📝 Practical Use of Shall, Should, Could, Can, Would in English Grammar

📝 Practical Use of Shall, Should, Could, Can, Would in English Grammar
📝 Practical Use of Shall, Should, Could, Can, Would
in English Grammar
📚 By GrandMaster Bikram Sutradhar | Powered by bAstronautWay
Mastering modal verbs like shall, should, could, can, and would helps us speak and write more politely, accurately, and confidently! Let’s dive into their real-life use with fun , memory tricks, and exam-friendly tips! 🎯
1️⃣ Can – Ability or Permission 💪🔓
🔹 Meaning: To show ability or permission
🔹 Tense: Present or Future
✅ Examples:
- I can ride a bicycle 🚴♂️. (ability)
- Can I go outside? 🚪 (permission)
- We can visit the zoo tomorrow 🦁.
💡 Exam Tip: Use “can” in writing when stating present skills or asking permission politely but casually.

2️⃣ Could – Past Ability or Polite Request 🙇♀️
🔹 Meaning: Past ability, polite requests, or possibility
🔹 Tense: Past or hypothetical situations
✅ Examples:
- I could speak French when I was 6 🇫🇷. (past ability)
- Could you help me lift this? 🧺 (polite request)
- It could be dangerous to go alone ⚠️. (possibility)
💡 Exam Tip: Use “could” for politeness in requests, especially in writing tasks like emails and applications.
3️⃣ Shall – Formal Suggestion or Offer 🤵📅
🔹 Meaning: Suggestion, decision, or offer (British/formal)
🔹 Common with: “I” and “We”
✅ Examples:
- Shall I call the doctor? ☎️
- Shall we begin the class? 👨🏫
- I shall return with your order 🛒.
💡 Exam Tip: “Shall” is rarely used in American English. Use it in essays or dialogues to sound formal and classic.
4️⃣ Should – Advice or Duty 💬⚠️
🔹 Meaning: Giving advice, expressing expectations or duty
🔹 Tense: Present or near future
✅ Examples:
- You should eat healthy food 🥗.
- We should follow traffic rules 🚦.
- He shouldn’t skip classes 📚.
💡 Exam Tip: Common in letter writing, essays, and moral reasoning questions.
5️⃣ Would – Hypothetical or Polite Offer 🤔🙏
🔹 Meaning: Imagined situations, polite requests, future in the past
🔹 Used in: Conditionals and indirect speech
✅ Examples:
- I would go to the party if I were free 🎉.
- Would you like a glass of water? 💧
- She said she would email me 💻.
💡 Exam Tip: Often used in imaginary/if-situations, making it perfect for IELTS Writing Task 2 and creative writing.
🎯 Quick Comparison Table
Modal | Use | Example |
Can | Ability / Permission | Can I borrow your book? 📖 |
Could | Past Ability / Politeness | Could you please explain? 🙏 |
Shall | Formal Offer / Suggestion | Shall we start the quiz? 📝 |
Should | Advice / Obligation | You should study now 📚 |
Would | Politeness / Hypothetical | Would you like tea? 🍵 |
🗣️ Daily Conversation Starters
- Can you come with me? 👫
- Could I ask a favor? 🙋♂️
- Shall we leave now? 🕗
- You should drink more water 💧.
- Would you join us for dinner? 🍽️
🚫 Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Wrong Sentence | ✅ Correct Sentence | Mistake Type |
He can went to school yesterday. | He could go to school yesterday. | Past tense misuse |
Shall you help me with this? | Shall I help you with this? | Incorrect subject usage |
You would brush your teeth daily. | You should brush your teeth daily. | Incorrect modal meaning |
I should to go now. | I should go now. | “to” not needed |
❓ Practice Questions (With Answers ✅)
- ______ you like to visit the museum with us this weekend?
a) Shall
b) Would
c) Could
✅ Answer: b) Would - You ______ wear a helmet while riding a bike.
a) can
b) should
c) shall
✅ Answer: b) should - As a kid, I ______ stay up late during holidays.
a) can
b) could
c) would
✅ Answer: c) would ✅ - ______ we book the tickets now or later?
a) Shall
b) Should
c) Would
✅ Answer: a) Shall - I ______ lend you my notes if I wasn’t using them.
a) can
b) would
c) shall
✅ Answer: b) would ✅
✅ Summary With Mnemonics 📌
Modal | Meaning | Mnemonic Idea 🧠 |
Can | Ability Now | Current Ability Now |
Could | Polite/ Past | Courteous Old Usage |
Shall | Formal Suggestion | Suggest Helpfully Ask |
Should | Advice | Seriously Helpful Opinion |
Would | Wishful / Polite | Wish or polite request |
🔖 This guide is useful for:
- SSC, CBSE, ICSE, IELTS, TOEFL, TET, JAM aspirants
- English learners at beginner & intermediate levels
- Teachers creating lessons or worksheets
📢 New Updates by GrandMaster Bikram Sutradhar | bAstronautWay
📘 Stay tuned for our upcoming guide:
“Will vs Would – Explained With Time Travel Logic!” 🕰️✨

Written By
Full Stack Developer and 5-Time World Record Holder, Grandmaster Bikram Sutradhar
bAstronautWay : A Government-Approved Trademark Brand
SirBikramSutradhar on YouTube
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Written By

