Cambridge Grammar of English Hardback with cd-rom a comprehensive Guide

Interrogatives

380c

The interrogative with modal verbs is formed by inverting the subject and modal

verb. Auxiliary do is not used:

Can they repair it?

(Do they can repair it?)

Will your mother be offended?

Negative forms of modal verbs

380d

The negatives of modal verbs are formed by adding not/’nt (

Û

380e

) after the

modal verb. Auxiliary do is not used:

I 

can’t understand what she’s saying.

(I don’t can understand what she’s saying.)

(I not can understand what she’s saying.)

I just 

could not bear even talking to him.

Contracted forms of modal verbs

380e

Subject-verb contraction

Subject-verb contraction is only possible with shall and will (which become ’ll),

and would (which becomes ’d):

They

’ll always be successful.

I

’ll let you know what’s going to happen.

(I shall/I will let you know …)

He

’d be very cross if I told him.