Verbs - Simple and Concise English Grammar Notes

Will , Shall

Generally ' will ' is used with ' We ' and ' You ' & ' Shall ' with ' I ' But in deterministic cases ' will ' is used with ' I '.

Eg : I will do this work.

' Shall ' is used with ' You '.

Always use shall with you:

Shall be grateful
Shall be obliged
Shall be forced

Eg:

I know I will be compelled to leave this house this week.

Would , Should

would:

Would is past form of will

( used in narration )

Eg. Ram said to shyam, " I shall go to office".

Ram told shyam that he would go to office.

for polite request

Eg. Would you like to have cofee.

Can , Could

could is used in past

( It is used in the place of can in past )

formal request

Eg. Could I meet to the director.

Should

Used for advice

Eg. You should read newspaper.

Must

Must is used for compulsion

Eg. You must read the newspaper.

May , Might

Both these are used for possibility

It may rain today.( there is a possibility that it will rain )
It might rain today.

( few possibility or in negative form )

Past of may - might

May is used for permissible request

Eg. May I come in.

Ought to

Used for moral duties.

Eg. You ought to respect your elders.

It being a storm you must ~~thought~~ of postponing all your programs. [ Correct : think ]

Rule : Always use 1st form of verb with Modals.

# Marginal Auxiliary Verb

need

He needs you.

[ main verb ]

He needs not to go there. [ Correct : need ]

[ need act as helping verb ]

Correct : he need nto go there.

Dare

same rules as for ' need '

Used to

Eg. He used to go there.

Rules:

always use ' to ' with ' used '
always use First form of veb with ' used '
' used ' is used for past.

Eg. He used to go there
[ never used ' uses ' for general cases in present ]

Incorrect : He uses to go there.

Correct : He goes there .

Incorrect : He uses to study in night

Correct : He studies in the night.

# Primary Auxiliary verbs

Is, am , are

They are used in present tense

These verbs can come only following cases :

1. As a main verb

Eg. Ram is a good boy.

[ act as main verb ]

2. In continuous tense

Eg. Ram is playing cricket. [ is + v₁ + ing ]
3. In passive voice
Eg. Cricket is played by Ram. [ is + v₃ ]

Do , Does , Did

all of these are used with first form of verb.

Eg. Do you doubted about the success of this boy.

Has, Have, Had

always used with V₃
Used in perfect tense

Eg. 1. The criminal will certainly be ~~hung~~. [ Correct : hanged ]

2. The workers fell no lesser than 200 trees within 6 hours. [ Correct : fewer ]

3. We advise him to marry his daughter as she had come to a marriagable age.

Correct: We advised him to get his daughter married as she had come to a marriagable age.

Some Confusing Verbs

Lie	lied	Lied
Lie	lay	layed
Lay	lied	Laid

Hold	held	Held ( grasp )
Held	held	Held ( organized something )

Fall	fell	Fallen
fell	felled	felled

In many lesser leaders were present in the function.[ Correct : means less important ]