Collins Cobuild English Grammar (117 page)

5.193
   Ways of stating an intention without using a modal are explained in paragraphs
5.235
to
5.238
.

Expressing unwillingness or refusal

5.194
   A refusal can be expressed by using a modal in a negative declarative sentence. The subject is usually
I
or
we
, but other personal pronouns or noun phrases can be used.

refusal:
will not
and
won’t

5.195
   If you want to say firmly that you refuse to do something, you use
will not
or
won’t
.

I
will not
hear a word said against the National Health Service.
I
won’t
let this happen.

You can just say
I won’t
.

‘Tell me your secret.’ – ‘
I won’t
. It wouldn’t be a secret if I told you.’
It isn’t that I
won’t
. I can’t.

You can use
won’t
to say that someone else is refusing to do something.

He
won’t
give her the money.

refusal:
would not

5.196
   If you want to say that you refused to do something in the past, you use
would not
or
wouldn’t
.

He thought I was a freak because I
wouldn’t
carry a weapon.

unwillingness:
cannot

5.197
   If you want to show that you have strong feelings that prevent you from doing something, you use
cannot
or
can’t
.

I
cannot
leave everything for him.
I
can’t
give you up.

unwillingness:
couldn’t

5.198
   
Couldn’t
is used in two ways to express unwillingness to do something.

You use it to show that you are unwilling to do something because you are afraid, embarrassed, or disgusted.

I
couldn’t
possibly go out now.
I
couldn’t
let him touch me.

You use it to indicate that you are unwilling to do something because you think it would be unfair or morally wrong.

I
couldn’t
leave Hilary to cope on her own.
I
couldn’t
take your last chocolate.

5.199
   Other ways of expressing refusal and unwillingness are described in paragraphs
5.239
to
5.241
.

Expressing a wish

5.200
   Wishes can be expressed by using a modal in a declarative sentence.

wishes:
would

5.201
   You can say what someone wants by using
would
followed by a verb meaning
to like
. After the verb meaning
to like
you put a
to
-infinitive clause or a noun phrase.

I
would
like to know the date.
I
would
prefer to say nothing about this problem.
We’
d
like to keep you here.
Oh, I hope it will be twins. I’
d
love twins.

5.202
   You can say what someone does not want by using
would not
.

I
would not
like to see it.
We
wouldn’t
like to lose you.

Normally, when you are using
would
with
like
to say what someone does not want, you put
not
after
would
. If you put
not
after
like
, you change the meaning slightly.

For example, if you say
I would not like to be a student
, you mean you are not a student and do not want to be one. But if you say
I would like not to be a student
, you mean you are a student and do not want to be one.

They
would like not
to have to go through all that.

You can also say what someone does not want by using
would
with
hate
.

I
would
hate to move to another house now.
Personally, I
would
hate to be dragged into this dispute.

wishes:
should

5.203
   You can also say what someone wants or does not want by using
should
.
Should
is less common than
would
, and is slightly more formal.

I
should
like to live in the country.
I
should
hate to see them disappear.

preference:
would rather
,
would sooner

5.204
   You can say that someone prefers one situation to another by using
would rather
or
would sooner
.

He
would rather
have left it.
She’
d rather
be left alone.
I’
d sooner
walk than do any of these things.

wishes:
would have

5.205
   If you want to say that someone wanted something to happen, although it did not happen, you use
would have
and an
-ed
participle.

I
would have
liked to hear more from the patient.
She
would have
liked to remain just where she was.

USAGE NOTE

5.206
   Another way of saying that you want something is to use
wouldn’t
with a verb or expression that is normally used to refuse something, such as
mind
or
object to
.

I
wouldn’t mind
being a manager of a store.
‘Drink, Ted?’ – ‘I
wouldn’t say no
, Bryan.’

regret:
would that

5.207
   In very old-fashioned English,
would
is used without a subject to express a wish that a situation might be different, or to express regret that something did not happen in the past.
Would
is followed by a
that
-clause.

‘Are they better off now than they were two years ago?’ – ‘
Would that
they were.’
Would that
the developments had been so easy.

When
I
,
he
,
she
, or
it
is the subject of the
that
-clause, the verb is usually
were
, not
was
.

Would that you
were
here tonight.
Two years ago we were told that they would be much better off by now. Would that they
were
.

hopes and wishes:
may

5.208
   In very formal English,
may
is used to express a hope or wish.

Long
may
they continue to do it.
May
he justify our hopes and rise to the top.

Indicating importance

5.209
   Modals can be used in declarative sentences to say that it is important that something is done. Different modals indicate different degrees of importance.

importance:
must

5.210
   
Must
is used in three common ways to talk about the importance of doing something.

You use
must
with
you
or
we
to urge someone to do something, because you feel it is important.
Must not
is used to urge someone not to do something.

You
must
come at once.
We
must
accept the truth about ourselves.
You
must not
worry.
You
mustn’t
let her suffer for it.

Have to
,
have got to
, and
need to
can be used instead of
must
to talk about the importance of doing something. This is explained in paragraphs
5.242
and
5.243
.

You use
must
to say that something is required by a rule or law.

People who qualify
must
apply within six months.
European Community standards
must
be met.

You use
must
to say that it is necessary that something happens or is done, in order that something else can happen.

Meadows
must
have rain.
To travel properly you
must
have a valid ticket.

necessity:
will have to
,
will need to

5.211
   If you want to say that an action will be necessary in the future, you use
will have to
or
will need to
.

They
will have to
pay for the repairs.
Mr Smith
will have to
make the funeral arrangements.
You
will need to
cover it with some kind of sheeting.
Electric clocks
will need to
be reset.

necessity:
shall have to