AN INTRODUCTION TO ENGLISH GRAMMAR & LANGUAGE
                 PAST/INDEFINITE TENSE                              For example,
               Singular              Plural                               I can help you.
1st Person I was                     We were                              I can swim across the river.
2nd Person You were                  You were                       Could is used to denote polite request.
3rd Person He/She/It was             They were                      For example,
                 PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE                                     Could you pass me the salt?
               Singular              Plural                                Could is often used without reference to past
1st Person I was being               We were being                         time.
2nd Person You were being            You were being                 For example,
3rd Person He/She/It was             They were being                       I think, I could help you (can).
               being                                                       Could have denotes a past possibility not ful-
                                                                           filled.
                    PAST PERFECT TENSE
                                                                    For example,
               Singular              Plural
1st Person I had been                We had been                           You could have done the sum with a little more
2nd Person You had been              You had been                          attention.
3rd Person He/She/It had been They had been                   May, Might
                                                                  May is used in expressing doubt or in asking or giving
           PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE                      permission.
               Singular              Plural                         For example,
1st Person I had been being          We had been being                     He may catch the train (doubt).
2nd Person You had been              You had been being
                                                                           May I go out? (asking permission).
               being
                                                                           You may sleep now (permission).
3rd Person He/She/It had been They had been being
                                                                  May is used to express possibility in affirmative sen-
               being
                                                              tences.
                FUTURE INDEFINITE TENSE                             For example,
                  Singular           Plural                                It may rain tomorrow.
1st Person        I shall be         We shall be                           He may be at home.
2nd Person        You will be        You will be                  May is also used to express a wish.
3rd Person        He/She/It will be They will be                    For example,
               FUTURE CONTINUOUS TENSE                                     May you live long!
                  Singular           Plural                                May success attend you!
1st Person I shall be being            We shall be being          Might is the past tense of may and is used to express
2nd Person You will be being           You will be being      a degree of dissatisfaction or reapproach.
3rd Person He/She/It will be being They will be being               For example,
                 FUTURE PERFECT TENSE                                      He cried aloud so that his friends might hear
               Singular              Plural                                him.
1st Person I shall have been         We shall have been             You might see me tomorrow.
2nd Person You will have been You will have been                  You might pay a little more attention to your appear-
3rd Person He/She/It will have They will have been            ance.
               been                                                 Might is also used in polite request.
                                                                    For example,
         FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE
                                                                    Might I have your umbrella for a day?
                  Singular           Plural
                                                                  Note : (i) Could and Might are used as the past equiva-
1st Person        I shall have       We shall have
                                                              lent of can and may.
                  been being         been being
                                                                    For example,
2nd Person        You will have      You will have
                  been being         been being                            I could draw scenery when I was young (ability).
3rd Person        He/She/It will     They will have                        He said I might/could sit (permission).
                  have been being been being                               He thought he might be at home (possibility).
                                                                           He wondered if it could be correct. (possibility).
                             MODAL                                  (ii) Could and might are also used as less positive
Modals are the auxiliaries which express attitudes like per-               versions of can and may.
mission, possibility, necessity etc. such as :                      For example,
Can Could             May Might         Shall Should                       I could attend the party.
Will Would            Must Ought        Need Dare                          Might/Could I borrow your pen?
They are also called Modal Auxiliaries.                                    It might be sunny tomorrow.
                        Uses of Modals                              (iii) May not denotes denial of permission or improb-
Can, Could                                                                 ability.
      Can is a Principal Verb followed by an Infinitive with-       For example,
out ‘to’. Its Past tense is could but it, has no Past Parti-
                                                                           Outsiders may not use the similar gate.
ciple. It means ability or capacity.
                                                          SEE–59