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The passive with modals and similar expressions
Past Modal Verbs in the Passive Voice
(past modal verb) + have + been + past participle
Many modal verbs have a past tense form. Here are some of them.
ModalPast Tense Form
cancould
willwould
maymight
shall / shouldshould
is going to was/were going to
(be) able to was/were able to
have tohad to
Pancakes can be made on a stove.
They could have been made in the oven, but they wouldn't have turned out so good.
(past possibility)
1. Bikes may be ridden on this bike path.
2. Earlier, these bikes might have been taken through the streets of Minneapolis.
Flowers will be grown in my garden again this summer.
Corn would have been grown last summer, but corn stalks take up too much space.
Her work has to be done by tomorrow or she'll get in trouble with her boss.
Originally, It had to have been done by yesterday, but her boss gave her extra time to finish it.
Something should be done about global warming or else some types of penguins will perish from the earth.
Something should have been done many years ago but wasn't.
A lot of cows can be raised on a productive farm.
Corn could have been raised instead, but this farmer decided to grow grass. He's a smart farmer!
Remember: Modal verbs in the past tense describe something that was or wasn't done. What makes the use of modal verbs so difficult in these examples is that they're being used in the passive voice.
(past modal verb) + have + been + past participle
Many modal verbs have a past tense form. Here are some of them.
ModalPast Tense Form
cancould
willwould
maymight
shall / shouldshould
is going to was/were going to
(be) able to was/were able to
have tohad to
Pancakes can be made on a stove.
They could have been made in the oven, but they wouldn't have turned out so good.
(past possibility)
1. Bikes may be ridden on this bike path.
2. Earlier, these bikes might have been taken through the streets of Minneapolis.
- permission is given)
- possibiity
Flowers will be grown in my garden again this summer.
Corn would have been grown last summer, but corn stalks take up too much space.
Her work has to be done by tomorrow or she'll get in trouble with her boss.
Originally, It had to have been done by yesterday, but her boss gave her extra time to finish it.
Something should be done about global warming or else some types of penguins will perish from the earth.
Something should have been done many years ago but wasn't.
A lot of cows can be raised on a productive farm.
Corn could have been raised instead, but this farmer decided to grow grass. He's a smart farmer!
Remember: Modal verbs in the past tense describe something that was or wasn't done. What makes the use of modal verbs so difficult in these examples is that they're being used in the passive voice.
Grammar Activities
Click on the links below and complete the exercises.