Infinitive

When do you use the INFINITIVE? ( ex : to do)

Source : http://www.learn-english-today.com/lessons/lesson_contents/gerund-infinitive.html

1. After verbs that express likes/dislikes : like, love, enjoy dislike, hate don't mind, can't stand ..... doing
2. After certain other verbs, such as : admit imagine appreciate involve avoid keep (on) consider mention delay miss deny postpone finish suggest ........ doing
3. After prepositions : interested in ... instead of ... good at ... before ... after ................................... doing
4. After certain expressions : it's no use ... it's no good ... there's no point in .............. doing
5. After verbs that refer to a future event : want, hope, intend would like, promise ......... to do
6. After certain other verbs, such as : afford help agree learn arrange manage choose offer fail refuse happen seem .............. to do
7. After adjectives : glad (ex : glad to know...) pleased (ex : pleased to meet you...) disappointed (ex : disappointed to hear...)
8. After "too" & "enough": too difficult easy enough ..................... to do
   
   The verbs : begin/start/continue can be followed by the gerund or the infinitive with little or no change in meaning.
   The verbs : stop/try/remember can also take both, but the meaning changes.

Exerise:

Source from: http://a4esl.org/q/f/z/zz97mkm.htm

Quiz Results for: Gerund or Infinitive (Kaye Mastin Mallory)
Quiz Score: 87% (13 / 15) Remaining: 0 Correct: 13 Wrong: 2Game Points: 220 (out of a possible 300)Total Time: 78 seconds.

Reporting verbs

Reporting verbs

In Grammar definitions, you will find a summary of basic reported speech. This most commonly involves using the verbs say, tell and ask, as well as changes of verb tenses, times, places and pronouns:
"I am going to the shop."
He said (that) he was going to the shop.
"Sit down and open your books."
She told us to sit down and open our books.
"Will you come with us tomorrow?"
He asked me if I would go with them the following day.
A native speaker of English, however, will often use reporting verbs other than just say, tell and ask. Compare the following:
"I didn't do it!"
He said that he hadn't done it.
He denied that he had done it OR He denied doing it.
"I'll bring the book back tomorrow."
She said that she would bring the book back the following day.
She promised to bring the book back the following day.
"Please will you think about it some more?"
He asked me if I would think about it some more.
He begged me to think about it some more.
"First you should put the money in the slot and then you should press the button."
She said that I should first put the money in the slot and then press the button.
She explained what I should do.
Notice that different reporting verbs are followed by different structures, i.e.
deny + that-clause OR
deny + -ing form
promise + infinitive
beg + object + infinitive


For a list of different reporting verbs and their accompanying structures, see:
http://www.edufind.com/english/grammar/rep7.cfm
For more information on reporting verbs, see:
http://langues.cmaisonneuve.qc.ca/sbeller/quizzes/Grammar_Goblins/GGReportedSpeech.htm
http://www.edufind.com/english/grammar/rep5.cfm
http://www.edufind.com/english/grammar/rep6.cfm
To see many examples of the use of reporting verbs, see the Web Concordancer:
http://vlc.polyu.edu.hk/scripts/concordance/WWWConcappE.htm
Type the past tense of the verb into the "search string" field, select any corpus and then click on the "search for concordances" button.

Source: http://www.learnenglish.org.uk/grammar/archive/reportingverbs01.html

Marketing planning

Marketing planning.

I have read the article on marketing planning. I have found it interesting. Source from:
http://www.marketingteacher.com/Lessons/lesson_marketing_plan.htm

