Modal verbs/aide

Modal verbs/aide
Message de skoop posté le 04-12-2014 à 15:54:30 (S | E | F)
Hello everybody
My teacher asked me and my classmates to make 5 sentences. And each of those sentences mustcontain a modal.
So can you tell me if my sentences are correct ? Thank you for your help!

1) This document says that people (customers...) need a short speech to be convinced. (only this sentence don't need a modal but like with the other sentence I'm not sure if it's correct)

2)
_In presentations, a well-crafted presentation should last no more than 20 minutes
_In e-mails, a well-crafted e-mail must get right to the point.
_In blogs, a well crafted blog mustn't be long
_At event, you need to be specific, you might present you product or service in 30seconds
_With sales prospects, you couldn't speak about your life, unless they're interested in learning more.

Thank you

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Modifié par lucile83 le 04-12-2014 16:50

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Réponse: Modal verbs/aide de gerondif, postée le 04-12-2014 à 16:20:32 (S | E)
Hello,
mistakes in blue.
My teacher asks to me and my classmates to make 5 sentences. And each of those sentences must have an modal.
So can you tell me if my sentences are correct ? Thank you !

1) This document says that people (customers...) need a short speech to be convinced. (only this sentence doesn't need a modal but like with the other sentence I'm not sure if it's correct)(your "need" is an ordinary verb here. use must for example with the verb have or listen to)

explanation:
"I need a pen, I don't need a rubber". is a normal verb.
"Need I come ? No, you needn't come." is a modal, it only exists in the present tense, in the interrogative or negative form.

2)
_In presentations, a well-crafted presentation should last no more than 20 minutes
_In e-mails, a well-crafted e-mail must get right to the point.
_In blogs, a well crafted blog mustn't be long
_At event, you need to be specific, you might present your product or service in 30 seconds (wrong! might means that maybe you will succeed, one chance out of four. Here; you need a strong modal verb, must, should, had better)
_With sales prospects, you couldn't speak about your life, unless they're interested in learning more.(means either: vous ne pouviez pas or vous ne pourriez pas, so it is wrong, it could be right in the present tense though! Otherwise, use a stronger verb like the ones I mentioned above: mustn't, shouldn't, had better not)

Of course, you could use must in every sentence, I suppose your teacher expects you to use different modals.

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Réponse: Modal verbs/aide de skoop, postée le 04-12-2014 à 16:55:17 (S | E)
Thank you very much gerondif
Donc si j'ai bien tout compris

1) This document says that people (customers...) need a short speech to be convinced. (vous avez dit que need était incorrect mais dans cette phrase je ne suis pas obliger d'utiliser un modal, je voulais juste savoir si grammaticalement cette phrase était correcte)

2)
_In presentations, a well-crafted presentation should last no more than 20 minutes.
_In e-mails, a well-crafted e-mail must get right to the point.
_In blogs, a well crafted blog mustn't be long.
_At event, you need to be specific, you had better present your product or service in 30 seconds.
_With sales prospects, you shouldn’t speak about your life, unless they're interested in learning more.

(And yes my teacher expects me to use different modals (five modals) )

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