EngQuizzitive -13 (grammar) : Answers

Kia ora friends,

This week's grammar quiz was based on helper verbs also called as Auxillaries.These verbs are called helper verbs coz they help in changing the tense and also help indicate the tense [we would begin with our tense quizzes next week onwards].

There are two types of Auxillaries:

• Primary Auxillaries
• Modal Auxillaries

Primary Auxillaries (PA) : there are three primary auxillaries :

1. to be [ am,is,are,was,were]
2. have [has,had]
3. do [does,did]

PA are tense indicators and can be used as main verbs and helper verbs.
eg She is playing in the garden.[here 'is' is a helper verb]
    She is in the garden.[here 'is' is the main verb]

Modal Auxillaries (MA) : they are used to indicate the mood of the verb in a sentence.They help identify the relationship between the speaker and the listener or writer and the reader.

The meanings that the modals convey depend on their usage.The following table would help you differentiate among the different meanings conveyed by different modals.

Modal Auxiliaries              Basic meaning                                  Derived meaning


May                                 Probability (AE)*                                 Permission, polite conversation
Might                               Past probability                                   Indicates negativity
Shall                                Future tense (BE)/used for first            Probability (BE)*

                                       person: I/We
Should                            Past of shall Advice                             past probability, if
Can                                Ability (animate)                                  Authority
Could                             Past ability                                          Request (informal)
Will                                Future tense (AE)                                Surety
Would                            Past of will                                          Request (formal)
Needs to                        Necessity
Ought to                        Obligation
Must                             Compulsion
Has to                           Present compulsion
Had to                          Past compulsion
Had better                    Threat/warning

*AE:American English BE: British English
 
Answers
 

1. One ought to help the needy. [since it is a moral obligation]
2. May I come in ? [ if you are asking for permission] / Can I come in ? [if you want to indicate authority] {answer both 1 and 2}
3. John should study tonight .[advice been given to John] / John must study tonight.[compulsion]/John had better study tonight.[threatening John] {answer all the above depending on the meaning to be conveyed}
4. Should / If you have a problem let me know.
5. Would you like to have a cup of coffee? [ formal conversation]

If you have any queries do post them in the comments section of this post.

Auf Weidersehen.