Marketing plans are vital to marketing success. They help to focus the mind of companies and marketing teams on the process of marketing i.e. what is going to be achieved and how we intend to do it. There are many approaches to marketing plans. Marketing Teacher has focussed upon the key stages of the plan. It is contained under the popular acronym AOSTC.
ANALYSIS.
OBJECTIVES.
STRATEGIES.
TACTICS.
CONTROLS.
Stage One - Situation Analysis (and Marketing Audit).
Marketing environment.
Laws and regulations.
Politics.
The current state of technology.
Economic conditions.
Sociocultural aspects.
Demand trends.
Media availability.
Stakeholder interests.
Marketing plans and campaigns of competitors.
Internal factors such as your own experience and resource availability.
Also see tools for internal/external audit:
SWOT.
PEST.
Porter's Five Forces.
Marketing Environment.
Stage Two - Set marketing objectives.
SMART objectives.
Specific - Be precise about what you are going to achieve.
Measurable - Quantify you objectives.
Achievable - Are you attempting too much?
Realistic - Do you have the resource to make the objective happen (men, money, machines, materials, minutes)?
Timed - State when you will achieve the objective (within a month? By February 2010?).
If you don't make your objective SMART, it will be too vague and will not be realized. Remember that the rest of the plan hinges on the objective. If it is not correct, the plan may fail.
Stage Three - Describe your target market
Which segment? How will we target the segment? How should we position within the segment?
Why this segment and not a different one? (This will focus the mind).
Define the segment in terms of demographics and lifestyle. Show how you intend to 'position' your product or service within that segment. Use other tools to assist in strategic marketing decisions such as Boston Matrix , Ansoff's Matrix , Bowmans Strategy Clock, Porter's Competitive Strategies, etc.
Stage Four - Marketing Tactics.
Convert the strategy into the marketing mix (also known as the 4Ps). These are your marketing tactics.
Price Will you cost plus, skim, match the competition or penetrate the market?
Place Will you market direct, use agents or distributors, etc?
Product Sold individually, as part of a bundle, in bulk, etc?
Promotion Which media will you use? e.g sponsorship, radio advertising, sales force, point-of-sale, etc? Think of the mix elements as the ingredients of a 'cake mix'. You have eggs, milk, butter, and flour. However, if you alter the amount of each ingredient, you will influence the type of cake that you finish with.
Stage Five - Marketing Controls.
Remember that there is no planning without control. Control is vital.
Start-up costs.
Monthly budgets.
Sales figure.
Market share data.
Consider the cycle of control.

Marketing research

Marketing research

Market research and marketing research are often confused. 'Market' research is simply research into a specific market. It is a very narrow concept. 'Marketing' research is much broader. It not only includes 'market' research, but also areas such as research into new products, or modes of distribution such as via the Internet. Here are a couple of definitions:
"Marketing research is the function that links the consumer, customer, and public to the marketer through information - information used to identify and define marketing opportunities and problems; generate, refine, and evaluate marketing actions; monitor marketing performance; and improve understanding of marketing as a process. Marketing research specifies the information required to address these issues, designs the methods for collecting information, manages and implements the data collection process, analyzes, and communicates the findings and their implications."
American Marketing association - Official Definition of Marketing Research
Obviously, this is a very long and involved definition of marketing research.
"Marketing research is about researching the whole of a company's marketing process."
Palmer (2000).
This explanation is far more straightforward i.e. marketing research into the elements of the marketing mix, competitors, markets, and everything to do with the customers.
The Marketing research Process.
Marketing research is gathered using a systematic approach. An example of one follows:
1. Define the problem. Never conduct research for things that you would 'like' to know. Make sure that you really 'need' to know something. The problem then becomes the focus of the research. For example, why are sales falling in New Zealand?
2. How will you collect the data that you will analyze to solve your problem? Do we conduct a telephone survey, or do we arrange a focus group? The methods of data collection will be discussed in more detail later.
3. Select a sampling method. Do we us a random sample, stratified sample, or cluster sample?
4. How will we analyze any data collected? What software will we use? What degree of accuracy is required?
5. Decide upon a budget and a timeframe.
6. Go back and speak to the managers or clients requesting the research. Make sure that you agree on the problem! If you gain approval, then move on to step seven. 7. Go ahead and collect the data.
8. Conduct the analysis of the data.
9. Check for errors. It is not uncommon to find errors in sampling, data collection method, or analytic mistakes.
10. Write your final report. This will contain charts, tables, and diagrams that will communicate the results of the research, and hopefully lead to a solution to your problem. Watch out for errors in interpretation.
Sources of Data - Primary and Secondary
There are two main sources of data - primary and secondary. Primary research is conducted from scratch. It is original and collected to solve the problem in hand. Secondary research, also known as desk research, already exists since it has been collected for other purposes.


Source from : http://www.marketingteacher.com/Lessons/lesson_marketing_research.htm

TENSE EXERCISES

EXERCISES ON TENSES :

Source : www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs2.htm

EXERCISE 1.
Your score is 72%.Some of your answers are incorrect. Incorrect answers have been left in place for you to change.

