Future Conditionals

Future Real Conditional

FORM
[If / When ... Simple Present ..., ... Simple Future ...]
[... Simple Future ... if / when ... Simple Present ...]
Notice that there is no future in the if- or when-clause.

USE
The Future Real Conditional describes what you think you will do in a specific
situation in the future. It is different from other Real Conditional forms because,
unlike the present or the past, you do not know what will happen in the future.
Although this form is called "real", you are usually imagining or guessing about the
future. It is called "real" because it is still possible that the action might occur in the
future. Carefully study the following examples and compare them to the Future
Unreal Conditional examples further down the page.
Examples:
If I go to my friend's house for dinner tonight, I will take a bottle of wine or
some flowers.
I AM STILL NOT SURE IF I WILL GO TO HIS HOUSE OR NOT.

When I have a day off from work, I am going to go to the beach.

I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL I HAVE A DAY OFF.

If the weather is nice, she is going to walk to work.

IT DEPENDS ON THE WEATHER.

Jerry will help me with my homework when he has time.

I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL HE HAS TIME.

I am going to read if there is nothing on TV.

IT DEPENDS ON THE TV SCHEDULE.

A: What are you going to do if it rains?

B: I am going to stay at home.

IMPORTANT If / When
Both "if" and "when" are used in the Future Real Conditional, but the use is
different from other Real Conditional forms. In the Future Real Conditional, "if"

suggests that you do not know if something will happen or not. "When" suggests
that something will definitely happen at some point; we are simply waiting for it to
occur. Notice also that the Simple Future is not used in if-clauses or when-clauses.
Examples:
When you call me, I will give you the address.
YOU ARE GOING TO CALL ME LATER, AND AT THAT TIME, I WILL GIVE YOU THE ADDRESS.

If you call me, I will give you the address.

IF YOU WANT THE ADDRESS, YOU CAN CALL ME.

Future Unreal Conditional

FORM 1 (Most Common Form)
[If ... Simple Past ..., ... would + verb ...]
[... would + verb ... if ... Simple Past ...]
Notice that this form looks the same as Present Unreal Conditional.

USE
The Future Unreal Conditional is used to talk about imaginary situations in the
future. It is not as common as the Future Real Conditional because English
speakers often leave open the possibility that anything MIGHT happen in the
future. It is only used when a speaker needs to emphasize that something is
impossible. Because this form looks like Present Unreal Conditional, many native
speakers prefer Form 2 described below.
Examples:
If I had a day off from work next week, I would go to the beach.
I DON'T HAVE A DAY OFF FROM WORK.

I am busy next week. If I had time, I would come to your party.

I CAN'T COME.

Jerry would help me with my homework tomorrow if he didn't have to

work.
HE DOES HAVE TO WORK TOMORROW.

FORM 2
[If ... were + present participle ..., ... would be + present participle ...]
[... would be + present participle ... if ... were + present participle ...]

USE
Form 2 of the Future Unreal Conditional is also used to talk about imaginary
situations in the future. Native speakers often prefer this form over Form 1 to
emphasize that the conditional form is in the future rather than the present. Also
notice in the examples below that this form can be used in the if-clause, the result,
or both parts of the sentence.
Examples:
If I were going to Fiji next week, I would be taking my scuba diving gear
with me. In if-clause and result
I AM NOT GOING TO GO TO FIJI AND I AM NOT GOING TO TAKE MY SCUBA GEAR WITH ME.

If I were not visiting my grandmother tomorrow, I would help you

study. In if-clause
I AM GOING TO VISIT MY GRANDMOTHER TOMORROW.

I am busy next week. If I had time, I would be coming to your party. In

result
I AM NOT GOING TO COME TO YOUR PARTY.

FORM 3
[If ... were going to + verb ..., ... would be + present participle ...]
[... would be + present participle ... if ... were going to + verb ...]

USE
Form 3 of the Future Unreal Conditional is a variation of Form 2 which is also used
to talk about imaginary situations in the future. Notice that this form is only different
from Form 2 in the if-clause. Native speakers use Form 3 to emphasize that the
conditional form is a plan or prediction in the same way "be going to" is used to
indicate a plan or prediction.
Examples:
If I were going to go to Fiji next week, I would be taking my scuba diving
gear with me.
I AM NOT GOING TO GO TO FIJI AND I AM NOT GOING TO TAKE MY SCUBA GEAR WITH ME.

