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MODAL VERBS

MODAL VERBS. A brief overview. can could will would may might shall should must. ought to. Which verbs are MODAL VERBS ?. What do MODALS have in common?. We cannot use a to-infinitive after modals! (I must to leave soon.)

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MODAL VERBS

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  1. MODAL VERBS A brief overview

  2. can could will would may might shall should must ought to Which verbs are MODAL VERBS?

  3. What do MODALS have in common? • We cannot use a to-infinitive after modals! • (I must to leave soon.) • Modals have the same form for all persons => no -s in the 3rd person singular. • (She cans dance very well.) • We cannot use two modals in one verb phrase. • (I will must take the exam again.)

  4. What do MODALS have in common? • Modals cannot be put in different tenses like ordinary full verbs. They have no -ing form, we cannot form past tense with -ed, etc. • (He shoulded study more yesteday.) • Each modal verb has a basic meaning of its own. Other auxiliaries (be, do, have) have only grammatical function.

  5. Questions Can I ...? Could you ...? Will he ...? Would she ...? May it ...? Might we ...? Shall I/Shall we ...? Should they ...? Must I ...? Negatives I cannot/can’t ... I could not/couldn’t ... He will not/won’t ... I would not/wouldn’t ... It may not ... We might not/mightn’t ... I/We shall not/shan’t ... I should not/shouldn’t ... I must not/mustn’t ... How to form questions and negatives?

  6. Modals and related verbs used to talk about ABILITY: present and future • CAN/CANNOT • I can/cannot/can’t ride a bike. • Can you speak Japanese? • BE ABLE TO • He’d like to be able to dance. • Will you be able to come sooner?

  7. Modals and related verbs used to talk about ABILITY: past • COULD/COULDN’T • I could/couldn’t sing very well when I was a child. • WAS/WERE ABLE TO • I was/wasn’t ableto sing very well when I was a child. • Finally they were able to rescue her. NOTE: • to talk about general ability in the past we use: COULD/COULDN’T/WAS ABLE TO • to talk about one specific action/achievement in the past we only use: WAS/WERE ABLE TO = managed to / succeed in

  8. Modals and related verbs used to talk about PERMISSION: • CANCan I stay up late? • COULD Could I stay up late? • MAY May I stay up late? • MIGHT Might I stay up late? • BE ALLOWED TO You’re allowed to stay up late.

  9. Modals and related verbs used to talk about PROHIBITION: • MUSTN’T You mustn’t smoke in here. • CAN’T You can’t smoke in here. • NOT BE ALLOWED TO You’re not allowed to smoke in here. • NOT BE PERMITTED TO You’re not permitted to smoke in here. • BE FORBIDDEN TO You’re forbidden to smoke in here. • BE PROHIBITED Smoking is prohibited.

  10. Modals and related verbs used to talk about OBLIGATION: • MUST I must go to the dentist. • HAVE TO We have to change our shoes. • HAVE GOT TO We’ve got to change our shoes. • (used in everyday speech, more informal) • NEED TOI need to cut the grass.

  11. Modals and related verbs used to talk about LACK OF OBLIGATION: • NEEDN’T He needn’t go there. • DON’T HAVE TO He doesn’t have to go there. • HAVEN’T GOT TO He hasn’t got to go there. • DON’T NEED TO He doesn’t need to go there.

  12. Modals and related verbs used to talk about LACK OF OBLIGATION: past • NEEDN’T HAVE DONE • I needn’t have come.(I came, but it was not necessary. I didn’t know it was not necessary.) • DIDN’T NEED TO DO/DIDN’T HAVE TO DO • I didn’t need to/didn’t have to come.(I knew it was not necessary to come so I could decide whether to come or not to come. I had a choice.)

