QUICK TIP: Would, could OR should?

What's the difference between would, could and should?  A reader of mine sent in this question, so let's check it out.  Because there are so many aspects to this question, this post will only focus on the past and present tenses of would, could and should.

PAST and PRESENT Tenses

1.  WOULD--WILL (expressing want or one's will to do something)

• Would is the past tense of will.  Often times, would is used in reported speech in the past.
• Ex. "I will go to the swimming pool after work tomorrow."
• Ex. John said that he would go the the swimming pool yesterday.
• Would is also used to express an action that happened regularly in the past.
• Ex. When I was a little girl, I would visit my grandparents in the summer in New York.

2.  COULD--CAN (expressing ability and feasibility)

• Could is the past tense of can.  
• Ex. Today I can surf big waves, but one year ago I couldn't even surf small waves. 
• Ex. He said that he could go to the party, but now he says he can't.

3.  SHOULD HAVE--SHOULD (expressing advice strongly) *Note: There is no past tense of should...there is only should have.

• Should have expresses regret, while should expresses advice.
• Ex. I should have taken an earlier flight because I was late for my business meeting.
• Ex.  You should quit smoking.

Look out for the following post on would have, could have and should have. 

Verb-Preposition Combinations for Beginners

Prepositions are always super tricky for students learning English because most often they don't translate from other language into English literally as we can see here:

(English) I dreamt about/of surfing in Hawaii.
(Portuguese)  I dreamt with surfing in Hawaii.
(French) I dreamt of surfing in Hawaii.

(English) I was thinking about/of you yesterday.
(Portuguese) I was thinking in you yesterday.
(French)  I was thinking to you yesterday.

(English)  When I look at you, I smile.
(Portuguese)  When I look for you, I smile.
(French)  When I look you, I smile.

As you can see here, translating literally from English to Portuguese or French doesn't work.  That's why we just have to get busy memorizing prepositions.  There's no other way, but don't worry, after you hear and see the correct preposition over and over, you will begin to remember it easily.

Here's a quick intro list of 10 must-know verb-preposition combinations for beginners.  

1. I'm sorry. but I just don't agree with you.
2. I'm afraid of heights, so I will not hike with you to the top of the mountain. 
3. We always argue with each other, and we always argue about the same thing!
4. I'm excited about skiing in Andorra!
5. We go to the beach every weekend.
6. I always listen carefully to my Mom.
7. My Mom says t's polite to look at people in the eye when they are talking to you.
8. I've lost my keys again!  I have already been looking for them for twenty minutes.
9. Yesterday, we talked about planning our vacation.  We talked to/with our travel agent.
10. We waited for our food for over an hour.

Now let's rewrite sentences 3 and 9:

• We always argue with each other about the same thing.
• Yesterday, we talked about planning our vacation with our travel agent. 

Reader's Question: "How can I use HAS and HAD in the same sentence?"

I have written about the difference between has and have in a previous blog, and now, to answer a reader's question, we'll take a look at how to use has and had in the same sentence, .  First of all, we have to differentiate between the uses of has and had in English as:
1. verb
2. auxiliary/helping verb
3. past participle. 

1.  HAS & HAD as VERBS

As a verb, has is the 3rd person singular, affirmative conjugation in the present tense:

I have a German Shepard.               
You have a cool pair of boots.
She has wonderful friends.
He has a brand new car.
It has a great view.            
We have two tickets.
They have the same job.

As a verb, had is conjugated in all voices in the past tense:

I had a great time.
You had the same teacher.
She had a job as a researcher.
He had a difficult time finding the address.
It had three bedrooms.
We had a wonderful Christmas.
They had fun surfing at the beach.

Therefore, you can combine the present and past tenses in the same sentence as seen here:

She had a job as a researcher, but now she has a job teaching English.

2.  HAS & HAD as AUXILIARY/HELPING VERBS

Has can function as an auxiliary verb in English in the third person present perfect tense.  Remember the structure of the present perfect is as follows: SUBJECT + HAVE/HAS + PAST PARTICIPLE.  Click here for more about the present perfect.

I have visited them in Hawaii.
You have worked here for a long time.
He has lived in Lisbon for one year.
She has already tried the new récipe.
It has been a beautiful and warm day.
We have traveled to five countries together.
They have just heard the news.

Had also functions as an auxiliary verb in all voices of the past perfect tense.  The grammatical structure is SUBJECT + HAD + PAST PARTICIPLE.  Notice in the following examples how the past perfect takes place duirng the time before the past tense.

I had already learned Portuguese before I moved to Portugal.
You had gotten home before dinner was ready.
He had worked for 10 years at the same company before he changed jobs.
She had sold her artwork before she became famous.
It had been cloudy and rainy before the thunderstorm started.
We had lived in the United States for many years before the economy worsened.
They had already seen other movies by the same director.

Therefore you can combine the present and past perfect tenses to make a sentence using both has and had:

She has worked as a judge for a long time, but before she accepted the position as a judge, she had worked as a law professor for 10 years.

3.   PAST PARTICIPLE

Finally, let's take a look at the verb have:

INFINITIVE: to have
PAST TENSE: had
PAST PARTICIPLE: had

As you know the present perfect takes on a past partciple, so we can combine has and had as follows:

She has had a position at the law firm for ten years.

He has had a difficult time adjusting to the new city.

My dog has had a virus for a couple weeks.

5 (American) NUMBER Idioms

I have posted various color idioms (red, blue, and silver so far), but for something a little different, here are number idioms.  The following expressions are up-to-date and often used in American English. 

1.  Back to square ONE

• Meaning:  To start from the very beginning of a situation or problem
• Origin:  When a player loses during a board game, s/he must start again from the first square. 
• Synonym:  back to the drawing board
• Example:  After adding too much salt to the recipe, I had to go back to square one.

2.  Catch TWENTY-TWO (Catch-22)

• Meaning:  When an individual is stuck in a paradoxical situation because whichever decision s/he makes, there is no logical resolution.  Each decision contradicts the other. 
• Origin: Author Joseph Heller coined the term Catch-22 in his novel by the same name, which describes the bureaucratic system of the United States Air Force.
• Synonym: double bind, no win situation
• Example:  Finding a way to stay in the country legally was a Catch-22 because in order to get a work contract, he needed a national identification number, but in order to obtain a national identification number, he needed a work contract.

3.  Dime a DOZEN

• Meaning: A person or thing that is cheap, easily found or available because of its massive quantity.
• Origin: In 19th century, for example, one could find peaches that cost only a dime a dozen.  Nowadays this expression is used in a more figurative way.
• Example:  Compared to 10 years ago, iPods are a dime a dozen these days.

4.  Eighty-six (86)

• Meaning:  To remove, take away, not include, ban somebody or run out of something.
• Origin:  There are several theories, all revolving around New York City, such as the end of the line for the 86 train when the conductor would yell "All out!," or the Speakeasy club at 86 Bedford Street in Greenwich Village during prohibition times when the bartender would shout "86" to warn his customers of the impending police raid. (Back in those days, the police were paid off to warn bars of their "raids".)
• Synonym: nix
• Example:  I would like a cheeseburger with onions but 86 the mayo, please.

5.  Five o'clock shadow

• Meaning:  The stubble (or short beard hair) that a man grows around 5:00 pm after a full day at work.
• Origin: In 1930s America, the Gem Safety Razor Company used the term in their advertising campaigns.
• Synonym: stubble
• Example:  Clint Eastwood always has a five o'clock shadow.