MODAL VERBS

A brief overview

Which verbs are MODAL VERBS?

• can• could• will• would• may• might• shall • should• must

• ought to

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.)

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.

How to form questions and negatives?

• 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 ...

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?

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 able to 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

Modals and related verbs used to talk about PERMISSION:

• CAN Can I stay up late?

• COULD Could I stay up late?

• MAY May I stay up late?

• MIGHT Might I stay up late?

• BE ALLOWED TOYou’re allowed to stay up late.

Modals and related verbs used to talk about PROHIBITION:

• MUSTN’TYou 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.

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 TO I need to cut the grass.

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.

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.)

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

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.

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.)

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.

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.)

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 have left. (It’s possible they have left.)

– She could have been driving fast. (It’s possible she was.)

WILL as a modal verb is used:

• to talk about FUTURE opinions, 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.)

WILL and SHALL

• WILL is used with all personsI’ll/He’ll/She’ll come soon.

Will you get me that pill?

It probably won’t snow tomorrow.

We’ll/They’ll help you.

• SHALL is used with I and we mainly to express suggestions.Shall I close the door?

Shall we go to the theatre tonight?

WOULD as a modal verb is used:

• in second and third conditional sentences (If I were you, I wouldn’t keep 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 PAST habits, behaviour (When I was a child I would get up very early.)

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.