1.Every Monday, Sally (drive) drives her kids to football practice.
2. Usually, I (work) work as a secretary at ABT, but this summer I (study) French at a language school in Paris. That is why I am in Paris.
3. Shhhhh! Be quiet! John (sleep) is sleeping.
4. Don't forget to take your umbrella. It (rain) is raining.
5. I hate living in Seattle because it (rain, always) is always raining.
6. I'm sorry I can't hear what you (say) are saying because everybody (talk) is talking so loudly. 7. Justin (write, currently) writes about his adventures in Tibet. I hope he can find a good publisher when he is finished.
8. Jim: Do you want to come over for dinner tonight?Denise: Oh, I'm sorry, I can't. I (go) am going to a movie tonight with some friends.
9. The business cards (be, normally ) are normally printed by a company in New York. Their prices (be) are inexpensive, yet the quality of their work is quite good.
10. This delicious chocolate (be) was made small chocolatier in Zurich, Switzerland.


EXERCISE 2.
Your score is 78%.Some of your answers are incorrect. Incorrect answers have been left in place for you to change.

1. A: What (you, do) were you doing when the accident occurred?
B: I (try) was trying to change a light bulb that had burnt out.
2. After I (find) found the wallet full of money, I (go, immediately) went the police and (turn) turned it in.
3. The doctor (say) said that Tom (be) was too sick to go to work and that he (need) needed to stay at home for a couple of days.
4. Sebastian (arrive) arrived at Susan's house a little before 9:00 PM, but she (be, not) was not there. She (study, at the library) was studying at the library for her final examination in French. 5. Sandy is in the living room watching television. At this time yesterday, she (watch, also) was also watching television. That's all she ever does!
6. A: I (call) called you last night after dinner, but you (be, not) were not there. Where were you? B: I (work) was working out at the fitness center.
7. When I (walk) walked into the busy office, the secretary (talk) was talking on the phone with a customer, several clerks (work, busily) were busily working at their desks, and two managers (discuss, quietly) were quietly discussing methods to improve customer service.
8. I (watch) was watching a mystery movie on TV when the electricity went out. Now I am never going to find out how the movie ends.
9. Sharon (be) was in the room when John told me what happened, but she didn't hear anything because she (listen, not) was not listening.
10. It's strange that you (call) called because I (think, just) was just thinking about you.
11. The Titanic (cross) was crossing the Atlantic when it (strike) an iceberg.
12. When I entered the bazaar, a couple of merchants (bargain, busily) were busily bargaining and (try) trying to sell their goods to naive tourists who (hunt) were hunting for souvenirs. Some young boys (lead) were leading their donkeys through the narrow streets on their way home. A couple of men (argue) were arguing over the price of a leather belt. I (walk) walked over to a man who (sell) was selling fruit and (buy) bought a banana.
13. The firemen (rescue) rescued the old woman who (be) was trapped on the third floor of the burning building.
14. She was so annoying! She (leave, always) her dirty dishes in the sink. I think she (expect, actually) actually expected me to do them for her.
15. Samantha (live) lived in Berlin for more than two years. In fact, she (live) was living there when the Berlin Wall came down.

Gerunds

I have found those exercises interesting. Source:
http://www.englishpage.com/gerunds/index.htm
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/627/01/#resourcenav
Gerunds
A gerund is a verbal that ends in -ing and functions as a noun. The term verbal indicates that a gerund, like the other two kinds of verbals, is based on a verb and therefore expresses action or a state of being. However, since a gerund functions as a noun, it occupies some positions in a sentence that a noun ordinarily would, for example: subject, direct object, subject complement, and object of preposition.
Gerund as subject:
Traveling might satisfy your desire for new experiences. (Traveling is the gerund.)
The study abroad program might satisfy your desire for new experiences. (The gerund has been removed.)
Gerund as direct object:
They do not appreciate my singing. (The gerund is singing.)
They do not appreciate my assistance. (The gerund has been removed)
Gerund as subject complement:
My cat's favorite activity is sleeping. (The gerund is sleeping.)
My cat's favorite food is salmon. (The gerund has been removed.)
Gerund as object of preposition:
The police arrested him for speeding. (The gerund is speeding.)
The police arrested him for criminal activity. (The gerund has been removed.)

