Modal verbs

Ainhoa Colet, Marina Griera, Maria Menéndez and Anni Schlueter

MODAL VERBS

INDEX

• WHAT ARE MODAL VERBS • WHEN DO WE USE MODAL VERBS• TYPES• EXERCISES

WHAT ARE MODAL VERBS?

Modal verbs are special verbs which behave very differently from normal verbs.

can could may might

must ought to shall should

will would

Differences:

1.Modal verbs do not take "-s" in the third person.

He can speak Chinese.She should be here by 9:00.

2.You use "not" to make modal verbs negative, even in Simple Present and Simple Past.

He should not be late.They might not come to the party.

3.Many modal verbs cannot be used in the past tenses or the future tenses.

He will can go with us. Not CorrectShe musted study very hard. Not

Correct

WHEN DO WE USE MODAL VERBS?

TYPES• Obligation and permission • Necessity • Ability and possibility • Assumptions and interpretations • Suggesting and advising 1• Suggesting and advising 2• Probability and certainty

Obligation and Permission

Necessity • Need + infinitive with to

I need to lose some weight, i will go to the gim. • Not need/needn’t • Don’t need + infinitive with to OR needn’t + infinitive without to You needn’t apologize, you have done nothing wrong.• Will/won’t need + infinitive with toI won’t need to book a ticket in advance.• Didn’t need + infinitive with toI didn’t need to ask because I already knew the answer. • Needn’t have + past participle I needn’t have worried because in fact everything was fine.

• Need + -ing/need to be + past participle Your hair needs cutting/ to be cut.

• There + be+ no need (+ for someone) + infinitive with toThere’s no need (for you) to get upset – I’m only joking.

Ability- General Ability: something that once you have learned, you can do

it any time you want.- Specific Ability: something you can do or not in a particular situation

In the present:• Can/Can’t General/Specific

In the past:• Could/Couldn’t: General• Couldn’t/Was able to Specific• Could + have + Past Participle

Ability someone had in the past but didn’t useIn the future:

• Will/Won’t be able to General• Can/Can’t Specific

Possibility

• “The way I see/feel things in the present circumstances, it is possible that (if I have anything to do with it) ...could/might/may/can…”

The way I feel things in the present circumstances, it is possible that I could win the lottery this weekend

The way I see things in the present circumstances, it is possible that, if I have anything to do with it, Barça

will be the best football team in the world in 5 years

• Could and Might: express remoteness of past time, unlikely occurrence and shyness or respect.

I could have won the lottery if I had bought the ticketI might win the lottery if I buy a ticket

• May and Might: express a more personal involvement in the creation of the possibility.

I may become rich if i play the lotteryI might be able to buy a new house if I play the lottery

Assumptions• Must:

• Sure/certain that something is true• Used in affirmative sentences

You have been practising all day, you must be exhausted

• Can’t / Couldn’t:• Certain that something is not true or real.• Used in negative sentences

That can’t be my husband, he is in London.

Interpretations May, might or couldPossible interpretation of a situation, action or event. • May (not)/might (not)/could + infinitive withou to [PRESENT SIMPLE]They may be out.

• May (not)/might (not)/could + continuous infinitive without to [PRESENT CONTINUOUS]He might be joking.

• May (not)/might (not)/could + perfect infinitive without to [PAST SIMPLE/PRESENT PERFECT]

He could have lost my adress.• May (not)/might (not)/could + perfect continuous infinitive

without to [PAST CONTINUOUS/PRESENT PERFECT CONTIN.]She might not have been earning too much.

Suggesting and advising 1• Should/ought to + infinitive (without to) [PRESENT/FUTURE]

Should I take the job or not?You ought to tell the truth at all times.

• Should/ought to + continuous infinitive [PRESENT CONTINUOUS]

You should be thinking about your future.I have taken the tablets and I ought to be feeling better, but I still feel bad.

• Should/ought to + perfect infinitive [PAST SIMPLE/PRESENT PERFECT]

You ought to have been more careful.They shouldn’t have lost the match, they were better.

• Should/ought to + perfect continuous infinitive [PAST CONITNUOUS/PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS]

I should have been studying but I was enjoying myself.I ought to have been making more progress than I was.

Note: the negative forms of ought to are oughtn’t and ought not, but those are not often used (shouldn’t).

Suggesting and advising 2Suggest, recommend and propose

• Present verb (that) + second subject + subjunctive/ (should) infinitive without to

I suggest (that) you accept the offer.

• Past verb (that) + second subject + subjunctive/ (should) infinitive without to

She proposed (that) they (should) start their own company.

• Verb + -ing They recommended living there because of the pleasant

way of live.

Aditional structures with recommend

• Recommend someone + infinitive with toThey recommend you to book early.

• Recommend someone something (questons only)Could you recommend me a good hotel?

• Recommend something to someone I wouldn’t recommend this restaurant to anyone, the food was tasteless.

Advise and warn

• Verb + someone (+ not) + infinitive with toI warned you not to trust him.

• Verb + someone (+ that) + second subject + should + infinitive without toMy teacher advised me (that) I should read this book.

• Verb + someone (+ that) + second subject + reported speech I advised her that it was a bad idea.

• Verb + someone against + -ingI warned you against trusting him.

Probability and certainty To say how sure we are about something that had happened/ is happening or will happen.

1- To talk about the present:

must + infinitivemight/ might not + infinitivecould/ could not + infinitivemay/ may not + infinitivecan’t + infinitive

 will/ won’t = he will be at the supermarket buying food

 should/ shouldn’t = we should be there in 10 minutes it shouldn’t take a long time drive to the station

 can = whether can be worse in London

2- To talk about the past:

might/ might not + have + past participle = she might have worked latecould/ couldn’t + have + part participle = he must have written the lettermay/ may not + have+ past participle = they may have loosen the buscan’t + have + past participle = she can’t have gone to the party

 will/ won’t + have + past participle = the train will arrive before now

 should + have + past participle = the plane should have left by now

 could + have + past participle = he could have been working late

SONG

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