Page 151 - Basic English Usage

151 201 — 202

3 Talking about permission
We do not usually use may and might to talk about permission which
has already been given or refused. Instead, we use can, could or be
allowed to.
These days, children ean do what they like.
(NOT ... mayde...)
! could read what | liked when | was a child.
(NOT +ight ...)

201 mind

Mind can mean ‘dislike’, ‘be annoyed by’, ‘object to". We use mind
mostly in questions and negative sentences.
! don't mind you coming in late if you don't wake me up.
‘Do you mind the smell of tobacco?’ ‘Not at all.'
Do you mind ... ?and Would you mind .. . ?are often used to ask for
permission, or to ask people to do things. We can use -ing forms or if-
clauses.

| Do you mind/Would you mind... -ing... ? |

Would you mind opening the window? (= Please open the window.)
Would you mind my opening the window? (= Can { open the
window?)
Do you mind people smoking in the kitchen?

| Do you mind/Would you mind if... ? |

Would you mind if | opened the window?
Do you mind if people smoke in the kitchen?
‘Do you mind if | smoke?’ ‘No, please do.’
Note that the answer ‘No’ is used to give permission after Do you
mind ... ?(I don’t mind means ‘| have nothing against it; it's all right’.)

202 modal auxiliary verbs

Forms
Modal auxiliary verbs are can, could, may, might, must, will, would,
shall, should, ought, dare and need.
Modal verbs have no -sin the third person singular.
She might know his address. (NOT Shetmights ...)
Questions and negatives are made without do.
Can you swim? (NOT De-yetrearswih?)
You shouldn’t do that. (NOT -Yeerdent-sheuta-de-that:)