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Modals

Modals. List of the Modal Verbs. Can Could May Might Will. Would Shall Should Must Ought to. Modals are different from normal verbs. They don't use an 's' for the third person singular . They make questions by inversion (' she can go ' becomes ' can she go ?').

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Modals

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  1. Modals

  2. List of the Modal Verbs • Can • Could • May • Might • Will • Would • Shall • Should • Must • Oughtto

  3. Modals aredifferentfrom normal verbs • Theydon'tusean 's' for thethird person singular. • Theymakequestionsbyinversion ('shecango' becomes 'canshego?'). • Theyarefolloweddirectlybytheinfinitive of anotherverb (without 'to'), exceptoughtto.

  4. Modals generallyexpress a speaker’sattitudeormoods. • Modals canexpressthat a speakerfeelssomethingisnecessary, advisable, permissible, possible, orprobable, and, inaddition, theycanconveythestrength of theseattitude.

  5. Can = Ability or Permission • I can play piano. • Can I go with you? • May, Could = Permission • May I come in? • Could I go with you? • May, might = Possibility • It may rain outside • It might also snow • Must, have to = Obligation • I must catch my train • I have to catch my train • Should = Advice, recommendation • You should drink more water • You should try new Chinese restaurant • Will = Future • I will see you tomorrow • Shall = Suggestion, Offering help • Shall we have a drink? • Shall I carry your bag?

  6. Permission • useverbssuch as 'can', 'could' and 'may' toask for andgivepermission. Wealsouse modal verbstosaysomethingis not allowed. Examples, • Could I leaveearlytoday, please? • Youmay not usethecartonight. • Canweswiminthelake?

  7. PoliteRequest • May I, Could I, Can I • Usedtorequestpermission • May I borrowyourbook? • Could I borrowyourbook? (It has a presentorfuturemeaning not a pastmeaning) • Can I borrowyourpen? (usedinformallytorequest permission) Polite Impolite

  8. Wouldyou, Willyou, Couldyou, Canyou • Wouldyouandwillyouarehavingthesamemeaningin a politerequest. • Wouldyouismorecommonandisconsideredmorepolite a. Wouldyoupassthesalt (please)? (Do youwantto do thisplease?) b. Willyou (please) passthesalt? c. Couldyoupassthesalt? (Do youwantto do thisplease, andisitpossible for youto do this?) d. Canyoupassthesalt? (usedinformally, lesspolitethanwouldyou & couldyou)

  9. Wouldyoumind • AskingPermission • Wouldyoumindif i closedthewindow? (refertopresentorfuture, not past) Meaning • May I closethewindow? • Isitallrightif I closethewindow? • willitcauseyouanytroubleordiscomfortif I closethewindow? • Askingsomeoneelseto do something • Wouldyoumindclosingthewindow? Meaning • I don’ttocauseyouanytrouble, butwouldyoupleaseclosethewindow? • Wouldthatcauseyouanyinconvinience?

  10. ExpressingNecessity • Must, Haveto • All applicantsmusttakeanentranceexam. • All applicantshavetotakeanentranceexam. (a&bexpressnecessity, meaningtheexamisrequired, thereisnootherchoice) In everydaystatements of necessity, “Haveto”ismorecommonthan“must”. Mustindicatesurgencyorimportance. • I’mlooking for Sue. I havetotalktoheraboutourlunchtomorrow. • Where’sSue? I musttalktoherrightaway.

  11. Haveto, Have got to • “Have got to” expresstheidea of necessity. • Itis informal andisusedinspokenEnglish. • “Haveto” isusedinboth formal and informal english • I have got togonow. I haveclassintenminutes. • I havetogonow. I haveclassintenminutes. *Note: have got tobecome ‘vegotta/ gotta – droppedhave The pastnecessityisexpressedby had to. (I had tostudylastnight) Nopastform for must(whenitmeansnecessity) andhavegot to

  12. Lack of necessityandprohibition • Lack of necessity = don’thaveto • Tomorrow isholiday. I donthavetogotoschool. (meaning: it’s not necessarytotogobecausetomorrowisholiday) • Prohibition = must not • Youmust not tellanyonemysecret. (meaning: DO NOT DO THIS! I forbidit)

  13. Advisability • Should, Oughtto • Youshouldstudyharder. • Yououghttostudyharder. (Thisis a goodidea) • Driversshouldobeythetrafficlights. • Driversoughttoobeythetrafficlights. (thisis a veryimportantthingto do) Statement of a suggestion Statementaboutresponsibilityorduty

  14. Had better • Implies a warningor a threat of possiblebadconcequences • Has a presentorfuturemeaning. • The gas tank isalmostempty. We had better stop atthenextservicestation.  Ifwedon’t stop, there’llbe a badresult. Wewillrunout of gas.

  15. Suggestion • Could • Wecouldgo on a picnic. • Youcouldtalktoyourteacher.

  16. Probability • Itcanbeusedwhenwewanttosayhowsurewearethatsomethinghappened / ishappening / willhappen • Weoftencallthese 'modals of deduction' or 'speculation' or 'certainty' or'probability‘ • Wecanusethesewhenwewanttomake a guessaboutsomething. Wechoosetheverbdepending on howsureweare.

