04.000 Chapter 4: Varying the message

Chapter 4: Varying the message

4.1 Introduction

4.2 Statements, questions, orders, and suggestions

4.6 giving information

4.10 Asking questions: the interrogative mood

4.12 position of auxiliary verbs

4.17 'Wh'-questions

4.31 orders and instructions

4.36 confirming

4.43 Forming negative statements

4.76 Forming negative statements: negative affixes

4.83 Forming negative statements: broad negatives

4.91 'at all'

4.95 Using modals

4.97 The main uses of modals

4.102 form of following verb

4.110 Referring to time

4.118 Indicating possibility

4.119 skills and abilities: 'can' and 'could'

4.123 Indicating likelihood

4.146 permission: 'can'

4.150 Indicating unacceptability

4.158 Interacting with other people

4.160 Giving instructions and making requests

4.177 Making an offer or an invitation

4.186 Making suggestions

4.194 Stating an intention

4.200 Indicating unwillingness or refusal

4.206 Expressing a wish

4.215 Indicating importance

4.227 Expressions used instead of modals

4.252 Semi-modals

4.1 Varying the message

This chapter deals with three different ways in which the meaning of a sentence can be varied, by altering the order of words or by adding other special words.

Paragraphs 4.2 to 4.42 explain how mood is used to distinguish between the main types of sentence, for example how it is used to distinguish statements from questions.

Paragraphs 4.43 to 4.94 explain how negative words are used to indicate the opposite of something or the absence of something.

Paragraphs 4.95 to 4.262 explain how modals are used to talk about possibility, or to indicate the attitude of the speaker to the hearer or to what is being said.