Rewriting sentences.

[pretty girl5]

Dear experts,

Could you please correct these uses of modals?

This is not a homework, I'm just trying to grasp modals.

I'm trying to rewrite the following sentences using the suitable modal without changing the original meaning.

1) It was a beautiful day, but we stayed inside.
It was beautiful day, we should have stayed inside.

2) My tutor reproached me for using a pencil when I did my homework.
I shouldn't have used a pencil when I did my homework.

3) I have little bit of fever, and I have been sneezing a lot for the past hour.
I must have caught a cold.

4) When they returned from their vacation, they looked very refreshed.
They must have enjoyed their vacation.

5) We wanted to take a drive to Smithtown, but we ended up in Bordentown instead.
We lost our way to Smithtown, we should have taken a map with us.

6) She took woolen clothes when when went to to Florida on her trip.
She needn't have taken woolen clothes when she went to Florida on her trip.


7) During the break in my English class, some of the students were speaking Spanish and French.
They shouldn't have spoken Spanish and French during the break in my English class.

8) I got up late and missed the train.
I shouldn't have got up late. I missed the train.

9) They haven't received the E-mail yet. Perhaps, I had forgotten to put in their exact E-mail address.
They haven't received the E-mail yet. I may may have forgotten to in their exact E-mail address.

10) When I saw him on the street, he didn't day hello.
He should have said hello, when I saw him in the street.

Thanks a lot.

 

[Raymott]

All of your modal sentences have changed the original meaning.
You can't change a sentence that states what is to one that states what should be or should have been, or must be etc. without a change in meaning.
"He was speaking English in a French class" does not mean the same as "He should not have been speaking English in a French class." All of your modal sentences are inferences, or subjective judgements about the purely factual original sentences.
If adding a modal auxiliary left sentences unchanged in meaning, we wouldn't have much use for them.

 

[pretty girl5]

All of your modal sentences have changed the original meaning.
You can't change a sentence that states what is to one that states what should be or should have been, or must be etc. without a change in meaning.
"He was speaking English in a French class" does not mean the same as "He should not have been speaking English in a French class." All of your modal sentences are inferences, or subjective judgements about the purely factual original sentences.
If adding a modal auxiliary left sentences unchanged in meaning, we wouldn't have much use for them.

In fact, I'm surprised by you daring judgement. I understand from your post that this type of exercises is wrong, because modal sentences can't be paraphrased.
This exercise is from Professors with Ph.D degrees in Linguistic.
Just type "rewrite sentences using modals in Google.

Thanks a lot. I appreciate your help.

 

[pretty girl5]

For example:

7) During the break in my English class, some of the students were speaking Spanish and French.

May mean the same as:

They shouldn't have spoken Spanish and French during the break in my English class.​

Because, we conclude from the fact that the students are in English class, that they

They shouldn't have spoken ​

Spanish and French.

 

[tzfujimino]

In fact, I'm surprised by you daring judgement. I understand from your post that this type of exercises is wrong, because modal sentences can't be paraphrased.
This exercise is from Professors with Ph.D degrees in Linguistic.
Just type "rewrite sentences using modals in Google.

Thanks a lot. I appreciate your help.

Hello, pretty girl5.:-D
Well, Raymott did not say 'this type of exercise is wrong'.
He did say 'All of your modal sentences are inferences, or subjective judgements about the purely factual original sentences'.
That means they are not interchangeable ( they do not mean the same thing.)
Would you mind telling us which website you are referring to?

 

[pretty girl5]

Thanks.
So, could you please rewrite the above sentences using the appropriate modals without changing the meaning ? Or at least one or two ?
There are a lot of exercises on the web similar to that, but, unfortunately this particular exercise is printed.

 

[5jj]

So, could you please rewrite the above sentences using the appropriate modals without changing the meaning ? Or at least one or two ?

Try re-reading Raymott's post. The key words are; "You can't change a sentence that states what is to one that states what should be or should have been, or must be etc. without a change in meaning". I have highlighted the point that we are all making.

 

[pretty girl5]

If adding a modal auxiliary left sentences unchanged in meaning, we wouldn't have much use for them.

Thanks, but I think the most important information in "Raymott" is the above. In addition he made it as a conclusion.

 

[5jj]

Ok. I'm wrong. Could you please correct the sentences?

NO. It is simply not possible to change the sentences without changing the meaning.

 

[pretty girl5]

So, I will make you a favour and give you an example in order to see how sentences are changed without changing the meaning, and to see how experts and native speakers deals with such exercises.

I want to help you because you helped me in previous posts.
Rewriting sentences.?


Thanks.

 

[Barb_D]

Your example "It is certain that..." can be written with the modal "must" as you did.

None of the sentences you posted here have that degree of certainty. Did you note that even Clive pointed out that you changed the meaning with some of the others?

There is no reason to think that during a break that takes place during English class, it's a bad idea to speak in another language. If the original sentence said "It was improper of them to speak in Spanish while in English class," THEN you could say "The should not have spoken in Spanish."

But I am 100% with Ray on this -- your original sentences in this thread cannot be rewritten with modals without adding meaning that was not in the original.

I trust it was not your intention, but your comment about "experts and native speakers" is a little insulting. I like Clive a great deal (I have even met him in person) and agree that he is an expert and a native speaker -- but so are a great many of the people trying to help you here.

 

[5jj]

... to see how experts and native speakers deals with such exercises.

CalifJum, another expert native speaker in that other forum is also saying similar things.

As Raymott said, some time ago, "If adding a modal auxiliary left sentences unchanged in meaning, we wouldn't have much use for them."

 

[pretty girl5]

Thanks a lot to all of you.

I'm happy to have such discussion.

I just want to add that this exercise is given by experts, and it is from a first year university exam in English Studies field.

 

[5jj]

This exercise is from Professors with Ph.D degrees in Linguistics.

I just want to add that this exercise is given by experts, and it is from a first year university exam in English Studies field.

That makes no difference. If you add a modal to a sentence, you change the meaning in some way. It would have been better if your expert professors had rephrased the task in some way.