You should buy low and sell
high! This is well-known advice that means the best way to
make money is to buy something (usually stocks) when the price is low
and then
sell it when the price is high. That way, you will make money.
In grammar, words like should, would,
and could are called modals. Modals
have
special meanings and sometimes one modal has almost the same meaning as
another. Look at the following:
Could you please sign your
full name here?
Would you please take
this to
customer service?
Both could and would are used for polite requests
when you ask someone to do
something. Study
the following examples and reasons for using modals.
Polite Requests
-------> would, could, can, mayy
As you have seen, would and could can have the
same meaning. Can
and May also
are used in requests. Look at these examples:
Can I see your identification?
May I
help you?
Note: May
is not used with "you" in requests.
Giving Advice
--------> should, ought
to, had better
When we give advice, we tell someone what we think is a good
idea for them.
Look at these examples of giving advice:
You should deposit money in
your account every month.
His broker said he ought to buy
stock
in a health-care company.
She had better pay off the first
loan
before she applies for a second one.
pay
off means finish paying
had better is usually stronger in
meaning
Necessity -------->
must, have to
These modals are often used to state rules or regulations. Look at these
examples:
A
payment of $100 per month must be
made on the loan.
When you withdraw money from an account, you must show
identification or use a PIN number.
PIN
is a personal
identification number used
in electronic transactions.
When we use must not and don't
have to, they have different
meanings. For example:
You must not sign someone else's
name on a check. (Do NOT sign!)
The customer doesn't have to disclose
what he does with his money. (It's
not necessary.)
disclose
means to tell something, such as how much
money
Making
suggestions --------> could
Could is also used to make
suggestions or to tell what is possible. Here are some examples:
You could open an account with a check, or
with cash.
The price of the stock could go up
tomorrow.