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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:
To ask questions:
With who, what, when, where, why, how:
John would've missed the trail if Mary hadn't waited for him at the stream.
(First Mary waited for him. If her response had been to not wait, then next John
would have been on the wrong trail.)
For a moment the plane would be airborne, then it would bump back down along
the hard earth.
(The plane was in the air and then back on the ground several times.)
I would sooner die than face them. = I prefer death in place of facing them.
I would rather handwrite than type. = I prefer handwriting instead in typing.
Those people would allow gambling. = Those people want to allow gambling.
Would it were so. = I wish it were so. (Infrequently used)
We wish that he would go. = We want him to go.
She said she would come. = She said she was planning to come.
To show choice:
I would put off the test if I could.
This means my choice is to delay taking the test, but I do not have the ability to
delay taking it.
To express doubt:
He calculated that he would get to the camp around 6 p.m. The men would have
dinner ready for him.
The first sentence means he believed his camp arrival time was going to be about
6:00 p.m. The "calculating" (or believing) happened in the past, yet the arrival is
going to occur later. The second sentence predicts that, at that future time, dinner
will be ready for him.
Would you had changed your mind. = I wish you had changed your mind.
Would you have changed your mind. = If circumstances had been different, is it
possible that you might have changed your mind?
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:
To ask questions:
Should you have erased the disk? = Were you supposed to have erased it?
Should I turn in my assignment now? = Am I supposed to turn in my assignment
now?
Here, should means about the same thing as ought.
To show obligation:
You should floss and brush your teeth after every meal.
Think of should as supposed to, as in the previous example, but here to make a
persuasive statement.
To show a possible future event:
Should you wish to do so, you may have hot tea and biscuits. = If you wish to do
so, you may have hot tea and biscuits.
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:
In those days, all the people could build houses. = In those days, all the people had
the ability to build houses.
To ask questions:
Could you have erased the disk? = Is it possible that you erased the disk?
Could I leave now? = May I leave now; am I allowed to leave now?
To show possibility:
You could study harder than you do. = You have the potential to study harder than
you do.
He knew the sunset could be spectacular. = He knew that the sunset was sometimes
spectacular.
Comprise:
Our solar system comprises one star, nine major planets, and numerous moons,
asteroids, comets.
Marcia composed a lovely jewelry set, comprised of dark and light green Austrian
crystal beads. The cake is comprised of flour, sugar, and some other stuff.”
The United States comprises fifty individual states.
Compose:
Consist of:
This plan is practicable. We have the budget and the time. We can do it!
The police compared the forged signature with the original. (Like things)
Viable and workable:
Taking out the animals from the ecosystem made it weaker and less viable for the
animals to survive.
There is however still work to be done to make the law workable at the second
reading.
This is a very workable area, which has enabled me to have regular contact with all
schools.
Subordinating conjunction:
Possessive adjective:
For example:
Gerund:
Examples:
When Francisco wore dive fins to class, everyone knew that he was
devoted toswimming.
Finite verb:
Definition:
If there is just one verb in a sentence, it is finite. Finite verbs are sometimes
called tensed verbs.
Most finite verbs can take an -ed or a -d at the end of the word to
indicate time in the past: cough, coughed; celebrate, celebrated. A
hundred or so finite verbs do not have these endings [see Principal
Parts of Irregular Verbs].
Droping or retaining the final E in suffix:
Whether to drop the final -e on some English words before adding a suffix can be
confusing for some English speakers.
1. When the suffix begins with a vowel then the final -e is usually dropped:
Suffi
Stem New word
x
-able define definable
-age store storage
-ed save saved
-est sure surest
-ing joke joking
-ion illustrate illustration
-or orate orator
-ory mandate mandatory
-ous fame famous
Exceptions
-able trace traceable
-ous courage courageous
When the word ends in two vowels, the final e is usually not dropped:
Double vowels
-ed shoe shoed
-ing flee fleeing
Exception
-ing argue arguing
2. When the suffix begins with a consonant the final -e is usually not dropped.
Suffi
stem stem+suffix
x
-ly time timely
sure surely
late lately
-ment atone atonement
manage management
base basement
-ness sedate sedateness
like likeness
bare bareness
If a root word ends with a silent “e,” drop the “e” before adding a suffix
that begins with a vowel.
The following words end with a silent “e” – come, take, bake, and hope.
The following words also end in a silent “e”: state, use, nine, like
If you wanted to add a suffix that did not begin with a vowel, would you
have to drop the “e”? No, you would not.
state + ment = statement use + ful = useful
ninety + ty = ninety like + ly = like
spelling mistakes:
remedies:
try to read more eng. books speak in eng, at least 2hrs daily practice makes a man
perfect