If I were not going to visit my grandmother tomorrow, I would help you

study.
I AM GOING TO VISIT MY GRANDMOTHER TOMORROW.

IMPORTANT Only use "If"

Only the word "if" is used with the Past Unreal Conditional because you are
discussing imaginary situations. "When" cannot be used.
Examples:
I would buy that computer tomorrow when it were cheaper. Not Correct
I would buy that computer tomorrow if it were cheaper. Correct

EXCEPTION Conditional with Modal Verbs

There are some special conditional forms for modal verbs in English:
would + can = could
would + shall = should
would + may = might
The words "can," "shall" and "may" cannot be used with "would." Instead, they
must be used in these special forms.
Examples:
If I went to Egypt next year, I would can learn Arabic. Unfortunately, that's
not possible. Not Correct
If I went to Egypt next year, I could learn Arabic. Unfortunately, that's not
possible. Correct
The words "could," should," "might" and "ought to" include conditional, so you
cannot combine them with "would."
Examples:
If I didn't have to work tonight, I would could go to the fitness center. Not
Correct
If I didn't have to work tonight, I could go to the fitness center. Correct

Future Real Conditional vs. Future Unreal Conditional

To help you understand the difference between the Future Real Conditional and
the Future Unreal Conditional, compare the examples below:
Examples:

 If you help me move tomorrow, I will buy you dinner. Future Real
Conditional
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN HELP ME.

If you helped me move tomorrow, I would buy you dinner. Future Unreal
Conditional
YOU CAN'T HELP ME, OR YOU DON'T WANT TO HELP ME.

EXERCISES AND RELATED TOPICS

Conditional Exercise 7 tests your knowledge of Future Real Conditional

Conditional Exercise 8 tests your knowledge of Future Real Conditional vs.
Future Unreal Conditional

Mixed Conditionals
Those of you who have been following the Conditional Tutorial should now be
familiar with present, past and future conditional verb forms. Sometimes Unreal
Conditional sentences are mixed. This means that the time in the if-clause is not
the same as the time in the result. Study the examples below to learn how to mix
conditional verb forms like a native speaker.
Verbs in green are in the Present Unreal Conditional.
Verbs in red are in the Past Unreal Conditional.
Verbs in purple are in the Future Unreal Conditional.

Mixed Conditional Patterns

PAST

PRESENT

Examples:
If I had won the lottery, I would be rich.
BUT I DIDN'T WIN THE LOTTERY IN THE PAST AND I AM NOT RICH NOW.

If I had taken French in high school, I would have more job opportunities.
BUT I DIDN'T TAKE FRENCH IN HIGH SCHOOL AND I DON'T HAVE MANY JOB OPPORTUNITIES.

If she had been born in the United States, she wouldn't need a visa to
work here.
BUT SHE WASN'T BORN IN THE UNITED STATES AND SHE DOES NEED A VISA NOW TO WORK
HERE.

PAST

FUTURE

Examples:
If she had signed up for the ski trip last week, she would be joining us
tomorrow.
BUT SHE DIDN'T SIGN UP FOR THE SKI TRIP LAST WEEK AND SHE ISN'T GOING TO JOIN US
TOMORROW.

If Mark had gotten the job instead of Joe, he would be moving to

Shanghai.
BUT MARK DIDN'T GET THE JOB AND MARK IS NOT GOING TO MOVE TO SHANGHAI.

If Darren hadn't wasted his Christmas bonus gambling in Las Vegas,

he would go to Mexico with us next month.
BUT DARREN WASTED HIS CHRISTMAS BONUS GAMBLING IN LAS VEGAS AND HE WON'T GO TO
MEXICO WITH US NEXT MONTH.

PRESENT

PAST

Examples:
If I were rich, I would have bought that Ferrari we saw yesterday.
BUT I AM NOT CURRENTLY RICH AND THAT IS WHY I DIDN'T BUY THE FERRARI YESTERDAY.

If Sam spoke Russian, he would have translated the letter for you.
BUT SAM DOESN'T SPEAK RUSSIAN AND THAT IS WHY HE DIDN'T TRANSLATE THE LETTER.

If I didn't have to work so much, I would have gone to the party last
night.
BUT I HAVE TO WORK A LOT AND THAT IS WHY I DIDN'T GO TO THE PARTY LAST NIGHT.

