Modals

Dragana Filipovi

Modals
Verbs that can come before another verb and add to the meaning of that verb.
He He

plays the guitar. can play the guitar. that film. should see that film.

See You

The modals are:

WILL "#$ %#Y

/ WO L! / "O L! / %I&H' / SHO L!

SH#LL O %

&H' 'O S' 'O

H#V( $((!

The rules about using modals:

# modal

al)ays has the same form. is follo)ed by the infinitive.

I must leave. He must leave.

# modal

I should *no) the ans)er but I don+t.

,uestions

are formed by inverting the modal and the sub-ect.

He can s)im )ell. . "an he s)im )ell/

$egatives

are formed by adding not 0nt1.

He couldnt come )ith us because he )as busy.

Exceptions
Have

to and need ta*e .s in the 2rd person singular3

He has to go. Your hair needs to be cut. 0passive full

infinitive1
Your hair needs cutting. 04ing form1

Exceptions
%odal

verbs are follo)ed by an infinitive )ithout to5 e6cept for ought to and have to.
Sorry5 I can+t come. He might have phoned you )hen you )ere

out.
I have to meet Sally. You ought to see the performance.

Modal verbs are used to express:

Ability (in the present / future)
"an

/ be able to

7aul can s)im fast. I can give you bac* the money ne6t )ee*.

0usual1
I

ill be able to give you bac* the money ne6t )ee*. 0less usual5 more formal1

Modal verbs are used to express:

Ability (in the past)
!ould

" for repeated actions and ith the verbs see# hear#
hen she as six$ (repeated action)

smell# understand etc$ for single actions

%he could play the violin & could smell something burning$ (single action)

'as
%he &

able to " for either repeated or single actions

as able to play the violin hen she as six$ ee($ (single action)

as able to go on a trip round the city last

Modal verbs are used to express:

!ould

/ be able to can both be used in negations and 8uestions for either repeated or single actions.
She couldnt /

asnt able to pass her

driving test.
'ere you able to / !ould you get to )or*

yesterday/

 !an

is the 7resent Simple5 could is the 7ast Simple. 9or other tenses )e use be able to. hasnt been able to call them yet but he can call them tomorro).

He

Modal verbs are used to express:

)ossibility (present or future)
May

/ might / could * present infinitive

:im may / might / could pass the test this time$ Where+s #nn/ . She could be in the shopping mall.

)ossibility (past)
May

/ might / could * perfect infinitive

:ohn loo*s miserable. He may/might/could have lost

his -ob.

Modal verbs are used to express:

!ould

* perfect infinitive is also used for something )hich )as possible but did not actually happen.
!on+t drive that fast; You could have (illed

that boy. 0Luc*ily5 you didn+t *ill him.1

'o

e6press possibility in 8uestions )e don+t use may. We use3 "an he/ "ould he/ Is he li*ely to/ %ight he/

Modal verbs are used to express:

)robability
+ught

to / should * present infinitive 0something is probable no) or in the future1

Laura ought to / should pass the e6am. 0< She )ill

probably pass it.1

+ught

to / should * perfect infinitive 0something that )e e6pected to happen but )e don+t *no) if it happened or not1
Has Sue phoned yet/ She ought to / should have

phoned an hour ago.

Modal verbs are used to express:

,ogical assumptions
!ant

/ couldnt * present infinitive 0< I don+t thin*= It+s logically improbable1

She cant be rich. Her house is too small.

Must

* present infinitive 0< I thin*= I+m fairly sure= It+s logically probable1
His face is red. He must be angry.

!ant

is the opposite of must.

,ogical assumptions
!ant

/ couldnt * perfect infinitive 0< It+s impossible that something happened in the past1
She cant / couldnt have lied to us. She al)ays tells

the truth.
Must

* perfect infinitive 0< It+s very probable that something happened in the past.1
I didn+t hear the phone. I must have been asleep.

)ermission
As(ing for permission
!an May

0informal1 / !ould 0more polite1 0formal1 / Might 0more formal1

!an / !ould I interrupt you for a second/ May / Might I spea* to the manager5 please/

-iving or refusing permission

!an

0informal1 0formal1 / cant 0informal . refusing1

"an 0"ould1 I use your phone/ . Of course you can.

May

Luggage may be left here.

Mustnt

I+m afraid you mustnt / cant smo*e in here.

May You

not 0formal1 may not smo*e in this building.

Tal(ing about permission

!an

/ be allo ed to 0the future or present1 0about the past . for repeated actions1

Students are allo ed to / can use the gym free of charge.

!ould 'as/

ere allo ed to 0about the past5 both repeated and single actions1
I could al)ays / I

as al)ays allo ed to stay in the gym

after school.
'he reporter

as allo ed to ta*e a photo of %adonna.

0single action1
"ouldn+t

/ )asn+t allo)ed to 0in negations1

.e/uests
!an 'ill

you help me5 please/ 0informal1 you get me my slippers5 please/ 0familiar1 you ma*e me some tea/ 0polite1 I have a glass of )ater/ 0formal1

!ould May

'ould 'ould

you post this letter for me/ 0more polite and formal than >"ould you+1 you mind closing the )indo)/ 0more formal1

+ffers 0 %uggestions
Ill

post this letter for you if you li*e. I help you )ith your luggage/ you li(e some more tea/

%hall

'ould

%hall We

)e go out for a )al*/

can / could go to the cinema5 if you li*e. go out for a )al*. / What about going to the par*/ don+t )e go out for a )al*/

Let+s Ho) Why

Advice 0 !riticism
%hould

/ ought to * present infinitive 0it+s the best thing to do1

You should stop smo*ing. You ought to treat animals *indly.

