2019-04-04 Grammar: past speculation modals

Greg Malivuk
gmalivuk@staffordhouse.com
http://www.pastebin.com/u/gmalivuk - Notes from all classes
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Homework: finish exercise 5 (paragraphs 4, 5, 6, 7)
4 a could/may/might/must
  b may/might/could
  c may/might/could
  d can’t/couldn’t
  e must not
5 a must/has to
  b can’t/couldn’t
  c should/may/might/could
  d may/might/could
6 a must not
  b must
 7 (this is a prediction)
  a will/should
  b may/might/could
  c must not
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Speculation and conclusions about the past
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modal + have + past participle = the same meaning, but about the past

p. 262 paragraph 4 - in the past
Martha looked pretty unhappy. She and George must have been / could have been having another one of their fights. I don’t know what the problem was that time. It might have been because George was always working on his car. It might have been because Martha wanted them to spend every weekend at her mother’s house. It couldn’t have been about money, though. That’s the fight they had had the week before. They must not have had a very happy marriage.
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p. 265 exercise 8 - complete paragraphs 1 and 2 with the correct modals for past speculation
1 a couldn’t have been / can’t have been
  b could/may/might have been
  c must have been
2 a must have had / should have had
  b might/may have been able to (We don’t generally use “could” with “be able to”.)
  c could/might have paid (This is unreal, so we can’t use “may”.)
  d must have been
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Look at the pictures of old objects. What could they have been? What couldn’t they have been? Try to guess with your group and come up with a joint answer.