PRESENT

FUTURE

Examples:
If I didn't have so much vacation time, I wouldn't go with you on the cruise
to Alaska next week.
BUT I DO HAVE A LOT OF VACATION TIME AND I WILL GO ON THE TRIP NEXT WEEK.

If Cindy were more creative, the company would send her to New York to
work on the new advertising campaign.
BUT CINDY IS NOT CREATIVE AND THE COMPANY WON'T SEND HER TO NEW YORK TO WORK ON
THE NEW CAMPAIGN.

If Dan weren't so nice, he wouldn't be tutoring you in math tonight.

BUT DAN IS NICE AND HE IS GOING TO TUTOR YOU TONIGHT.

FUTURE

PAST

Examples:
If I weren't going on my business trip next week, I would have
accepted that new assignment at work.
BUT I AM GOING TO GO ON A BUSINESS TRIP NEXT WEEK, AND THAT IS WHY I DIDN'T ACCEPT
THAT NEW ASSIGNMENT AT WORK.

If my parents weren't coming this weekend, I would have planned a nice

trip just for the two of us to Napa Valley.
BUT MY PARENTS ARE GOING TO COME THIS WEEKEND, AND THAT IS WHY I DIDN'T PLAN A TRIP
FOR THE TWO OF US TO NAPA VALLEY.

If Donna weren't making us a big dinner tonight, I would have

suggested that we go to that nice Italian restaurant.
BUT SHE IS GOING TO MAKE US A BIG DINNER TONIGHT, AND THAT IS WHY I DIDN'T SUGGEST
THAT WE GO TO THAT NICE ITALIAN RESTAURANT.

FUTURE
Examples:

PRESENT

 If I were going to that concert tonight, I would be very excited.

BUT I AM NOT GOING TO GO TO THAT CONCERT TONIGHT AND THAT IS WHY I AM NOT EXCITED.

If Sandy were giving a speech tomorrow, she would be very nervous.

BUT SANDY IS NOT GOING TO GIVE A SPEECH TOMORROW AND THAT IS WHY SHE IN NOT
NERVOUS.

If Seb didn't come with us to the desert, everyone would be very

disappointed.
BUT SEB WILL COME WITH US TO THE DESERT AND THAT IS WHY EVERYONE IS SO HAPPY.

Learning English
When to use 'will', 'shall', 'would' and
'should'

Olga Novikova from Russia asks:

I use the BBC site and your English language
difficulties explanations very often and it helps
me a lot. The problem with general teaching is
that sometimes teachers don't pay attention to
the small puzzles and difficulties and students
have to study them for themselves. I have one
question which none of my teachers could
answer clearly. Here it is. What is the semantic
difference
between will and shall, would andshould in
modern English? Is there any difference at all
and, if so, what is it?
Roger replies:

more
questions

There is a lot to comment on in reply to this question. I will try

to cover some of the major aspects of usage
of will and shall,would and should, but to try to cover them
all would be too much for one reply.

1. There is no semantic difference when shall and will are used

to refer to the simple future. Will can be used in all persons. In
informal spoken English, remember that the affirmative
contraction is 'll and the negative contraction is won't. There is
no contracted form in the interrogative. Examples of usage
might be:

'The Government will consider lowering the age of

consent from 16 to 15.' (formal)

'I don't know if I can come, but I'll let you know by
Thursday.' (informal)

'Where will you be on Thursday? Will you be at home?'

(informal)

Shall is also sometimes used in the first person when it has the
same meaning as will. In informal spoken English, the
affirmative contraction is again 'll and the negative contracted

form is shan't.

'I shall never finish this essay - I've still got 2,000 words
to write!'

'I'll never finish this homework - I'm tired and I want to

go to bed!'

'I shan't ever be good enough to go to university - I just

haven't got the brains!'

Shall is often used in questions in the first person singular and

plural when making suggestions, making an offer or asking for
advice:

'Shall we go out for dinner tonight?'

'Shall I get more tomato juice when I'm at the

supermarket?'

'What shall we do now? We're clearly not going to get

there by nightfall.'

However, when we want to express a strong intention to do

something, we use will or 'll in the first person singular and
plural:

'Is that somebody at the door? I'll just go and see who it
is.'

'We'll get the cakes for the coffee morning tomorrow,

Jane.'

'No, no. I will. I'm the hostess, after all.'

