Page 361 - Practical English Usage 3ed - Michael Swan, Oxford

6 other meanings
Besides the meanings discussed in paragraphs 2 and 3, will and would are used to talk about habitual behaviour or activity (see 629, 633).
Most evenings he'll just sit in front of the TV and go to sleep.
When we were kids, my mum would take us out on bikes all round the
countryside.
Used to + infinitive (see 604) is similar to a modal verb structure in some ways.
It is used to talk about habitual behaviour or activity and (unlike would) habitual states.
I used to playa lot oftennis when I was younger. The grass used to look greener when I was a child.
(NOT The gfflS8 ftl6fdd 160k greener when : I:tIf.t8 a e1tild.) 7 subject-independence
An interesting, rather complicated point about modal verbs is that their meaning usually 'spreads over' a whole clause. This means that one can change a modal structure from active to passive, for example, without affecting the meaning very much. Compare:
- - -
A child could understand his theory.
His theory could be understood by a child.
You mustn't put adverbs between the verb and the object. Adverbs mustn't be put between the verb and the object. Dogs may chase cats.
Cats may get chased by dogs.
With most other verbs that are followed by infinitives, their meaning is attached to the subject, so that a change from active to passive changes the sense of the sentence completely. Compare:
- Dogs like to chase cats.
Cats Uke to be chased by dogs. (different and - of course - untrue) - Pete wants to phone Ann.
Ann wants to be phoned by Pete. (not the same meaning)
For more derails of rhe use of the various modal verbs, see the entries for each verb.
355 more
1 more + noun
We can use more before a noun phrase as a determiner (see 154). We do not generally use ofwhen there is no other determiner (e.g. article or possessive).
We need more time. (NOT ••• more tt/,time.)
More university students are having to borrow money these days. However, more ofis used directly before personal and geographical names.
It would be nice to see more ofRay and Barbara.
Five hundred years ago, much more ofBritmn was covered with trees. •
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