Практическая грамматика

Is he generally liked?
e) When the predicate is in the Future tense (or Future in the Past)
The entrance door will be closed at seven.
Further details will be given in subsequent chapters.
2. We have a compound nominal predicate in the following cases:
a) usually when the verb to be is in the Present or Past Perfect Inclusive and the notional verb admits of the Continuous form.
Why don't you go and take the documents? They are ready. They have been typed these two hours.
Our things had been packed for two hours and we were impatiently pacing up and down the room when at last we heard the sound of wheels.
b) when Participle II denotes a state of mind. In this case the predicate is compound even if there is an object introduced by the preposition by. This object does not denote the doer of an action but the cause of the state.
Elisabeth was distressed. (Austen)
I was surprised to see Mr. Darcy in town last month. (Austen)
I was so frightened I didn’t know what to do. (Austen)
When these criteria cannot be applied the context itself helps to decide whether the predicate is a simple or a compound nominal one.


Modal verbs


§ 1. Modal verbs are used to show the speaker's attitude toward the action or state indicated by the infinitive, i. e. they show that the action indicated by the infinitive is considered as possible, impossible, probable, improbable, obligatory, necessary, advisable, doubtful or uncertain, etc. The modal verbs are: can (could), may (might), must, should, ought, shall, will, would, need, dare. The modal expressions to be + Infinitive and to have + Infinitive also belong here.
Modal verbs are called defective because all of them (except dare and need) lack verbals and analytical forms (i. e. compound tenses, analytical forms of the Subjunctive Mood, the Passive Voice).
Besides they do not take -s in the third person singular. They also have the following peculiarities:
1) All of them (except ought and sometimes dare and need) are followed by the infinitive without the particle to.
2) All of them (except dare and need) form the negative and the interrogative form without the auxiliary do.
3) All the modal verbs have two negative forms—a full one and a contracted one:
should not—shouldn't, may not—mayn't, must not — mustn't, need not — needn't, dare not — daren't.
Note the peculiar contracted form of some modal verbs:
cannot —can't, shall not—shan't, will not —won't.
§ 2. Can.
The verb can has two forms: can for the Present Tense and could for the Past Tense; the expression to be able to which has the same meaning can be used to supply the missing forms of the verb can.
Can expresses ability or capability, possibility, incredulity or doubt, astonishment and permission.