2. There are three uses of should and would. Referring to the

present or future, should is often used as an alternative
to shallin connection with requests for advice or instruction:

'What do you think I should do now? Should I write him

a letter, send him an e-mail, or should I try to phone him
up?'

Should is often used to talk about obligation and duty as an

alternative to 'ought to':

'If you are still infectious, you should stay at home.

Youshouldn't be out and about, infecting everybody you

meet.'

'You really should open a bank account.

You shouldn'tkeep so much money in the house.'

'People with fierce dogs should keep them on a leash at

all times.'

Should is used after if when a slight possibility is suggested.

'If you should see her at the anniversary concert, do

give her my best regards.'

'If I should bump into Tony, do you want me to remind

him that he still owes you one hundred pounds?'

3. Would (or the contracted form 'd) is sometimes used as an

alternative to 'used to' when discussing past habits:

'When we were young, we would spend (we'd spend)

every summer holiday at the sea-side.'

'You would find him (you'd find him) sitting at the bar
every lunchtime, drinking that strong black beer and
chatting to the bartender until one day he was there no
longer.'

Would is also used to make polite requests:

'Would you be prepared to do all this work by yourself

without any assistance?'

'Would you (be so kind as to) pick Jennifer up from

school on Monday?'

Would (or its contracted form 'd in conversational English) is

also associated with the conditional in its simple, progressive,
perfect and passive aspects:

'There's no doubt about it. I would definitely

(I'ddefinitely) travel to Mexico with you, if I could afford
it.'

'You would still be (you'd still be) working for the World
Bank, if you hadn't kicked up such a fuss.'

'I would have told you (I'd have told you) all about it, if

you had phoned me.'

'If you wore smarter clothes, you would be invited

(you'dbe invited) to all the press conferences.'

Planned future actions

Timur from Belarus writes:
Are there any differences in the use of present progressive, future progressive and be
going to for planned future actions? Can you give me more examples of when we should use
future progressive?
Roger Woodham replies:
be going to: I'm going to visit my cousins in Leeds over the coming weekend.
future progressive: I'll be visiting my cousins in Leeds over the coming weekend.
present progressive: I'm visiting my cousins in Leeds over this coming weekend.
We can use all three of these forms to talk about planned future actions, Timur, and there is not a
great deal of difference between them.
I'm visiting my cousins in Leeds over this coming weekend.
The present progressive is most used for arrangements in the near future, usually when time and
place have already been decided:
What are you doing after the lesson?
I'm meeting Ronnie for a coffee.
Where are you meeting him?.
I'm meeting him under the clock at Victoria Station.
What are you doing tonight?
I'm staying in. I've got loads of emails to reply to.
I'll be visiting my cousins in Leeds over this coming weekend.The future progressive is also
used to refer to planned future events. We often use it to make polite enquiries about people's
plans:
Will you be staying in tonight?
No I won't. I'm going out. I have to see Brian to plan the trip to Greece.
Will you be staying in Bristol for very long?
No, just for a few days. Then we're moving on to Cardiff.
We can also use the future progressive for making predictions about what will happen over a
period of time in the future:
This time next year I shall be working for Gabriel in Brazil.
While you're revising for your exams, I shall be relaxing on a beach but I will be thinking of you!
Note that while we can use future progressive and be going to future for making predictions, we
cannot use the present progressivein this way:

Look at those dark clouds. It will be raining here very soon

Look at those dark clouds. It's going to rain here before long.
(BUT NOT: Look at those dark clouds. It's raining here before long.)
I'm going to visit my cousins in Leeds over this coming weekend.
If we put it this way, we are focusing our attention on intentionsrather than on previous
arrangements. Thus, be going to is used to talk about both predictions and intentions:
They're going to get married some time next year. ~ When? ~ They're planning to get married in
the summer, I think, but there's no date yet.
Have you noticed that Irene seems to be putting on weight? Haven't you heard? She's going to have
a baby.
They're going to win this match. They're three - nil up and there's only ten minutes left to play.
I'm to visit my cousins in Leeds over this coming weekend.
Note that we use the be to future to refer to arrangements that have been made on our behalf,
often of an official nature:
The Prince is to visit three inner-city schools and to open the new wing of the hospital before he
takes his Easter holiday.
Sven-Goran Eriksson is to manage the England team until 2008. He signed a new contract
yesterday.

