Page 255 - Effective Communication Soft Skills Strategies For Success by Nitin Bhatnagar, Mamta Bhatnagar

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Communication: Written English | 243

i. He can teach German and Japanese.
ii. The PM might grace the occasion of our school anniversary.
iii. The managing committee could grant two more appointments.
Here the main verb, ‘teach’, ‘grace’, or ‘grant’, does not change, if you have
noticed it. Do keep this grammatical axiom in mind while using modals.
Box 10.1 below will help you gain an overview of modals.

Box 10.1: Overview of Modals

Can
i. have the ability

She can teach the sciences as well as English.
ii. permission
You can’t go out this evening.
iii. possibility
The student can improve if he works hard.
iv. request
Can l come in?

Could
i. past ability
Raman could tackle any difficult sum by the time he was ten years
old.
ii. polite request
Could you attend the meeting please?
iii. dim possibility
Our student could top the merit list next year.

Be
ability in the present (‘be’ changes to ‘am’, ‘is’, ‘are’) or past (‘be’
able to becomes ‘was’, ‘were’) or future (‘will be’, ’shall be’)
The child was able to adjust to the school within a week.
We are able to provide a computer per student .
They will be able to lift the elocution trophy this year.
Please remember:
Never write ‘can able to. It is wrong and must be avoided.
Must indicates compulsion.
You must attend the lectures regularly

(Continued)

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