A Gerund Phrase is a group of words consisting of a gerund and the modifier(s) and/or (pro)noun(s) or noun phrase(s) that function as the direct object(s), indirect object(s), or complement(s) of the action or state expressed in the gerund, such as:
The gerund phrase functions as the subject of the sentence.
Finding a needle in a haystack would be easier than what we're trying to do.
Finding (gerund)a needle (direct object of action expressed in gerund)in a haystack (prepositional phrase as adverb)
The gerund phrase functions as the direct object of the verb appreciate.
I hope that you appreciate my offering you this opportunity.
my (possessive pronoun adjective form, modifying the gerund)offering (gerund)you (indirect object of action expressed in gerund)this opportunity (direct object of action expressed in gerund)
The gerund phrase functions as the subject complement.
Newt's favorite tactic has been lying to his constituents.
lying to (gerund)his constituents (direct object of action expressed in gerund)
The gerund phrase functions as the object of the preposition for.
You might get in trouble for faking an illness to avoid work.
faking (gerund)an illness (direct object of action expressed in gerund)to avoid work (infinitive phrase as adverb)
The gerund phrase functions as the subject of the sentence.
Being the boss made Jeff feel uneasy.
Being (gerund)the boss (subject complement for Jeff, via state of being expressed in gerund)
Punctuation
A gerund virtually never requires any punctuation with it.

A gerund is a verbal ending in -ing that is used as a noun.
A gerund phrase consists of a gerund plus modifier(s), object(s), and/or complement(s).
Gerunds and gerund phrases virtually never require punctuation.

EXERCISES:
1.
Your score is 80%.Some of your answers are incorrect. Incorrect answers have been left in place for you to change
1.Dan enjoys reading science fiction.
2. Cheryl suggested to see a movie after work.
3. I miss working in the travel industry. Maybe I can get my old job back.
4. Where did you learn to speak Spanish? Was it in Spain or in Latin America?
5. Do you mind helping me translate this letter?
6. He asked to talk to the store manager.
7. You've never mentioned living in Japan before. How long did you live there?
8. If he keeps coming to work late, he's going to get fired!
9. Debbie plans to study abroad next year.10. I agreed to helphelping Jack wash his car.

2.
Correct! Well done.Your score is 100%.
1. I hope to graduate from college next June.
2. The models practiced walking with a book balanced on their heads.
3. Mandy has promised to take care of our dog while we are on vacation.
4. Mr. Edwards chose to accept the management position in Chicago rather than the position in Miami.
5. I don't know what she wants to do tonight. Why don't you ask her?
6. Frank offered to help us paint the house.
7. Sandra decided to study economics in London.
8. Witnesses reported seeing the bank robber as he was climbing out of the second-story window.
9. Stephanie dislikes working in front of a computer all day.
10. Mrs. Naidoo appears to be the most qualified person for the job.

Academic Word list

I have done these Vocabulary exercises on Academic Word list

Exercise 1:
Source: http://web.uvic.ca/~gluton/awl/AWLSublist01-Ex1a.htm
Correct! Well done.Your score is 100%.


1. He did an _______________ of the way children learn language for his Master's thesis.
analysis

2. He was arrested for drunk driving because he had drunk more than the _______________ limit of alcohol.
legal

3. The culture of the United States is quite _______________ to that of Canada.
similar

4. The Canadian _______________ is largely based on natural resources.
economy

5. Environmental pollution seems to be an important _______________ in the increase in cancers all over the world.
factor

6.The apartment will be _______________ on June first.
available

7. The young popstar became famous while still in high school after winning a _______________ with a major record label.
contract

8. Your continued lateness for class _______________ to me that you are not really a very serious student.
indicates

9. Living in Berlin during the _______________ when the Berlin Wall was torn down was an unforgettable experience.
period

10. Some _______________ into second language learning suggests that oral fluency may increase with moderate amounts of alcohol.
research

Exercise 2:

Correct! Well done.Your score is 100%.

