Чтобы преобразовать предложения, содержащие модальные глаголы, в прошедшее время, важно учитывать модальность и временную форму каждого глагола. В английском языке модальные глаголы в прошедшем времени часто оформляются с помощью эквивалентов или конструкций с использованием таких слов, как "could", "was/were able to", "had to", "might", и других.
Вот преобразованные предложения:
Computers can replace people in dull routine work.
Computers could replace people in dull routine work.
The program is a set of instructions that may also include data to be processed.
The program was a set of instructions that might also have included data to be processed.
Computer-controlled robots must increase the productivity of industry.
Computer-controlled robots had to increase the productivity of industry.
They can help in making different decisions.
They could help in making different decisions.
The pupils may work with computers at the lessons.
The pupils might have worked with computers at the lessons.
Electric pulses can move at the speed of light.
Electric pulses could move at the speed of light.
Storage devices must have capacities for the input, output data and programs and for intermediate results.
Storage devices had to have capacities for the input, output data and programs and for intermediate results.
Business minicomputers can perform up to 100 million operations per second.
Business minicomputers could perform up to 100 million operations per second.
In order to solve scientific problems researchers must deal with the language of science — mathematics.
In order to solve scientific problems researchers had to deal with the language of science — mathematics.
Programmers must write application programs in a way that computers can understand.
Programmers had to write application programs in a way that computers could understand.
При преобразовании необходимо помнить, что "can" в прошедшем времени обычно заменяется на "could", а "must" заменяется на "had to", так как "must" не имеет формальной прошедшей формы. "May" в прошедшем времени обычно заменяется на "might".