  13. Modals used to talk about ADVISABILITY: • SHOULD/SHOULDN’T the weakest • You should/shouldn’t tell them everything. • OUGHT TO/OUGHT NOT TO • You ought to/ought not to tell them everything. • HAD BETTER/HAD BETTER NOT • You’d better/’d better not tell them everything.the strongest

  14. Modals used to express CRITICISM and REGRET: past • SHOULD HAVE DONE • You should have studied more. (You were wrong not to do so.) • SHOULDN’T HAVE DONE • I shouldn’t have told him that secret. (I regret telling him.) • OUGHT TO HAVE DONE • She ought to have stopped drinking beer. • OUGHT NOT TO HAVE DONE • We ought not to have changed the colour of the room.

  15. Modals and related verbs used to talk about CERTAINTY: present and future • MUST • He must be rich.(I’m sure he is rich.) • She must be waiting for him.(I’m sure she’s waiting for him right now.) • CAN’T • You can’t be hungry.(I’m sure you aren’t hungry.) • He can’t be listening.(I’m sure he isn’t listening now.) • BE BOUND TO • You’re bound to pass the exam. (I’m sure you will pass it.)

  16. Modals used to talk about CERTAINTY: past • MUST • It must have been love.(I’m certain it was love.) • He must have been waiting for you.(I’m sure he was waiting for you.) • CAN’T • He can’t have understood what I said.(I’m sure he didn’t.) • She can’t have been waiting for you.(I’m sure she wasn’t.) • COULDN’T • He couldn’t have understood what I said. • She couldn’t have been waiting for you.

  17. Modals used to talk about POSSIBILITY: present and future • MAY/MAY NOT • Jack may not be in his office. (It’s probable he isn’t there.) • She may be thinking about him. (It’s possible she’s thinking about him now.) • MIGHT/MIGHT NOT • It might rain soon. (Perhaps it will rain soon.) • He might not be telling the truth.(Perhaps he isn’t doing so.) • COULD • They could have a car. (It’s possible they have it.) • She could still be working. (It’s probable she is working now.)

  18. Modals used to talk about POSSIBILITY: past • MAY/MAY NOT • They may have got lost. (It’s probable they got lost.) • She may have been waiting long. (It’s possible she has/was.) • MIGHT/MIGHT NOT • She might not have known about it. (Perhaps she didn’t know about it.) • He might not have been telling the truth.(Perhaps he wasn’t.) • COULD • They could haveleft. (It’s possible they have left.) • She couldhave been driving fast. (It’s possible she was.)

  19. WILL as a modal verb is used: • to talk about FUTUREopinions, beliefs, hopes, predictions (I’ll probably come later. I don’t think I’ll go out.) • to express offers, promises, requests, agreements, refusals (I won’t tell anybody. Will you shut the door, please?) • to express decisions made at the time of speaking (“Did you call Mom?” “I forgot. I’ll call her now.”) • in first conditional sentences (If she phones, I’ll tell you.)

  20. WILL and SHALL • WILL is used with all persons I’ll/He’ll/She’ll come soon. Willyou get me that pill? It probably won’t snow tomorrow. We’ll/They’ll help you. • SHALL is used with I and wemainly to express suggestions. ShallI close the door? Shallwe go to the theatre tonight?

  21. WOULD as a modal verb is used: • in second and third conditional sentences (If I were you, I wouldn’tkeep snakes. If she’d known him better, she would have been more careful.) • in reported speech (She said she wouldn’t tell me everything.) • to express polite offers and requests(Would you like something to drink? Would you pass me the salt, please?) • to talk about PASThabits, behaviour(When I was a child I would get up very early.)

  22. References • ALEXANDER, L.G.: Longman English Grammar. New York: Longman, 1991. ISBN 0-582-55892-1 • MURPHY, R.: English Grammar In Use. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992. ISBN 0-521-28723-5. • VINCE, M. and EMMERSON, P.: Intermediate Language Practice with key. Oxford: Macmillan Publishers Limited, 2003. ISBN 1-405-00768-0. • VINCE, M. and EMMERSON, P.: First Certificate Language Practice with key. Oxford: Macmillan Publishers Limited, 2003. ISBN 1-405-00765-6.

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