1. One of the _______________ of studying English in Victoria is that you have the opportunity to speak English outside of class.
benefits

2. The cat slowly _______________ the bush where the mouse was hiding.
approached

3. A department store spokesman says that their new outlet will _______________ more than 75 permanent jobs in the city.
create

4. The government recently passed _______________ which prohibits tobacco advertising at sporting events.
legislation

5. There are many things you can do in your everyday life to help protect the _______________, such as recycling or riding a bicycle.
environment

6. The _______________ of the river is somewhere in the mountains.
source

7. You must _______________ to our offer within 30 days or it will be withdrawn.
respond

8. The government has announced a special program to help _______________ new small businesses.
finance

9. It is the _______________ of our government that no one should be without food or shelter.
policy

10. The oldest _______________ to win a medal in the Olympics was Oscar Swahn, who won a silver medal in shooting at the age of 72.
individual

My final essay

Essay

“Summarise the main effects of globalization and discuss to what extent they are beneficial to your subject area”

Essay Plan:

1 Paragraph: Introduction
2 Paragraph: Economics and international trade
3 Paragraph: Environment
4 Paragraph: Culture
5 Paragraph: Subject area: Marketing
6 Paragraph: How marketing effects the world: positive and negative
7 Paragraph: Conclusion

It is generally agreed that international integration, during the last period of history, is the world network in every sphere between countries, people, companies and markets. Integration has turned into a new kind of relations. Clothes, food, furniture, gas, oil are being exported and imported from place to place crossing long distances, spending low money for labour and looking for mutual cooperation. Communication technologies, such as Internet, television and different kinds of transport make easier to contact people between each other and make them closer. Because of improvements in traffic infrastructure, one is able to reach one’s destination in a relatively short period of time. According to Adam Smith ( Adam S. cited in Reith Lecture 2007), “ nothing seems more likely to establish this quality of force than that mutual communication of knowledge and an extensive commerce from all countries to all countries”. As well as people communicate, goods are being sold all over the world markets. Marketing takes the leading position of global integration. On the other hand, world integration has weakened the position of poor countries. Poverty is widespread across the developing countries, which have five-sixths of the world’s population. K. Annan (1998) notes that millions of people experience the globalization which infringes on their financial interests. This essay will discuss global cooperation in economics and international trade, culture and environment weighing up the advantages and disadvantages of important spheres of globalization. Marketing as the main effect of global integration will be analyzed and the main positive and negative effects will be presented.
Economics and international trade have been the most important engines of world integration over the last 50 years. With international trade, financial transfers and foreign investment, the economy is increasingly internationally interconnected. According to Angela Merkel (2006) , there is a mutual influence of world economy and trade. Transnational corporations are the economic basis of global integration. According to Financial Times Germany (2002), there are many big companies as Johnson and Johnson, Microsoft, British Petroleum, most of which belong to the United States of America, United Kingdom and Japan. The positive effects of transnational companies are workers in the developing countries can get employment and receive high salaries. Developing countries get access to the latest technology . As World Bank has mentioned China’s opening to the world trade has increased the population’s level of income three times higher by 1999.
Environment is the other aspect of world integration. As is known, environmental problems has called up the international community and organizations to cooperate on the international level. For example, World Environmental Organization’s main task is to prevent the environmental degradation and destruction. Global environmental problems like cross-boundary pollution, over fishing on oceans, climate changes and ozone layer problem are solved by discussions and financial support of countries. The problem is that companies have set up industries causing pollution in countries with poor regulation of pollution. Growth of population and increased volume of consumption, have caused the reduction of natural resources. According to Kyoto Protocol (1997) , 182 countries have ratified the document , which have required to reduce gas emissions. However, countries have no obligation beyond monitoring and reporting emissions, which shows governments do not have responsibility for the environment.
There is a great level of cross-cultural contacts between people and countries , which appear in exhibitions, seminars, tourism and education. Communications between nations gives the inter cultural exchange. As World Commission (1995) notes “the international dissemination of culture was, at least, as important as economic processes”. However, many countries participating in global activity have to accept Western culture, which is nowadays in most of the countries of the world. It results in disappearing of local cultures as well as local languages. Every year several languages disappear in the world. The spread of values, norms and culture tends to promote Western ideals of capitalism. Some aspects of foreign cultures are affecting the local cultures through TV and the Internet. It is easy also to spread propaganda through internet, because it is un ruled. There is an increase in the desire to use foreign ideas and products, adopt new practices and technologies and be a part of world culture. Nevertheless, there are organizations , such as UNESCO and WORLD HERITAGE , which protect and support many disappearing cultures in the world.
After the movement of goods and capital to the markets around the world during the last century, globalization has internationalized marketing to produce, promote, supply and distribute products. Marketing companies search for the markets all over the world and sell goods for different countries. As Amartya Sen (2002) has noted “the markets of countries can not work by themselves in global relations- indeed, it can not operate alone even within a given country”. Strong markets require significant state and transnational intervention. The power of global marketing can be valued on the level of world trade for the last years from 20 $ to 46$ million. Companies like Nike, Coca-cola, Levis and other major companies spend huge sums of money in promoting and sustaining their brands, as well as others. IBRD describes globalization as an increasing economic interdependence of the countries of the world as consequence of the increasing volume and variety of the international movements of the goods, services and international streams of the capital, and also more and more fast and a technology wide circulation» .
World trade has grown fast and with the growth of demand, countries producing goods and exporting them, using other countries labour. They are facing not only positive results , but also negative.Nowadays there is a tendency to produce goods out of the country, because they can avoid the cost of employing international staff, which is expensive. For example, China today provides labor resources for most countries, which is cheap and of high-quality. Companies can design in Italy and then make in different country and sell it all over the world, though the company’s head office has been in the other city. The research of markets has become easier with the use of communication technologies and internet websites. It helps them to market their product and service. However, most countries promote their production on the world market and face international competitiveness. The more products companies produce, the more products they suggest for the customers. Furthermore, world marketing also faces big risks because of instability of exchange rates, and instability of the governments, trade barriers and other factors. Local industries have been taken over by foreign multinationals, that local products lose their markets, because of high competitiveness.
Globalization has become deeper in all spheres and cooperation is the necessary tool for countries to stay active in the world community. It has become an important part of our life to use technology communications , such as Television, Internet, and transport facilities, which we can use to move around the world. Transportation and communication are also important in distribution of goods, which is a part of marketing. Marketing tends to be the necessary tool in every business. However, globalization has not only positive influence on the world, but negative. There is a growing disparity between the richest countries and the poorest countries and growing inequalities within most countries around the world and globalization , as it is managed, has played an important role in both of these disturbing trends. As Times (2007) reports the number of people in poverty in Africa has doubled in the last two decades. Africa was left, by its colonial legacy, with neither resources nor the education, for instance, to take advantage of the new technologies that make such a difference in India and China. Globalization for supporters and critics will be a process. Global integration has continued to spread and has been the subject of discussions. “People should achieve greater control over the runaway world” ( cited in Reith Lecture 1 1999).