The future and the future seen from the past

Siegfried Leistner from Germany writes:

Can you please explain the difference in
meaning between:
I'm leaving tomorrow.
I'll leave tomorrow.
I'll be leaving tomorrow.
I'm going to leave tomorrow.
Thank you very much for your reply
Bjoco from Romania writes:
I have a sentence whose meaning is not clear
to me: I was going to call you. Why doesn't
the speaker say: I wanted to call you?

Roger Woodham replies:

I'll reply to the second question first.

You could say: I wanted to call you, Bjoco. The meaning is roughly
the same although if you use wanted, the idea of the speaker's
intention of calling is not so strong. Closer equivalents would be: I
intended to call you / I was intending to call you.
The future seen from the past
Sometimes when we are discussing past events, we want to refer to
something that was in the future at that time. In order to express
this idea, we can use the past tenses of the verbs we would normally
use to talk about the future. Thus,
is going to > was going to

I'm going to leave Britain to start a new life in Canada. >

When I heard that she was going to leave Britain to start a
new life in Canada, I was quite upset.

Other future verb forms change in the same way:

present progressive > past progressive:

We're meeting Jane outside the town hall at three o' clock. >
We left school before the classes were over because we were
meeting Jane outside the town hall at three o' clock.

will > would

If I play my CDs while I'm working, it won't disturb

you, will it? > I didn't think my music would disturb her, but
it did.

future progressive: will + be + verb-ing > would + be + verbing:

Don't phone them now, they'll be having supper.

I didn't want to phone them at that time because I

thought they would be having supper.

future perfect: will have + past participle > would have + past
participle:

I'll have finished writing up this report by noon, so we will

be able to watch the tennis this afternoon.

I thought I would have finished that report by noon and

then we could have watched the tennis, but it took longer than
expected.

is to be > was to be; is about to > was about to:

Now for your question, Siegfried.

Talking about the future
When we want to refer to the future itself, we tend to use thepresent
progressive, future progressive and going to futurefor things that are
already decided or fairly certain to happen:

We shan't be going to Glastonbury for the festival this year. We're

going to Val and Keith's wedding instead. It's being held in a castle
in Ireland.

I'm going to give the house a thorough clean this weekend. It's
absolutely filthy.

We use the will / shall future for things which are much more open or have
not already been decided:

What will you have to drink? ~ I'll have a cappuccino and one of
those sticky buns.

I've got a hospital appointment this afternoon. ~ I'll comewith you, if

you like.

I'm quite worried about it. ~ Don't worry. I'm sure it'll beall right.

Learning English
Using the conditional

Oleg from the Ukraine asks:

Could you please tell me the rule for
usingshould in questions like this: 'Should you
have any problems, feel free to contact me.'
What does it mean? And how does it differ from:
'If you have any questions, please contact me?'
Roger replies:

more questions

These two sentences are very similar in meaning. But 'Should

you have...' or 'If you should have...' may be used in preference
to 'If you have...' if we want to suggest a slight possibility of

something happening or when we are making suggestions or

giving advice. Compare:

'If you have any free time, make sure you visit the old
town.' (It's possible, or even likely, that you may have
some free time.)

'If you should have any free time, make sure you visit
the old town.' (I don't really expect you will have any
free time, but if you do...)

'Should you fail this exam, you can always re-take it

next year.' (I think it's unlikely, but it's possible you may
fail it and if you do...)

'If you fail this exam, you can always re-take it next
year.' (I'm just pointing this out to you. I don't have a
strong opinion on the matter one way or the other.)

Note that for a condition that is generally true, as in all the

examples above, we use if plus the present simple in the
subordinate clause and the present simple again in the main
clause:
If + PRESENT SIMPLE , PRESENT SIMPLE
Look at these examples:

'I get indigestion, if I eat too quickly.'

'If I go on a diet and lose some weight, I

invariably put it back on again afterwards.'

'If she stays up late, she always oversleeps the next

day.'

'If you're not sure about the meaning, use your

dictionary to look up any unknown words.'

With this type of condition, we could often

use whenever orwhen instead of if.

This is distinct from the will condition when we are predicting a

likely result in the future and thinking about specific instances.
With this type of condition, we have if plus the present simple in

the subordinate clause and will/won't, or sometimes going to,

in the main clause:
If + PRESENT SIMPLE, will/won't/going to FUTURE
REFERENCE
Look at these examples:'

If we hurry, we'll get the 12 o' clock train.'