%hall

&1 0as*ing for advice1 / ought to * perfect infinitive 0about the past1

%hall I tell him the truth/

%hould

You shouldnt have been rude to your sister yesterday. You oughtnt to have started smo*ing.

+bligation 2 3ecessity
Must Must

/ have to 0< It+s necessary1

is used only for the present and future )hen the spea*ers decides.
I must lose some )eight. 0It+s my decision.1

4ave

to is used )hen the necessity comes from outside the spea*er.

I have to lose some )eight. 'he doctor says so.

4ad

to is used in the past.

I had to go to )or* early yesterday.

+bligation 2 3ecessity
4ave

got to 0more informal5 used for obligation on a single occasion1

&ve got to go.

+ught

to 0duty= it+s the right thing to do1

We ought to respect the environment.

3eed

0it+s necessary1 is follo)ed by a passive full infinitive or an "ing form5 and ta*es .s in the 2rd person singular1
'he door needs to be mended. 'he door needs mending.

Absence of 3ecessity
3eednt

* bare present infinitive / dont have to / dont need to 0it+s not necessary in the present or future1
You neednt ta(e a -ac*et. It+s )arm. You dont have to / dont need to ta*e a -ac*et.

5idnt

need to / didnt have to 0it )asn+t necessary in the past and )e may not *no) if the action happened or not1
He didnt need/have to buy any mil*. 'here )as a lot in the

fridge. 0I don+t *no) if he bought any.1

Absence of 3ecessity
3eednt

* bare perfect infinitive 0We *no) that something happened in the past although it )as not necessary.1
She neednt have bought any mil*. 'here

)as a lot in the fridge. 0I *no) she bough some mil* but there )as no need.1

)rohibition
Mustnt

0< it+s forbidden1

You mustnt smo*e in the office.

!ant

0< you are not allo)ed to1

You cant )ait here.

NOW LETS PRACTICE!!

Rewrite each sentence without changing the eaning!

a) You didnt study at all. Bad mistake! You SHOU D H!"# S$UD%#D. &) Did you manage to 'ind t(e keys) *ere ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ,) %t -asn.t ne,essary to get up so early in t(e end. % didn.t ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ d) /er(aps eannne 'orgot our date. eanne mig(t ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ e) %t -as possi&le 'or you to (ave got lost. You ,ould ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ') %t -ould (ave &een a good idea not to trust (im. You s(ould +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ g) Smoking in ,lass is pro(i&ited. You mustnt +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ () 0um -ent s(opping &ut it -asnt ne,essary. 0um needn.t ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ i) %t -ould &e &etter to tell (im. You oug(t ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1) %m sure t(ey arent at (ome. !ll t(e lig(ts are o''. $(ey ,an.t +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

2epla,e t(e -ords in itali,s -it( appropriate modal ver&s. !dd any ot(er ne,essary -ords.

?*onder'ul3 its Sunday and 4a) not ne,essary 'or me to get up at 5 o,lo,k. 4&) %ll possi&ly stay in &ed a &it longer alt(oug( % t(ink t(e ,(ildren 4,) are pro&a&ly a-ake no- and %ll 4d) &e o&liged to get t(eir &reak'ast soon. $(ey re'use to make it 'or t(emselves. %6d &etter get up immediately &e,ause 4e) per(aps t(ey -ill -re,k t(e (ouse. Ho-ever3 it is still very early and t(ey 4') are pro&a&ly not very (ungry yet. 4g) %t -ould (ave &een a good idea i' % (ad put out t(e ,orn'lakes and milk yesterday evening. But all t(is t(inking and not a,ting is really silly! 4() %ts really ne,essary 'or me to get up t(is minute. 7o- -(ere are my &edroom slippers) $(at damn dog 4i) (as pro&a&ly (idden t(em again! 41) %t -ould &e a good idea 'or us to train it &etter3 &ut % suppose -e 4k) -erent o&liged to &uy it in t(e 'irst pla,e3 and a'ter all3 its only a puppy. O(3 %6d 'orgotten! 4l) %ts 1ust possi&le t(at !lan -ill &e &a,k 'rom (is &usiness trip today 8 marvellous! One adult isnt enoug( to look a'ter 'our ,(ildren3 a puppy3 and t(ree gold'is(! *(y 4m ) did (e re'use to take me -it( (im) 4n) %t -as possi&le 'or us to get (is mot(er to ,ome and look a'ter t(e ,(ildren. 7ever again! @

"E# to e$ercise %

&. -ere you a&le to 'ind t(e keys) ,. % didnt (ave to get up so early. d. eanne mig(t (ave 'orgotten our date. e. You ,ould (ave got lost. '. You s(ould not (ave trusted (im. g. You mustnt smoke in ,lass. (. 0um neednt (ave gone s(opping. i. You oug(t to tell (im. 1. $(ey ,ant &e at (ome. $(e lig(ts are o''.

"E# to e$ercise &

a. % 7##D76$ &. % 0%9H$ S$!Y ,. 0!Y B# d. H!"# $O e. $H#Y 0%9H$ '. :!76$ B# g. % SHOU D H!"# (. % 0US$ i. 0US$ H!"# 1. *# SHOU D k. D%D76$ H!"# $O l. ! !7 0!Y B# m. :OU D76$ H# n. *# :OU D H!"# 9O$