References:
1. Gray ,J. ( 2000) “Does globalization bring liberty?”, viewed 15 August 2008,
Available from:http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/economics/article1402854.ece
2. Lewitt, T. (1983) "The Globalization of Markets." Harvard Business Review, viewed 17 August 2008, pp. 92
4 Goryunov , I. (1998) Izvestiya, 22 August, p.8
5. World Commission on Culture and Development, Paris, 1995, p. 186
6. World Economic Outlook, 1997, p. 45).
7. Jeffery, S. (2002). What is globalization? The guardian, 31 October,
Available from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2002/oct/31/globalisation.simonjeffery
8. Giddens, A. ( 1999) Lecture 5: Democracy – London
Runaway world. Reith lectures for BBC, viewed 27 august 2008,
Available from: http://bbc.co.uk/radio4/reith2007/lecture5/shtml
9. Giddens, A. (1999) Lecture 1: Globalisation – London
Runaway world. Reith lectures for BBC, viewed 20 august 2008,
Available from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/reith1999/lecture1.shtml
10. Stiglitz J., 2007, ‘Globalisation fails to help the poorest’, The Times, 19 February, viewed 28 August 2008,
Available from: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/economics/article1403536.ece
11. Sachs ,J. (2007) Lecture 5: Global Politics in a Complex Age
Available from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/reith2007/lecture5.shtml
12. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate change, 1994
Available from: http://unfcc.int/2860.php
13. Kyoto protocol ,1998
Available from: http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/convkp/kpeng.pdf

