Collins Cobuild English Grammar (116 page)

May
I help you?
May
I take your coat?

offers of help:
shall
and
should

5.176
   You can also use
shall
or
should
when you are offering to do something.

If you are offering to do something that you can do immediately, or you are fairly confident that your offer will be accepted, you use
shall
.

Shall
I shut the door?
Shall
I spell that for you?

If you talking about a less likely or less immediate situation, or if you are uncertain whether your offer will be accepted, you use
should
.

Should
I give her a ring?
Should
I put all these meetings on my calendar?

emphasizing ability:
can

5.177
   If you want to emphasize your ability to help, you can make an offer using
can
in a declarative sentence.

I have a car. I
can
drop you off on my way home.
I
can
pop in at the shop tomorrow.

persuasive invitations:
must
and
have to

5.178
   If you want to make an invitation in a very persuasive way, you can use a declarative sentence beginning with
you
and
must
or
have to
.
Have to
is more common in American English.

You
must
join us for drinks this evening.
You
have to
come and visit me.

You only use
must
and
have to
like this with people who you know well.

5.179
   Other ways of making an offer or invitation are dealt with in paragraph
5.42
.

Making suggestions

5.180
   Suggestions can be made by using a modal in a declarative or interrogative sentence. The subject of the sentence is usually
we
or
you
.

suggesting:
could

5.181
   You can make a suggestion by using
could
in a declarative sentence or
couldn’t
in an interrogative sentence.

If the business doesn’t work out we
could
sell it.
You
could
have a nursery there.
Couldn’t
you just build more factories?
Couldn’t
some international agreement be concluded to ban these weapons?

suggesting:
should
and
ought to

5.182
   If you are making a suggestion and you want to indicate that you feel strongly that it is a good idea, you can use
should
or
ought to
.

You
should
ask Norry about this.
I think you
should
get in touch with your solicitor.
We
ought to
celebrate. Let’s get a bottle of champagne.
I think you
ought to
try a different approach.

A more polite way of making a suggestion that you feel strongly about is to use
shouldn’t
or
oughtn’t to
in an interrogative sentence.

Shouldn’t
we at least give her a chance?
Oughtn’t
we
to
phone the police?

persuading:
must

5.183
   If you are suggesting an action and you are trying to persuade someone that it should be done, you use
must
. You only use
must
like this when you are talking to someone you know well.

You
must
say hello to your daughter.
We
must
go to the place, perhaps have a weekend there.

polite suggestions:
might

5.184
   If you want to make a suggestion in a very polite way, you can use
might
with
you
in a declarative sentence.
Might
is followed by a verb meaning
to like
or
to want
.

You
might
want to comment on his latest proposal.
I thought perhaps you
might
like to come along with me.

You can also make a polite suggestion by using a sentence beginning with
It might be
, followed by a noun phrase or adjective and a
to
-infinitive clause.

I think it
might
be a good idea to stop now.
It
might
be better to wait a while.

suggesting:
might as well
,
may as well

5.185
   You can also make suggestions using the expressions
might as well
and
may as well
.

You use
might as well
when what you are suggesting seems to be the only sensible course of action, although you are not enthusiastic about it.

He
might as well
take the car.
We
might as well
call the whole thing off.

You use
may as well
to show that it is not important to you whether your suggestion is accepted or not.

You
may as well
open them all.
We
may as well
give her a copy.

suggesting:
shall

5.186
   You can make a suggestion about what you and someone else could do by using an interrogative sentence beginning with
shall
and
we
.

Shall
we go and see a film?
Shall
we go on to question number six?
Shall
we talk about something different now?

5.187
   Other ways of making suggestions are described in paragraph
5.46
.

Stating an intention

5.188
   Intentions are usually stated by using
will
,
shall
, or
must
in a declarative sentence. The subject is
I
or
we
.

intentions:
will

5.189
   The usual way to state an intention is to use
I
or
we
with
will
. The shortened forms
I’ll
and
we’ll
are very common.

I
will
call you when I am ready.
We
will
stay here.
I’
ll
write again some time.
We’
ll
discuss that later.

You state your intention not to do something using
will not
or
won’t
.

I
will not
follow her.
I
won’t
keep you any longer.
We
won’t
let them through the gate.

5.190
   You can show that you are very determined to do something by using the full form
I will
or
we will
and stressing
will
.

You can show that you are very determined not to do something either by using
I won’t
or
we won’t
and stressing
won’t
, or by using
I will not
or
we will not
and stressing
not
.

intentions:
shall

5.191
   Another way of stating an intention is to use
I
or
we
with
shall
.

I
shall
be leaving soon.
I
shall
make some enquiries and call you back.
We
shall
continue to monitor his progress.

This use is slightly old-fashioned, rather formal, and uncommon in American English.

You can show that you are very determined not to do something by using
shall not
or
shan’t
. This is more emphatic than using
will not
or
won’t
.

I
shall not
disclose his name.
I
shan’t
go back there.

The form
shan’t
is not used in American English.

intentions:
must

5.192
   If you want to show that it is important that you do something, you can use
I must
.

I
must
leave fairly soon.
I
must
ask her about that.
I
must
call my mum–it’s her birthday today.