Referring to time

4.110 Modals do not usually indicate whether you are talking about the past, the present, or the future. Usually you indicate this in other ways, for example by putting an auxiliary verb and a participle after the modal. Sometimes the general context makes it clear whether you are talking about a past, present, or future event or situation.

the future: 'shall' and 'will' 4.111 'Shall' and 'will' are exceptions to this.

'Shall' always indicates that you are talking about a future event or situation.

I shall do what you suggested.

Eventually we shall find a solution.

'Will' usually indicates that you are talking about a future event or situation.

The farmer will feel more responsible towards his workers.

He will not return for many hours.

However 'will' is sometimes used to talk about present situations.

You will not feel much love for him at the moment.

This use of 'will' is described in paragraph 4.124.

4.112 'Could' and 'would' are sometimes described as past tense forms of 'can' and 'will'. However this is true in only a few minor ways. These are explained in the following paragraphs.

ability in the past: 'could' 4.113 'Could' can be regarded as the past tense of 'can' if you are simply talking about the ability of a person or thing to do something.

For example, if you are talking about a living person, you can say 'He can speak Russian and Finnish'. If you are talking about a dead person, you can say 'He could speak Russian and Finnish'.

For a fuller explanation of these uses see paragraphs 4.119 to 4.121.

reported speech 4.114 'Could' and 'would' are sometimes used in place of 'can' and 'will' when you are reporting what someone has said.

For example, if a man has said 'I can come', you might report this as 'He said that he could come'. Similarly, if he has said, 'I will come', you might report this as 'He said that he would come'.

For a full explanation of reported speech see Chapter 7.

regularity in the past: 'would' 4.115 'Would' is used to talk about something that happened regularly in the past, but no longer happens.

She would sit crosslegged in her red robes.

A man with a list would come round and say you could go off duty.

When you use 'would' like this, you often add an adjunct of time.

She would often hear him grumbling.

Once in a while she'd give me some lilac to take home.

Every day I'd ring up home and asked if they'd changed their minds.

You can use 'used to' instead of 'would'. 'Used to' is explained in paragraphs 4.258 to 4.262.

thinking about the future: 'would' 4.116 'Would' is also used in stories to talk about the thoughts that someone is having about the future. For example, if the hero of a story is thinking that he will see a girl called Jane the next day, the author might simply say 'He would see Jane the next day'.

He would recognize it when he heard it again.

They would reach the castle some time.

4.117 When 'would' is used with 'not' to talk about something that happened in the past, it has a special meaning. It is used to say that someone was unwilling to do something, or refused to do something.

They just would not believe what we told them.

After all this, I wouldn't come back to the farm.

The use of modals to express unwillingness or a refusal is explained in paragraphs 4.200 to 4.205.