  17. Degrees of certainty • Referstohowsureweare(whatwethinkthechancesare) thatsomethingistrue. • Must usedtoexpress a strongdegree of certainty (95%) • Hemustbesick.(I havetheevidencetomakemebelivethatheissick) • May, might, couldbe  express a weakdegree of certainty (lessthan 50%) • Hemaybesick. • Hemightbesick. • Hecouldbesick. Perhapsheissick. I amonlymaking a guess.

  18. Probability – TalkingaboutPresent • must / might / could / may / can't • must+ infinitive • might/ might not + infinitive • could/ could not + infinitive • may/ may not + infinitive • can't+ infinitive *Note: theopposite of 'must' is 'can'tinthiscase. Example, I amwaiting for Julie withanotherfriend, David. I ask: 'Whereis Julie?'David guesses: • Shemustbe on the bus. (I'mfairlysurethisis a goodguess) • Shemightcomesoon. (maybe) • Shecouldbelost. (maybe) • Shemaybeinthewrongroom. (maybe) • Shecan'tbeathome. (I'mfairlysurethisisn'ttrue)

  19. Will / won't • Weusewillandwon'twhenweareverysure • She’llbeatworknow. • Should / shouldn't • usedtomakeanassumptionaboutwhatisprobablytrue, ifeverythingis as weexpect • Theyshouldbetherebynow. • Itshouldn'ttakelongtodrivehere. • Note: • Thisuse of shouldisn'tusuallyused for negativeevents. Instead, it's a betterideatousewill: • The undergroundwillbeverybusynow (not: 'shouldbe').

  20. Can • used for somethingthatisgenerallypossible, somethingweknowsometimeshappens • Pricescanbehighin London. *Note • Canis not usedtotalkaboutspecificpossibilities: • Hecouldbe on the bus (not: 'canbe').

  21. Probability – Pasttense • must / might / could / may / can't + have + pastparticiple • musthave + pastparticiple • might / might not have + pastparticiple • could / couldn'thave + pastparticiple • may / may not have + pastparticiple • can'thave + pastparticiple Example, You: Wherewas Julie lastnight?David: • Shemusthaveforgottenaboutourdate. • Shemighthaveworkedlate. • Shecouldhavetakenthewrong bus. • Shemayhavefeltill. • Shecan'thavestayedathome.

  22. Will / won't + have + pastparticiple • used for pastcertainty • The parcelwillhavearrivedbeforenow. • Should+ have + pastparticiple • canbeusedtomakeanassumptionaboutsomethingthat has probablyhappened, ifeverythingis as weexpect • The trainshouldhaveleftbynow. • Could • usecould + infinitivetotalkabout a general possibilityinthepast • Pricescouldbehighinthesixteenthcentury. • Thisis not usedtotalkaboutspecificpossibilitesinthepast (insteadweusecould + have + pastparticiple): • Hecouldhavebeenworkinglate (not: 'couldbe'. As thisis a specificpossiblity, 'couldbe' ispresenttense)

  23. Ability • Weuse 'can' and 'could' totalkabout a skillorability. • Whenwetalkaboutability, wemeantwothings. • General Ability • Thisissomethingthat once youhavelearnedyoucan do anytimeyouwant, likebeingabletoreadorswimorspeak a language. • SpecificAbility • Thismeansomethingthatyoucanorcan't do inoneparticularsituation. For example, beingableto lift somethingheavy, orfindsomewhereyouarelooking for.

  24. Ability - Present • can / can't (for both general andspecificability) • I canplaythepiano. • ShecanspeakEnglish. • Hecan'tdrive – he'stootired. • Wecan'tcomenow.

  25. Ability - Past • could / couldn't (for general ability) • I couldreadwhen I wasfour. • ShecouldspeakFrenchwhenshewas a child, butnowshe has forgottenit. • Hecouldn'tdanceatalluntilhetooklessons. • Mygrandfathercouldn'tswim. • wasableto / couldn't (for specificability) • Whenthecomputercrashedyesterday, I wasabletofixit.(not 'I couldfixit') • Shewasabletopasstheexam, eventhoughshehadn'tstudiedmuch.(not 'shecouldpass') • could + have + pastparticiple (anabilitysomeone had inthepast, butdidn'tuse) • I couldhaveplayedthe piano wellbut I didn'tpractiseenough. • Shecouldhavestudiedlaw, butshepreferredtobecome a secretary.

  26. Ability - Future • will / won'tbeableto (general ability) • Attheend of thecourse, youwillbeabletomakeyourownwebsite. • Hewon'tbeabletospeakJapanesein a week! Itwilltakemonths. • can / can't (specificability) • I canhelpyoutomorrow. • I can'tcometotheparty.

  27. Habits • use 'will' and 'would' totalkabouthabitsorthingsweusually do, ordidinthepast. Examples, • When I livedinItaly, wewouldofteneatintherestaurantnexttomy flat. • John willalwaysbelate!

  28. HabitualPast • Usedto • Express a habit, activity, orsituationthatexistedinthepastbutwhichnolongerexists. • I usedtolivein Semarang. • Beusedto • has thesamemeaningwithaccustomedto • Mary isusedtocoolweather.

  29. Preference • Wouldrather a. I wouldrathergoto a movietonightthanstudygrammar. b. I’dratherstudyhistorythan(study)biology. note: iftheverbisthesame, itdoesn’thavetoberepeatedagain.

  30. Modals chart 1 • Modals chart 2

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