Can I vs May I?

Can I vs May I?

But the 'permission' use of can is not in fact incorrect in standard English. The only difference between the two verbs is that one is more polite than the other. In informal contexts it's perfectly acceptable to use can; in formal situations it would be better to use may.

When Must is used?

It can also be used to express necessity or strong recommendation, although native speakers prefer the more flexible form "have to." "Must not" can be used to prohibit actions, but this sounds very severe; speakers prefer to use softer modal verbs such as "should not" or "ought not" to dissuade rather than prohibit.

Should I use in grammar?

English grammar help: how to use 'should', 'would' and 'could' 'Should', 'would' and 'could' are auxiliary verbs that can sometimes get confusing. They are the past tense of 'shall', 'will' and 'can' but are also used in other situations.

Where we use should?

"Should" is a modal verb most commonly used to make recommendations or give advice. It can also be used to express obligation as well as expectation. Examples: When you go to Berlin, you should visit the palaces in Potsdam.

What is the past tense of should?

should is the preterite form of the modal verb whose present form is shall. As such, should can be (and is still) used in the past tense, in places where shall would be used in the present tense. Two examples: “It is time, we shall proceed” can be reported as “he said it was time, we should proceed”.

What’s the only word that means mandatory?

"Must" is the only word that imposes a legal obligation on your readers to tell them something is mandatory. … Even the Supreme Court ruled that when the word "shall" appears in statutes, it means "may."

Does should mean mandatory?

Should is used to mean a recommendation only. IEEE's Style Guide has the following to say: 13.1 Shall, should, may, and can. The word shall is used to indicate mandatory requirements strictly to be followed in order to conform to the standard and from which no deviation is permitted (shall equals is required to).

What is mean obligation?

something by which a person is bound or obliged to do certain things, and which arises out of a sense of duty or results from custom, law, etc. something that is done or is to be done for such reasons: to fulfill one's obligations. a binding promise, contract, sense of duty, etc.

Why we use should?

The main use of should now is to tell somebody what they ought to do, to give advice, or to add emphasis:We should really go and visit them soon. You should have seen it! Grammar Point. Dare, need, have to and used to also share some of the features of modal verbs.

Can we use must and should together?

Must or have to followed by an infinitive are used to express obligation. Hence, it doesn't make sense to use them together. From the site: We often use must for more personal opinions about what it is necessary to do, and have to for what somebody in authority has said it is necessary to do.

Can could grammar?

When could is used as the past tense of can, it refers to an ability that a person generally had in the past or to something that was generally possible in the past ("When I was younger, I could run for miles," or "It used to be you could buy lunch for a dollar.").