Five ways of expressing…

1. Condition

UNLESS + AFF VERB: Unless you leave at once, I’ll call the police.
SUPPOSE: Suppose we are late, what can we do?
AS LONG AS: She may go, as long as you go with her.
IN CASE: In case you need me, I’ll be outside.
IMPERATIVE+AND: Finish your homework and you may go out.

2. HYPOTHETICAL/UNREAL SITUATIONS

WOULD+INFINITIVE: It would be nice to live by the sea.

WOULD+PERF INFINITIVE: It would have been wonderful to meet you.
IF + PAST COND 2: If I were a millionaire, I would buy a castle.
IN CASE: You should take an umbrella in case it rains.
COULD: Your friend could stay over night.

3. PURPOSE

TO+INFINITIVE: He went to the market to buy fruits.

IN ORDER TO + infinitive: I do it in order to improve my skills.
FOR+VERB+ING: This toy is for playing.
FOR+NOUN: I went to the shop for some milk.
SO THAT+ clause: They put the signs so that tourists could reach them.

4. Cause/Result/Reason

SO MANY: I bought so many books that I couldn’t carry them all.

SO MUCH/SO LITTLE: We have so little free time that we can’t go out.
SUCH A+ADJ+THAT: It was such a good film that I saw it twice.
BECAUSE: I help you because I like you.
SINCE: We need to hurry up since it’s very late now.
DUE TO: I come home late due to traffic jam.
AS A RESULT:
THEREFORE:
SO: I was so tired that I could not work anymore.

5. CONTRAST/CONCESSION

BUT/YET: Maria felt ill but she went to school

ALTHOUGH: Although she was ill, Maria went to school.
DESPITE/IN SPITE OF: Despite her ilness, Jane went to work.
HOWEVER: Mark was injured; however, he continued to play.

6. COMPARISON

Like: That cake looks like a building.

AS...AS: I can run as fast as a dog.
Nothing like: There is nothing like a cold beer in a hot day.
More than/Less than: She is so much more cunning than her cousin.

7. WISH

Wish+past simple: I wish I owned a helicopter!

Wish+ past perfect: I wish I had not eaten so much!
Hope: I hope you’ll have a good time!
IF ONLY: If only I could fly…
WISH+WOULD: I wish you would stop smoking!
WISH+COULD: I wish I could fly!

8. OBLIGATION

MUST: I must by at my office at 9’o clock.

HAVE TO: I have to finish my work before I leave.
IT’S MANDATORY:
IT’S OBLIGATORY:
I HAVE GOT TO: I have got to learn english if I want to teach it.

9. NECESSITY/DUTY

MUST: I must talk to him.

HAVE TO: We have to write a report.
HAVE GOT TO: I have got to go.
NEED TO: I need to see you.
OUGHT TO: You ought to buy more cheese.

10. LACK OF NECESSITY/OBLIGATION

DON’T HAVE TO:

DON’T NEED TO:
NEED NOT: You need not go if you don’t want to.
NEED+NEG. ADV: I need hardly tell you how important this is.
NOT NECESSARY:
11. INTERDICTION

CAN’T:
MUST NOT:
NOT ALLOWED:
IT IS FORBIDDEN:
PROHIBITED: Parking here is strictly prohibited.
NOT PERMITTED:

12. PERMISSION

CAN/COULD:
MAY:
IT IS ALL RIGHT IF:
DOU YOU MIND IF:
BE ALLOWED:

13: ABILITY

CAN: I can swim.

COULD: She could swim when she was 10.
BE ABLE TO: I am able to run a marathon.
MANAGE TO: My father managed to avoid a crash.
WAS/WILL BE ABLE TO: I was able to play piano when I was young.

14. OPINION/ADVICE

SHOULD: opinion: I think the police should arrest hooligans.

Advice: I think you should talk to your doctor about that.
OUGHT TO: You ought to read more.
HAD BETTER: I think you’d better talk to your teacher.
IF I WERE YOU: If I were you, I’d go out more often.
WHY DON’T YOU: Why don’t you come for a visit?
HOW ABOUT: How about going to gym?

15. SUGGESTION

HOW ABOUT: How about going to the cinema?

WHY NOT: Why not having a salad?
LET’S: Let’s make pizza tonight!
SHALL: Shall we meet at the theatre?
COULD: You could wear your red dress.

16. CRITICISM

CAN + inf: You can be really annoying, you know?

Could + inf: George could really help you!
SHOULD NOT + INF: You souldn’t be here sitting just doing nothing!
MIGHT: You might have been more helpful!
TO BE FAIR: To be fair, your homework is poor!

17. POSSESION

IS: Is that my book?

OF: A friend of mine
POSSESIVE PRON: The dog is mine.
POSS ADJ: My dog is black.
HAVE GOT/OWN: I own that car.

18. POSSIBILITY/UNCERTAINTY

MIGHT: He might now her adress.

CAN/COULD: Winters in Sweden can be really cold.
MAYBE: Maybe she will make the trip alone.
PERHAPS:
THERE IS A CHANCE:
LIKELY: I am likely to do the work myself.

19. IMPOSSIBILITY

IT IS IMPOSSIBLE:
CAN’T POSSIBLY:
MAY NOT:
THERE IS NO CHANCE:
COULDN’T HAVE:

20. PREFERENCE

PREFFERE 1: I preffer swimming to cycling.

PREFFERE 2: I preffer tea to coffee.
WOULD PREFER...RATHER THAN: I’d prefer to live in York rather than London.
WOULD RATHER...THAN:
WOULD SOONER: I would sooner read a book than do my homework.

21. EMPHASIS

PASSIVE CONSTRUCTION: All the roads to the North have been blocked by snow.
INVERSION: Seldom have I felt so alone.
ADDING WORDS(very/indeed): IT WAS VERY COLD INDEED.
OVER AND OVER: I read those books over and over again.
REPETITION OF VERB: I tried and tried, but it was no use.

22. ASSUMPTION/DEDUCTION/SUPPOSITION

MUST: He must be working late in the office.

CAN’T: He can’t be out, his car is still here.
WILL: He’ll be there by tomorrow.
WOULD: He would know the answer.
SHOULD: He should be there by now.

23. REGRET

WISH: I wish I had worked harder.

SHOULD HAVE+past part: I should have sent him an invitation.
I REGRET: I regret the things I haven’t done.
IF ONLY: If only I hadn’t eaten so much.
WHAT I PITY: What a pity she is not here.

24. COMMANDS

Command/Insist: I insist you should clear that immediately!

MUST: You must write this letter at once!
IMPERATIVE: Be quite, Peter!

25. REQUESTS

PLEASE: Help me, please!

WILL YOU: Open the door, will you?
CAN/COULD: Could you help me with this box?
MAY: May I see your I.D.?

26. INTENTION

GOING TO: I am going to donate money to a cause.

WANT TO: I want to finish this letter before noon.

WILL: I will search him no matter what.

WOULD LIKE: I would like to go on vacation.

I PLAN TO: I plan to do some business.

27. WILLINGNESS

WILL: If you will wait here, I will see if Mr. Green is available.
WOULD: He would do anighing to protect you.
WILL NOT: No matter how hard I try, he will not listen.
WOULD NOT: When she was young, she would not listen to anybody.
COULD NOT: I could not leave without my jacket.