'It's quite simple. If he takes the antibiotics, he'll get

better. If he doesn't, he won't.'

'If they win the lottery, they're going to donate all the
money to good causes. That much is already decided.'

Note also that except for the above usage of should, we do not normally
use would or should (or shall or will, see above) withif in the subordinate
clause. For the would condition, when we are talking about something
unreal or unlikely in the present or future, we normally use if plus the past
simple in subordinate clause and would / should / 'd in the main clause:
If + PAST SIMPLE , would / should/ 'd PRESENT/FUTURE
Look at these examples:

'Even if he offered me a million pounds, I should stillrefuse to work

for him.'

'If we stopped advertising our products, nobody would buy them.'

'If I had longer holidays in the winter, I'd go to places like South
Africa or South America.'

'If I knew how to reach her, I'd contact her straightaway.'

However, there is one exception to this general rule. If we are talking about
willingness to do something, then it is possible to use would, as an
alternative to the past simple, in the if clause:

'If you would only tell me what the problem was, I would help you
to find a solution.'

'If you would help me with the painting, we would finishdecorating

this room today.'

Learning English

gonna, gotta, wanna and dunno

Daniel Haieck from San

Luis in Argentinawrites:
I would like to know please under what
circumstances we should
use wanna andgonna, and what exactly they
mean. Thank you.

Roger Woodham replies:

wanna / gonna
Wanna and gonna are frequently used in speech in informal
colloquial English, particularly American English, instead ofwant
to and going to. You will also see them used in writing in
quotes of direct speech to show the conversational
pronunciation of want to and going to.
Gonna to express the going to form of the future is used with
first second and third person singular and plural. Note that in
the interrogative, are is omitted in second person singular and
first and second person plural

What we gonna do now? (= What are we going to do

now?)

Don't know about you two. I'm gonna put my feet up

and take a break.

We're gonna carry on and try and get there before dark.

What's he gonna wear on his wedding day?

~ I dunno. But he's gonna look real smart.

Wanna can be used with all persons singular and plural, except
third person singular. This is because wanna scans with I want
to, you want to, we want to, they want to, but not
withhe/she wants to where the final s is too intrusive:

What you wanna do now? (Instead of: What do you

want to do now?)

I wanna go home. My mum and dad are waiting for me

and they wanna go out.

You'll never give up gambling. I'm sure of that. ~

Youwanna bet?
(which means: Do you want to place a bet on that?)

a wannabee
This term derives originally from the US, but is now used
extensively in British English. A wannabee (literally a wantto-be) is someone who is trying to copy somebody else.
Usually the person they are trying to copy is somebody famous.

Scores of Britney Spears wannabees raided the shops

where she had bought her latest outfit.

gotta
Gotta is used in a similar way to gonna and wanna, in this case to show
the conversational pronunciation of have got to, or as informal
alternatives to have to or must. It is not so much used in the
interrogative:

Don't go out there tonight. It's really dangerous.

~ A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do

I gotta / I've gotta phone home right now. My mum'll be worried.

You gotta / You've gotta get changed right away. The match starts
in five minutes.

dunno
Dunno, meaning I don't know is characteristic of very informal speech in
British English. Note that the word stress in this expression is on the
second syllable, whereas with gonna,gotta and wanna it is on the first
syllable.

Are you going to college when you leave school? ~Dunno!

Will you quit your job if they re-locate to Manchester?

~ I dunno.

When to use these expressions

You don't ever need to use these forms actively yourself, Daniel, as a
language learner. They may sound too informal if you do, although if other
native speakers of English around you are using them, there is probably no
reason why you shouldn't use them too, as you 'grow into them.' It is, of
course, important to recognise and understand them.
Gotta, wanna and gonna in the history of popular music
Gotta, wanna and gonna have been used regularly in the titles and lyrics
or popular songs since the 1950s or even earlier.

Learning English

should and should have, would and would

have, could and could have

Danilo Gomez Barbosa from Columbia writes:

Could you please explain the difference between
the modal auxiliary verbs should,
could andwould and how they are used?
Thanks for your help.
Asim from Pakistan writes:
I still feel some complication in understanding
these modals: would have, should
have andcould have. Please give me some
examples to help me understand.

Roger Woodham replies:

should
Should is used to give advice and make recommendations and to talk about
obligation, duty and what is expected to happen. Reference is to the present and
the future. Should is similar to must but is not as strong as must:

You should always wear a helmet when you go out cycling on busy
roads.

