Auxiliaries

Auxiliaries

Can, could

• meaning: 'possibility', used in questions

• BE: 'can' is more common, e.g. 'Can something have happened to them?'

• AE: 'could' is more common, e.g. "Could something have happened to them?"

• meaning: 'impossibility': with 'can't' in both BE and AE, but 'mustn't' can be used in AE (but it's dated), instead 'must not' is more common in AE:

• "He must not be there yet." (AE, more common)

• "He mustn't be there yet." (AE, rarer)

Multiple Choice

Which sentence is in AE?

• Could it have been the dog?

• Can somebody have woken him up?

Answer:

Could it have been the dog?

Since 'could' is more common in AE, while BE uses 'can'.

Have got, got

• Have got: meaning: 'possess sth'; mainly BE, but also in AE (rarer)

• 'He has a car.' (common in both BE, AE)

• 'He has got a car.' (BE, less common in AE)

• 'Have you got time?' (BE)

• "Do you have the time?" (AE)

• Informal, spoken equivalent: 'got', mainly AE

• "I got time." (AE)

Multiple Select

Check the sentences that an American person would most likely say.

• She got a beautiful necklace.

• The Millers have got a new car.

• Does he have the same shoes as you?

• Has she got a kitten?

Answers:

She got beautiful necklace.

This is an informal AE sentence, BE does not really use it.

Does he have the same shoes as you?

Instead of the 'does' structure, BE would use 'Has he got the same shoes as you?'

Have got to, got to

• Have got to: meaning 'logical necessity': AE

• "There's got to be a mistake." (AE)

• Have got to: meaning 'obligation': both AE and BE

• 'You've got to tell me who did it.'

• Got to: expresses a sense of certainty, mainly AE, but also BE

• "You got to be joking."

Multiple Choice

Which meaning of 'have got to' is used by both British and American English?

• logical necessity (There's got to be another way.)

• obligation (She's got to go to school.)

Answer:

obligation (She's got to go to school.)

The other meaning, 'logical necessity', is used by AE mainly.

Must

• Meaning 'obligation': BE

• 'You must do it.' VS AE: "You have to do it."

• Meaning: 'logical necessity' - both BE and AE e.g. 'It must be very cold outside.'

• The difference is in negation, with less emphatic versions:

• AE: It mustn't be very cold outside. / It doesn't have to be very cold outside.

• BE: It can't be very cold outside. / It needn't be very cold outside.

Multiple Choice

Can 'must' be used in the indicative in both American and British English? (e.g. The weather must be pleasant today.)

• Yes

• No

Answer:

Yes

Both AE and BE can use 'must' in the indicative, the difference is with negation.

Need

• Used more in BE; in questions, negatives in the 'logical necessity' and 'obligation' meanings. AE prefers need to/have to instead:

• Need he come with us? (BE)

• Does he need to come with us? (BE and AE)

• Does he have to come with us? (Mainly AE, but BE too)

Multiple Select

Check the construction that is mostly used by BE!

• Need (Need I do this?)

• Need to (Does she need to cook?)

• Have to (Does Russel have to go?)

Answer:

Need (Need I do this?)

Need as a modal auxiliary is rarer in AE than in BE.

Ought to

• Can be replaced by 'should' in both BE and AE

• 'Should' is more common in AE than in BE

• AE: We shouldn't have done that. / Should we do it?

• BE: We oughtn't have gone there. / Ought we do it?

Multiple Choice

Which construction is more widespread in BE?

• Should

• Ought to

Answer:

Ought to; AE prefers "should."

Thank you for your attention!