In English, ‘Could’ can be used to talk about the past, the present or the future.

‘Could’ is a past form of ‘can’.

• When I was living in Dublin, I could walk to work.
• He phoned to say he couldn’t come.
• I could see him clearly but I couldn’t hear him and then the videoconference line went dead.

‘Could’ is used to make polite requests. We can also use ‘can’ for these but ‘could’ is more polite.

• Could you help me for my English homework, please?
• Could you lend me some money?
• Could I have a lift?
• Could I bother you for a moment?

If we use ‘could’ in reply to these requests, it suggests that we do not really want to do it. If you agree to the request, it is better to say ‘can’.

• Of course I can.
• I could help you if it’s really necessary but I’m really busy right now.
• I could lend you some money but I’d need it back tomorrow without fail.
• I could give you a lift as far as Birmingham.

‘Could’ is used to talk about theoretical possibility and is similar in meaning to ‘might’.

• It could rain later. Take an umbrella.
• He could be there by now.
• Could he be any happier?
• It could be Sarah’s.

In English, we use ‘can’ to talk about ‘possibility’.

Notice that there are two negative forms: ‘can’t’ and ‘cannot’. These mean exactly the same thing. When we are speaking, we usually say ‘can’t’.

We use ‘can’ to talk about ‘ability’.

We use ‘can’ to ask for and give permission. (We also use ‘may’ for this but is more formal and much less common.)

We use ‘can’ in offers, requests and instructions.

We use ‘can’ with ’see’ ‘hear’ ‘feel’ ’smell’ ‘taste’ to talk about something which is happening now . (Where you would use the present continuous with most other verbs.)

We can use ‘can’t’ for deduction. The opposite of ‘can’t’ in this context is ‘must’.

In English, there is often very little difference between the present perfect simple and the present perfect continuous. In many cases, both are equally adequate.

• I’ve lived in Dublin for 10 years and she has been living here for 12 years.
• They’ve been working here for a long time and Andy has worked here for even longer.

When we want to emphasize the action, we use the continuous form.

• I’ve been working really hard lately in the language school.
• She’s been having a hard time.

When we want to emphasize the result of the action, we use the simple form.

• I’ve phoned 32 people today.
• She’s written a 64 page report in English.

Look at these examples to see the contrast.

• I’ve been driving for 5 hours and I’ve driven 500 miles.
• She’s been speaking on the phone for 20 minutes and she’s not managed to convince him yet.
• We’ve been talking about this for month and we still haven’t found a solution.

If an action is finished and you can see the results, use the continuous form.

• Your eyes are red. You’ve been crying.
• You’re out of breath. Have you been running?

If you use the words ‘ever’ or ‘never’, use the simple form.

• I’ve never met her.
• Have you ever heard anything so strange in your life?

‘Shall’ is fairly uncommon in modern English.

We can use it to make offers or suggestions and to ask for advice.

• Shall I open the window?
• Shall we start the meeting?
• What time shall we start the English lesson?
• What dress shall I wear?

That is really all you need to know about ’shall’ in modern English. Only read the rest of this if you want to know more about how some older speakers still use ’shall’.

In older English grammar, ’shall’ was used as an alternative to ‘will’ with ‘I’ and ‘we’. Today, ‘will’ is normally used. When we do use ’shall’, it has an idea of a more personal, subjective future.

• I shall go to see the boss and I shall ask him to explain this decision.

Notice that the negative of ’shall’ can be ’shall not’ or ’shan’t’ – though the second one is now very rare in American English.

• I don’t like these people and I shall not go to their party.
• I shan’t object if you go without me.

There is no one ‘future tense’ in English. There are 4 future forms. The one which is used most often in spoken English is ‘going to’, not ‘will’.

In English, we use ‘going to’ when we want to talk about a plan for the future.

• I’m going to learn English today.
• They’re going to do their homework next month.
• We’re going to have lunch first.
• She’s going to see what she can do.
• I’m not going to talk for very long.

Notice that this plan doesn’t have to be for the near future.

• When I retire I’m going to go back to Barbados to live.
• In ten years time, I’m going to be boss of my own language school.

We use ‘going to’ when we want to make a prediction based on evidence we can see now.

• Look out! That cup is going to fall off.
• Look at those black clouds. It’s going to rain soon.
• These figures are really bad. We’re going to make a loss.
• You look very tired. You’re going to need to stop soon.

We can replace ‘going to go’ by ‘going’.

• I’m going out later.
• She’s going to her English lesson tomorrow.

What are Modal Verbs?

In English, modal verbs are special verbs which behave differently from normal verbs. Here are some important variances:

1. Modal verbs do not take “-s” in the third person.

2. You use “not” to make modal verbs negative, even in Simple Present and Simple Past.

3. Many modal verbs cannot be used in the past tenses or the future tenses.

Common Modal Verbs

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Learn the Future Perfect with “LearnEnglishInDublin”.

This page will teach you the structure and use of the Future Perfect Simple Tense in English.