Once the pack is opened, the cooked meat

inside should beconsumed within three days.

Should I tell her that her son is playing truant and skipping school? ~ I
think you should. She should know about it.

should and should have

Should combines with the perfect infinitive to form should have + past participle
when we want to talk about past events that did not happen, but should have
happened. We are talking about an expectation and referring back to past time.
Compare the following:
Before Tom leaves for work, his wife advises him:

You should take your umbrella. It might rain. ~ No, I'll be all right. I
shan't need it.
But it did rain. When he arrives back home, his wife says:

What did I tell you? You should have taken your umbrella. Then you
wouldn't have got wet.
Reference to the present and future:

You should try and smoke less, Henry. Your health isn't very good and it's
getting worse.
Reference to the past:

I should have given up smoking years ago, Mary. If I had, I wouldn't be in

such bad shape now.

would
If we want to talk about an unreal or unlikely situation that might arise now or in
the future, we use a past tense in the if-clause and would + infinitive in
the main clause. Compare the following and note thatwould is often abbreviated
to 'd:

How would you manage, if I wasn't here to help you? ~ I'd

manage somehow. I wouldn't bother to cook. I'd go out to eat or bring
home a take-away. I'd ask your mother to help me with the washing and
the ironing. I know she'd help me.

would have
If we want to refer to the past and make a statement about things that did not
happen, we need to use had + past participle in the if clause and would
have constructions in the main clause. Note in these sentences that we can
use 'd as the abbreviation for both had in the if-clause and would in the main
clause:

If he'd taken an umbrella, he wouldn't have got wet on the way home.

If he'd taken his umbrella, he'd have stayed dry.

could
Could can be used to ask for permission, to make a request and express
ability in the past. Compare the following:

Could I borrow your black dress for the formal dinner tomorrow?
~ Of course you can!

Could you do me a favour and pick Pete up from the station? ~

Of course I will!

I could already swim by the time I was three. ~ Could you

really? I couldn't swim until I was eight.

could have
As with would have, and should have, could have is used to talk
about the past and refers to things that people could have done in the
past, but didn't attempt to do or succeed in doing:

I could have gone to university, if I'd passed my exams.

If he'd trained harder, I'm sure he could have completed the

swim.

Note the difference between would have and could have in the following two
examples. Would have indicates certainty that he would have won if he had tried
harder, could have indicates that it is a possibility. Might have is similar in
meaning to could have, although the possibility is perhaps not quite as great:

If he'd tried a bit harder, he would have won the race.

If he'd tried a bit harder, he could have won the race.

If he'd tried a bit harder, he might have won the race.

should have / could have / wouldn't have

Note the way in which all three of these modals are combined in these
exchanges which refer to a meeting that has just taken place:

Why did you come to the meeting? It didn't need both of us. You
should have known that I would be there. ~ How could I
have known you'd be there? I haven't spoken to you for a
fortnight! ~ If I'd known you were intending to go, I certainly
wouldn't have gone!

Transcripcin de Verbs of perception + present

participle.Could/ Can.
Verbs of perception + present participle.
perception.

can/could+ verb of

Examples: Could/ Can: Verbs of perception + present participle. We use the

present participle after see,watch, notice, hear, listen to, smell and feel to talk
about a continuous activity:
-People see Elvis walking out of a caf.
-They hear him singing.
-I saw him bitting his nails.
We often use can/could before see, hear, smell, taste and feel:
-I can feel him holding my hand.
-I could hear birds singing.

What's the difference between can & could. The difference is

that could is the verb in past to can.
Can is the action but Could is a probability, suggestion but is
known as ability.

Verb "can" and the verbs of perception

I wonder what is the difference between following sentences:
1. "I see children playing in the park." and 2."I can see children playing in the park."
1. "I hear music in the flat opposite mine." and 2."I can hear music in the flat opposite
mine."
While it is possible for the present simple, as in your #1 examples, to be used to indicate the
something perceived at the moment of speaking, it is generally used for regular or repeated
examples: I see children / I hear music every day.
We do not normally use continuous forms for the verbs of perception in their literal sense; we
use can(when we would use a continuous form with other verbs): I can see children / I can hear
music now, as I speak.