Modal verbs

Modals – past possibilities, certainties and deductions

Modals – basics
Common modals include:
must, should, might, may, can, could, will, would.
Modals affect the meaning of sentences.
For example, some of them can be used to show possibility or probability.
Example: 1. I meet my boss at ten o'clock every day.(a statement of fact) I might see my boss tonight.(the modal ‘might' expresses a probability or possibility)
2. John can't see his boss tonight.(the modal 'can't' means that it is not possible for John to see his boss tonight)
Grammar note:With a present or future reference, the modal is followed by a base verb (the infinitive form of the main verb, without 'to').
I might see my boss tonight.He could be in London.She may arrive late.
Modals – possibility, probability, guesses and deductions
Modals can be used to show possibility, probability, a guess or a deduction (a guess which is based on evidence).
For example, you are in your house and the doorbell rings (you can't see who is at the door). You say:
That must be the postman.(This means you are certain it is the postman)
That might be the postman. (You are not certain, but it is possible/probable)
That may be the postman.(You are not certain, but it is possible/probable)
That could be the postman(You are not certain, but it is possible/probable)
That can't be the postman.(You are certain that it is NOT the postman)
Modals and past events
Must, might, may, could and can't are also used to talk about past probability and possibility, and to make guesses and deductions about things that happened in the past.
For example, after a shopping trip you go to the train station to return home. You can't find your wallet.
Past certainty I must have left it in the last shop. I don't remember putting it in my pocket. (This means you are certain about something that happened in the past)
I can't have left it in the last shop. I remember putting it in my pocket. (This means you are certain about something that DIDN'T happen in the past)
Past possibility/probability Someone might have stolen it.Somebody may have taken it.I could have dropped it.
Grammar note:When modals are used to talk about past events, the modal is followed by the perfect infinitive, without 'to'. The perfect infinitive is made with ‘have' + the past participle of the main verb. Here are some examples of modal verbs followed by perfect infinitives:
must have leftmight have stolenmay have takencould have dropped
Remember, if you don't use a modal, then you are giving a fact, for example: I left it in the shop.
Be careful: Modal verbs often have other different meanings. For example, 'could' can be used to show ability as well as possibility. Use the context to help you understand which meaning is being used. 'Can' is NOT normally used to talk


EXERCISES ON MODALS:


Modal Final Test
Multiple Choice Exercise
Your score is 72%.Some of your answers are incorrect. Incorrect answers have been left in place for you to change.
1. Ted's flight from Amsterdam took more than 11 hours. He must be exhausted after such a long flight.
2. The book is optional. My professor said we could read it if we needed extra credit. But we don't have to read it if we don't want to.
3. Susan couldn't hear the speaker because the crowd was cheering so loudly.
4. The television isn't working. It must have been damaged during the move.
5. Kate: Can you hold your breath for more than a minute?Jack: No, I can't.
6. You don't have to be rich to be a success. Some of the most successful people I know haven't got a penny to their name.
7. I've redone this math problem at least twenty times, but my answer is wrong according to the answer key. The answer in the book must be wrong!
8. You couldn't do the job if you didn't speak Japanese fluently.
9. You shouldn't worry so much. It doesn't do you any good. Either you get the job, or you don't. If you don't, just apply for another one. Eventually, you will find work.
10. You should be kidding! That can't be true.
11. You would leave the table once you have finished your meal and politely excused yourself.
12. Jenny's engagement ring is enormous! It must be costing a fortune.
13. Shall we move into the living room? It's more comfortable in there and there's a beautiful view of the lake.
14. If I had gone white water rafting with my friends, I would have float down the Colorado River right now.
15. At first, my boss didn't want to hire Sam. But, because I had previously worked with Sam, I told my boss that he ought to take another look at his resume and reconsider him for the position.
16. You can take along some cash. The restaurant may not accept credit cards.
17. The machine can be turned on by flipping this switch.
18. I can't stand these people - I have got to get out of here. I'm going to take off for awhile while you get rid of them.
19. You mustn't forget to pay the rent tomorrow. The landlord is very strict about paying on time.
20. Do you always have to say the first thing that pops into your head. Can't you think once in a while before you speak?
21. Terry and Frank said they would come over right after work, so they can to be here by 6:00.
22. Yesterday, I had to cram all day for my French final. I didn't get to sleep until after midnight.
23. We shall no longer suffer the injustice of oppression! Freedom shall be ours!
24. If I had gone to the University of Miami, I could have participated in their Spanish immersion program.

Source: http://www.englishpage.com/modals/interactivemodal8.htm