The Future Perfect is used to show the time by which something finishes. For example:
- I will have finished by 4.00. - By 4.00 I will finish a certain activity.

Form

The Future Continuous is made with will + have + the past participle. For example:
- I will have arrived by 4.00.
- They will have left by next week.
- He will have gone to America by the end of the month.

Negatives add not, for example:
- I won’t have arrived by 4.00.
- They won’t have left by next week.
- He won’t have gone to America until next month.

Questions invert will and the subject, for example:
- Will you have arrived by 4.00?
- Will they have left by next week?
- Will he have gone to America by next month?

Usage

The Future Perfect shows the time before which something will finish. For example:
- Next Friday, I‘ll have worked here for 5 years.
When next Friday comes, it will be 5 years since I started working here.

We often use by to show the time before which something is completed, for example:
- Can I borrow you book? - You can have it tomorrow, I‘ll have read it by then.
- I‘ll have left by the time you arrive.

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Learn the Preposition and Conjunctions :

In English, a preposition is a word used to express some relation of different things or thoughts to each other, and is generally placed before a noun or a pronoun.

And a conjunction is a word used to connect words or sentences in construction, and to show the dependence of the terms so connected.

Like

Like can be used as a preposition, it means something is similar to or resembles something else. For example:

- She looks like my friend Mona. (She looks similar to Mona)

- She sings like a bird. (Her voice reminds me of a bird)

As

As can be used as a conjunction to show similarity, it means to do something in the same way as something else. For example:

- Do as your teacher says. (Do the same as what your teacher says.)

- I called John as you asked. (I called John, which is the same as what you asked me to do.)

As can also be used as a preposition, it is used to refer to a particular event or situation. For example:

- I used to work as a teacher.

- He’s younger than his friends, but they treat him as an equal.

- He started as a one-man business, but now he employs over 200 people.

Like or As?

Like and as (conjunction) can have similar meanings. Here’s where you use each one:

Like is used with any kind of noun, for example:

- She’s like an angel.

- My brother is like me.

- Reading a book is like having a conversation with the world’s greatest thinkers.

As (conjunction) comes before a subject + verb, for example:

- Don’t change anything, I like it as it is.

- Do as you like.

- We left early as you suggested.

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Learn the Past Perfect

En English the Past Perfect is used to connect two past times: a previous past time with a later one. In practice it is used to talk about events that happened before a certain past time. For example:
- When I arrived, the plane had left. - Before I left (past time), the plane left (previous past time)
- Before I went to Canada, I hadn’t been abroad. - I went to France (past time), and before that time I never went abroad (previous past time).

Form

The Past Perfect is made with had and the past participle. For example:
- I had eaten
- She had played
- They had flown
and so on.

Usage

As mentioned the Past Perfect connects two past times: a past situation and another one before it. There are few rules, so here are some examples to help you see how it’s used.
- I wasn’t busy yesterday. I had already finished my work.
I wasn’t busy in one past time, because previously I had finished my work.
- I ate a small lunch, because I’d already eaten a big breakfast.
I ate lunch at one past time, and I ate breakfast at a previous past time.
- When I arrived, the concert had just started.
I arrived in the past, and the concert started sometime before.

Past Perfect - Present Perfect

The Present Perfect connects the past and the present tense, for example:
- I haven’t eaten today, so I want some food.

The Past Perfect connects two past times, for example:
- I hadn’t eaten yesterday, so I wanted some food.

Similarly:
- We don’t need an umbrella because the rain has stopped.
- We didn’t need an umbrella, because the rain had stopped.

You can learn the Past simple English Tense with going to here:

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Learn the Future - Will/Shall

Will is a modal verb used in English to indicate future time. For example:
- It will be sunny tomorrow.
- The new restaurant will open next week.

Will comes after the subject and before the main verb, and in questions the subject and will invert. Will often contracts to ‘ll, for example he’ll, they’ll, and in negatives will not often contracts to won’t.
Affirmative

He will / He’ll stay at home tomorrow.
They will / They’ll be very busy.

Negative

I will not / won’t stay at home tomorrow.
They will not / won’t be very busy.

Question

Will he stay at home tomorrwo?
Will they be busy?

Usage

Will is used for future predictions and facts. For example:
- We’ll finish it by tonight.
- We have a lot of time. We won’t be late.
- “Where will you go next year?” “I’ll go to America.”

Will is also used to make a spontaneous response. For example:
Offer: - “The telephone’s ringing.” “I’ll answer it.”
Promise: - “I’ll never leave you” - “I’ll give it to you tomorrow morning.”
Request: - “Will you wait for me this evening?”
Will for requests is quite strong and often used when the expected answer is “Yes”. Otherwise can is more polite: “Can you wait for me this evening?”
Threat: - “You’ll be sorry!”
Order: - “You will not eat my chocolate-chip cookies!”

Shall

Shall is used in English with only I and we to make questions. For example:
“Shall I open the window?”

It can also be used to make statements, but this is formal and old-fashioned.
“We shall arrive at 6.00.”

You can learn the Future English tense with going to here.

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