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05 Should Would & Could

This document discusses the auxiliary verbs would, should, and could. [1] While technically the past tenses of will, shall, and can, respectively, these verbs have additional uses beyond the past tense. [2] Would can express preference, wishes, or polite requests. Should can show obligation or likelihood. Could can indicate past ability, possibility, tentativeness, or politeness. [3] Examples are provided for the different uses of each verb.

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Chay Sey
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389 views2 pages

05 Should Would & Could

This document discusses the auxiliary verbs would, should, and could. [1] While technically the past tenses of will, shall, and can, respectively, these verbs have additional uses beyond the past tense. [2] Would can express preference, wishes, or polite requests. Should can show obligation or likelihood. Could can indicate past ability, possibility, tentativeness, or politeness. [3] Examples are provided for the different uses of each verb.

Uploaded by

Chay Sey
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Course 

: 06
WOULD, SHOULD, COULD

Would, should and could are three auxiliary verbs that can be defined as past tenses of will,
shall, and can; however, you may learn more from seeing sentences using these auxiliaries
than from definitions. Examples of usage follow.

Would

Technically, would is the past tense of will, but it is an auxiliary verb that has many uses,
some of which even express the present tense. It can be used in the following ways:

1) To ask questions:

Would you like some pie? = Do you want some pie?


Would you turn in your assignment now? = Please turn in your assignment now.

2) With who, what, when, where, why, how:


How would the neighbors react?
3) To make polite requests:
I would like more coleslaw, please. = I want more coleslaw, please.
4) To show preference between two choices, used with rather or sooner:
I would rather handwrite than type. = I prefer handwriting instead in typing.
5) To show wish or desire:
We wish that he would go. = We want him to go.

Should
Technically, should is the past tense of shall, but it is an auxiliary verb with a few uses, not all
of which are in the past tense, namely, the following:

1) To ask questions:
Should I turn in my assignment now?
2) To show obligation:
You should floss and brush your teeth after every meal.
3) To express what is likely:
With an early start, they should be here by noon.

Could
Technically, could is the past tense of can, but it is an auxiliary verb with a few uses, not all of
which are in the past tense, namely the following:

1) As the past tense of can:


In those days, all the people could build houses.

2) To ask questions:
Could I leave now?

3) To show possibility:
You could study harder than you do.

4) To express tentativeness or politeness:


I could be wrong.
Could you come over here, please?

 Don’t use “to” after should, could, and would:

You shouldn’t to smoke.


You shouldn’t smoke.

We could to order pizza tonight.


We could order pizza tonight.

I would to buy a new car if I had the money.


I would buy a new car if I had the money.

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