18. Focus on: phrasal verbs and can, could, will, andwould

Can, could, will,andwouldaremodal auxiliary verbs,often calledmodels. Modals are very important in English, but they can be confusing because they are used to say many different things. Here is a basic review ofcan, could, will,andwouldand their most common uses.

Could is used as the past tense of can:

I can't come over tonight.

I couldn't come over last night.

Would is used as the past tense of will (the future use of will has already been discussed in Section 15) to talk about something that was future in the past:

/ didn't buy that nice coat for my son because I knew he would quickly grow out of it.

Would is used in place of will when repeating someone else's words:

She said she would get next Friday off.

Would is used as the past tense of will to talk about a repeated past action:

When I worked as a bank guard, I would stand around all day doing nothing.

Normally, can, could, will, and would have different uses, and it is important to use the correct one; however, in one special case — making requests — they can be used with very little difference in meaning:

Can you get off the couch?

Could you get off the couch ?

Will you get off the couch?

Would you get off the couch?

Can and could are used, with little difference in meaning, to ask for permission:

Can I think about it before I make a decision?

Could I think about it before I make a decision?

Can, could, will, and would are used in conditional sentences. Conditional means that a condition, usually stated in an if clause, must be satisfied for the main clause to be true. When the condition is something that is actually possible, the verb in the if clause is normally in the present tense. If the condition in the if clause is something that could not actually be true, the past tense form of the verb is used.

When the condition in the if clause is something that is actually possible, can is used in the main clause to discuss a real ability:

If I have a car, I can come over.

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When the condition in the if clause is something that is actually possible, will is used in the main clause to discuss a real willingness or intention:

If I have a car, I will come over.

When the condition in the if clause is not something that is actually possible, could is used in the main clause to discuss an unreal or imaginary ability:

If I had a car, I could come over.

When the condition in the if clause is not something that is actually possible, would is used in the main clause to discuss an unreal or imaginary willingness or intention:

If I had a car, I would come over.

Either the if clause or main clause can occur first in a sentence, with a slight change in punctuation:

If I had a car, I would come over. I would come over if I had a car.

1. breakthrough p.v. When you use force to go through a wall or other barrier, you break through it.

The thieves broke through the wall of the jewelry store.

The attackers couldn't break through the thick walls of the fort.

2. breakthrough p.v. When you cannot do something because of a problem and you find a way to solve or eliminate the problem, you breakthrough.

After the problem of tissue rejection is broken through, organ transplants will become more common.

It took three days of negotiation, but we finally broke through the deadlock.

breakthrough n. An important discovery or development that solves or eliminates a problem that is preventing you from doing something is a breakthrough.

Dr. Wood announced an important breakthrough in the search for a cure for AIDS.