(in polite requests)

  • 31resort — 1 noun 1 (C) a place where people often go for holidays: seaside/beach/mountain etc resort: a seaside resort south of Tokyo | resort hotel/beach/town: Jan and Matt run a small resort hotel in Vermont. 2 as a last resort/in the last resort used to …

    Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • 32should*/*/*/ — [ʃʊd] modal verb summary: ■ Should is usually followed by an infinitive without ‘to : You should eat more fresh fruit. Sometimes it is used without a following infinitive: I don t always do everything I should. ■ Should has no tenses, no… …

    Dictionary for writing and speaking English

  • 33will*/*/*/ — [wɪl] modal verb I summary: ■ Will is usually followed by an infinitive without ‘to : She will be angry. Sometimes it is used without a following infinitive: I have never borrowed money, and I never will. ■ In conversation or informal writing… …

    Dictionary for writing and speaking English

  • 34could — [[t]kʊd[/t]] unstressed [[t]kəd[/t]] v. 1) fun a pt. of can I 2) fun (used to express possibility): That could never be true[/ex] 3) fun (used to express conditional possibility or ability): You could do it if you tried[/ex] 4) fun (used in… …

    From formal English to slang

  • 35might — I [[t]maɪt[/t]] aux. v. pres. sing. and pl. might; past might 1) fun pt. of may: I asked if we might borrow their car[/ex] 2) fun (used to express tentative possibility): She might have called while you were out[/ex] 3) fun (used to express an… …

    From formal English to slang

  • 36could — /kʊd / (say kood), weak form /kəd/ (say kuhd) verb (modal) 1. past tense of can1: he could speak Chinese; I couldn t help overhearing; they said we could go. 2. (referring to a potential event or situation): you could do it if you tried; her… …

  • 37might — I. /maɪt / (say muyt) verb (modal) 1. (expressing strong uncertainty): I suppose he might be angry when he finds out. 2. (referring to an event or situation contrary to fact): we might all have been killed. 3. (used in tentative suggestions): we… …

  • 38appreciate — Its normal meaning ‘to acknowledge with gratitude’, especially in business correspondence (e.g. I appreciate everything that you have done to help us) and to form polite requests (e.g. It would be appreciated if you would reply by return of post) …

    Modern English usage

  • 39tense — is the location in time of the state or action expressed by a verb. English verbs properly have only two tenses, the present (I stay) and past (I stayed). The future is formed with shall or will (I shall / will stay: see shall and will) or (to… …

    Modern English usage

  • 40pray — ► VERB 1) address a prayer to God or another deity. 2) wish or hope earnestly for a particular outcome. ► ADVERB formal or archaic ▪ used in polite requests or questions: pray continue. ORIGIN Old French preier, from Latin precari entreat …

    English terms dictionary