modal verbs of deduction esl exercise games

I am not sure what the author means by the second half of this sentence (after 'besides'). 'The character of this female suggests a train of thoughts which will form as natural an introduction to her story as most of the prefaces to Gay's Fables or the tales of Prior, besides that the general soundness of the moral may excuse any want to present applicability'. The other question is from the same document, but comes from the opening statement. Isn't he saying 'I don't think women can win it'. Therefore, is it correct to conclude that Hawthorne in using the subjunctive mode is expressing a disparaging view about a woman's potential. The author writes, 'Is the prize worth her having if she win it ?' I understand 'if she win it' to mean 'should she win it', which in turn means that the author has doubts about 'her winning it'. My first question is about the meaning of a question appears in the subjunctive mode in the text.

The text is 'Mrs Hutchinson' by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Note that these verbs, like all modal verbs, are followed by an infinitive without to.ĭo this exercise to test your grammar again.Hello, I have more questions about texts from the 19th century. It can't be easy for him, looking after three kids on his own. We use can't when we feel sure that something is not possible. They all have the same meaning, but may is more formal than might and could. We regret to inform you that some services may be delayed due to the bad weather. We use might, may or could to say that we think something is possible but we're not sure. You must be freezing out there! might, may, could He must live near here because he always walks to work.Ĭome inside and get warm. We use must when we feel sure that something is true or it's the only realistic possibility.

This page focuses on making deductions about the present or future. The modal verb we choose shows how certain we are about the possibility. We can use modal verbs for deduction – guessing if something is true using the available information. Modals – deduction (present): Grammar test 1 You can't be bored already! You've only been here five minutes. They might be at work or they could be in the car. Look at these examples to see how must, might, may, could and can't can be used.

Modal verbs of deduction esl exercise games