or scientific laws. Format: If + present tense + present tense Example: If you heat the water, it boils. First Conditional (Real Conditional) – Used to express a real possibility or a likely future event. Format: If + present tense + will + base form Example: If he steps on the banana, he will slip. Second Conditional (Unreal Conditional) – Used to express hypothetical or unlikely conditions and potential result. Format: If + simple past tense + would + base form Example: If I won the lottery, I would buy my dream car. Third Conditional (Past Unreal Conditional) – Used to talk about hypothetical situations in the past and their imaginary outcomes. Format: If + past perfect + would have + past participle Example: If he had studied harder, he would have passed the exam. Arguments Arguments within conditionals refer to the reasoning and evidence used to support the validity or truth of the conditional statement. It is possible to turn conditional statements into an argument if you change the way it is formed. Taking the antecedent (the first part) of a conditional statement and saying it is true will make it into an argument, since the statement now has a premise and a conclusion. Arguments within conditionals (The highlighted areas in the argument section are the evidences that support your argument) Zero Conditional Argument Conditional Statement: If you heat the water to 100 degrees Celsius, it boils.