Note that we can use the continuous form for these verbs when they have a different meaning,

or when the perception is not usual:

Are you still seeing Emma? = going out with her.
I must be tired. I am seeing spots before my eyes.
I'm going mad. I'm hearing things that aren't there.

When you have two verbs together, what form should the second verb be? The
first answer to this question is on my page on gerunds and infinitives. There is
more to this grammar, though. There are also two verbs together with verbs of
perception.
Verbs of perception are about your senses of sight, hearing, smell and touch.
After these verbs there is an object and then a verb. The verb is in the simple
form when the second verb is complete and its in the present participle form (ing) when the second verb is not complete.
Examples:
I saw them go into the mall. [I saw the complete action including the door closing
behind them.]
I saw them going into the mall. [I only saw part of that action, not the complete
action.]
I watched the children play soccer. [I saw the complete game from start to
finish.]
I watched the children playing soccer for awhile, and then I left. [I only saw
part of the game.]
She looked at her mother drive away. [She saw the complete action.]
She looked at her mother washing the dishes. [She didnt see the whole
action.]
The students observed the teacher leave the classroom. [They observed the
complete action.]
The students observed the teacher marking papers. [They only observed part
of the action.]
She noticed the boy get off his bicycle. [She noticed the complete action.]
She noticed the boy riding his bike. [She noticed only part of the action.]
I heard a plane fly overhead. [I heard the complete action.]
I heard a plane flying overhead. [I didnt hear the complete action, only part of
it.]
We listened to the professor talk for an hour and a half. [We listened to the
whole talk.]

We listened to the neighbors having a big argument. [We listened only to part
of the argument.]
I smell something burning. [Its not possible to smell all of it, so its not
complete.]
The sleeping child felt his mother kiss his cheek. [He felt the complete action.]
He felt his wife tossing and turning in bed. [He fell asleep and didnt feel all of
it.]
I sensed him enter the room. [I sensed the complete action.]
I sensed him standing behind me. [I didnt sense him when he started standing
behind me, only later.]

Verbs of perception Quizz

Name: ________________________ Date:

1. She could hear someone ____________ next door. (cry)

2. Can you smell something ____________?. (burn)
3. I just saw a man ____________ off that bridge. (jump)
Incorrect. Jump off the bridge is a complete one-time action.
4. I noticed a homeless person ____________ on a bench as I passed by.(lie)
5. Just look at that boy ____________ his bike with no hands!. (ride)
6. I've never heard that person ____________ a kind word to anyone.(say)
No. Not it. It doesn't take long to say a kind word, so you'll hear it
completely.
7. On our camping trip we saw the forest ____________, so we left in a hurry.
(burn)
8. I want to hear you ____________ that piece on the piano before you go
play. (practice)
No good. You want to hear the complete practice.

9. We noticed several people ____________ in front of the store.(stand)

10.They observed a meteorite ____________ the sky.(cross)

Not so good. They saw the whole thing because it's quick.

11.Watch me ____________ the ball out of the park!

Not it. It's only one hit.

12.She sensed someone ____________ at her, so she turned around..(stare)

Starelook fixedly or vacantly at someone or something with one's eyes wide open.
"he stared at her in amazement"

13.Look at all the birds ____________ south for the winter.(fly)

14.She didn't notice me ____________ on a banana peel.(slip)
No, not it. She would have noticed the complete action because it's fast.

15.Listen! Can you hear someone ____________ music? (play)

Verbs of perception Quizz

Name: ________________________ Date:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

She could hear someone ____________ next door. (cry)

Can you smell something ____________?. (burn)
I just saw a man ____________ off that bridge. (jump)
I noticed a homeless person ____________ on a bench as I passed by.(lie)
Just look at that boy ____________ his bike with no hands!. (ride)
I've never heard that person ____________ a kind word to anyone.(say)
On our camping trip we saw the forest ____________, so we left in a hurry.
(burn)
8. I want to hear you ____________ that piece on the piano before you go
play. (practice)
9. We noticed several people ____________ in front of the store.(stand)
10.They observed a meteorite ____________ the sky.(cross)
11.Watch me ____________ the ball out of the park!
12.She sensed someone ____________ at her, so she turned around..(stare)
Starelook fixedly or vacantly at someone or something with one's eyes wide open.
"he stared at her in amazement"

13.Look at all the birds ____________ south for the winter.(fly)

14.She didn't notice me ____________ on a banana peel.(slip)
15.Listen! Can you hear someone ____________ music? (play)