Full Stack Developer and 5-Time World Record Holder, Grandmaster Bikram Sutradhar
bAstronautWay
SirBikramSutradhar on YouTube
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ICSE CLASS 10 ICSE CLASS 10 BIOLOGY BASTRONAUTWAY SirBikramSutradhar Bikram Sutradhar GrandMaster Bikram Sutradhar selina biology solutions ICSE Biology Selina Solution
📚 Class 9 Science – Complete Table of Contents (विषय-सूची)
CBSE | NCERT Curriculum | Bilingual (English + Hindi)
By Grandmaster Bikram Sutradhar | SirBikramSutradhar | BASTRONAUTWAY
🔬 PHYSICS (भौतिक विज्ञान)
🔢 | Chapter Title (English) | अध्याय का नाम (हिंदी) | Page No. |
1️⃣ | Motion | गति | |
2️⃣ | Force and Laws of Motion | बल तथा गति के नियम | |
3️⃣ | Gravitation | गुरुत्वाकर्षण | |
4️⃣ | Work and Energy | कार्य तथा ऊर्जा | |
5️⃣ | Sound | ध्वनि |
🧪 CHEMISTRY (रसायन विज्ञान)
🔢 | Chapter Title (English) | अध्याय का नाम (हिंदी) | Page No. |
1️⃣ | Matter in Our Surroundings | हमारे आस-पास के पदार्थ | |
2️⃣ | Is Matter Around Us Pure? | क्या हमारे आस-पास के पदार्थ शुद्ध हैं? | |
3️⃣ | Atoms and Molecules | परमाणु एवं अणु | |
4️⃣ | Structure of the Atom | परमाणु की संरचना |
🧬 BIOLOGY (जीव विज्ञान)
🔢 | Chapter Title (English) | अध्याय का नाम (हिंदी) | Page No. |
1️⃣ | The Fundamental Unit of Life | जीवन की मौलिक इकाई | |
2️⃣ | Tissues | ऊतक | |
3️⃣ | Improvement in Food Resources | धनों में सुधार |
📘 ADDITIONAL SECTIONS (अतिरिक्त अनुभाग)
📖 Section | Title (English + Hindi) |
🔹 | Glossary / पारिभाषिक शब्दावली |
🔹 | Answer Keys / उत्तरमाला |
🔹 | Summary / सारांश |
🔹 | Important Diagrams / महत्वपूर्ण चित्र |
🔹 | NCERT Exercises / एनसीईआरटी अभ्यास |
🔹 | Sample Papers & MCQs / मॉडल पेपर व वस्तुनिष्ठ प्रश्न |
✅ All content follows the official NCERT Class 9 Science textbook structure. Each chapter will include explanations, bilingual notes, definitions, diagrams, MCQs, FAQs, and practice exercises under the BASTRONAUTWAY learning system.
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CBSE Class 10 Mathematics (2025) NCERT Syllabus:
CBSE Class 10 Mathematics NCERT Syllabus (2025) – Chapter-Wise List
CBSE Class 10 Mathematics NCERT Syllabus (2025) – Chapter-Wise List
chapter 4. Quadratic Equations
chapter 5. Arithmetic Progressions
chapter 6. Triangles
chapter 7. Coordinate Geometry
chapter 8. Introduction to Trigonometry
chapter 9. Some Applications of Trigonometry
chapter 11. Areas Related to Circles
chapter 12. Surface Areas and Volumes
CBSE Class 10 Science (2025) NCERT Syllabus:
CBSE Class 10 Science NCERT Syllabus (2025) – Chapter-Wise List
CBSE Class 10 Science NCERT Syllabus (2025) – Chapter-Wise List
Chapter 1 Chemical Reactions and Equations
Chapter 2 Acids, Bases and Salts
Chapter 3 Metals and Non-metals
Chapter 4 Carbon and its Compounds
Chapter 5 Life Processes
Chapter 6 Control and Coordination
Chapter 7 How do Organisms Reproduce?
Chapter 8 Heredity
Chapter 9 Light – Reflection and Refraction
Chapter 10 The Human Eye and the Colourful World
Chapter 11 Electricity
Chapter 12 Magnetic Effects of Electric Current
Chapter 13 Our Environment
📖 Chapter 12 – Organic Chemistry (Selina Textbook)
Table of Contents:
- 12A. Organic Compounds
- 12B. Hydrocarbons: Alkanes
- 12C. Hydrocarbons: Alkenes
- 12D. Hydrocarbons: Alkynes
- 12E. Alcohols
- 12F. Carboxylic Acids
- Exercise 12 MISCELLANEOUS
- Glossary
- Model Question Paper –
📌 Exercise 12 MISCELLANEOUS – Focus Areas:
- 🧬 Consolidated practice from the entire Organic Chemistry chapter
- 🧪 Application-based questions covering alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, alcohols, and carboxylic acids
- 🧾 Writing structural formulas and chemical equations
- 💡 Distinguishing reactions, isomer identification, and conversions
- 📘 Full-syllabus revision to boost conceptual clarity and board exam readiness
Each question in this section is designed to:
- ✅ Strengthen cross-topic understanding
- 📝 Prepare students for application-based and reasoning-based questions
- 🧠 Improve problem-solving speed and exam performance
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📚 Class 9 Science – Complete Table of Contents (विषय-सूची)
CBSE | NCERT Curriculum | Bilingual (English + Hindi)
By Grandmaster Bikram Sutradhar | SirBikramSutradhar | BASTRONAUTWAY
🔬 PHYSICS (भौतिक विज्ञान)
🔢 | Chapter Title (English) | अध्याय का नाम (हिंदी) | Page No. |
1️⃣ | Motion | गति | |
2️⃣ | Force and Laws of Motion | बल तथा गति के नियम | |
3️⃣ | Gravitation | गुरुत्वाकर्षण | |
4️⃣ | Work and Energy | कार्य तथा ऊर्जा | |
5️⃣ | Sound | ध्वनि |
🧪 CHEMISTRY (रसायन विज्ञान