Transcript Informal grammar survey 38 low/low

Modal Verbs
Teaching Modals to
Low-Level
ESL Students
Julian Elias
Sac State English Language Institute
& Cosumnes River College
single-word, principal, true modals
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can
could
will
would
should
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may
might
must
shall
Important?
Necessary?
phrasal modals / modal phrases /
modal-like expressions
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have to
have got to
ought to
had better
know how to
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be going to
be able to
be about to
be to
be supposed to
be allowed to
be permitted to
difficult vocab.
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auxiliary
modality
participle
infinitive
semimodals
defective*
*A defective verb is a verb with an incomplete conjugation, or one which cannot be
used in some other way as normal verbs can. Defective verbs cannot be conjugated in
certain tenses, aspects, or moods.
difficult vocab.
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auxiliary
modality
participle
infinitive
semimodals
defective
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ability
advice
advisability
necessity
obligation
permission
possibility
probability
difficult vocab.
Suggestion #1:
Have your students
look up &/or translate
these words.
• infinitive
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ability
advice
advisability
necessity
obligation
permission
possibility
probability
Celce-Murcia & Larsen-Freeman
“Modal auxiliaries are among
the more difficult structures
ESL/EFL teachers have to
deal with.”
Folse
“Modals are small but important
words or phrases that allow the
speaker or writer to include nuances
of meaning for verbs.”
“A modal rarely has just one
meaning, and rarely is one meaning
expressed by only one modal.”
Barry
Modals “carry a wide range of
different meanings and nuances of
meaning…, [and] the meanings are
very hard to spell out in exact and
predictable terms.”
informal grammar survey
38 low/low-intermediate students
easy / not
confusing
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so-so

difficult /
confusing
simple
present
24
63.16%
9
23.68%
5
13.16%
0
0
present
progressive
21
55.26%
12
31.58%
3
7.89%
2
5.26%
0
simple
past
16
42.11%
12
31.58%
8
21.05%
2
5.25%
0
future
13
34.21%
12
31.58%
11
28.95%
2
5.26%
0
nouns &
pronouns
11
28.95%
10
26.31%
13
34.21%
4
10.53%
0
modals
3
7.89%
2
5.26%
19
50%
8
21.05%
6
15.79%
common low-level mistakes
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Sam did be late yesterday.
Why did Sam is late yesterday?
I was slept last night.
She was closed the window ten minutes ago.
Are they ate pizza for dinner last night?
What did they ate for dinner last night?
Does Kate usually has a salad for lunch?
What did Kate usually has for lunch?
David is often lift weights.
Why did she spent the day at home yesterday?
• am/is/are/was/were + present participle
– I am play soccer. (I am playing ….)
• do/don’t + base form
– Do you playing soccer? (Do you play…?)
• does/doesn’t + base form
– He doesn’t playing soccer. (He doesn’t play….)
• did/didn’t + base form
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I’m not played soccer. (I didn’t play….)
I wasn’t play soccer. (I didn’t play….)
I wasn’t played soccer. (I didn’t play….)
Did he plays soccer? (Did he play…?)
He didn’t played soccer. (He didn’t play….)
Azar & Hagen – Ch. 12
Modals, Part 1: Expressing Ability
• Using can
• Pronunciation of can &
can’t
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Using can – questions
Using know how to
Using could – past of can
Using be able to
Using very & too
Using two, too & to
More about prepositions:
at & in for place
will, be going to,
may & might are in
Chapters 10 & 11
Azar & Hagen – Ch. 12
Modals, Part 1: Expressing Ability
• Using can
• Pronunciation of can &
Good information &
exercises, but…
can’t
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Using can – questions
Using know how to
Using could – past of can
Using be able to
Using very & too
Using two, too & to
More about prepositions:
at & in for place
phrasal modal
phrasal modal
only if enough time
only if enough time
only if enough time
Most low-level students
have a lot of trouble with
phrasal modals.
modal vs. phrasal modal
will
be going to
• I/You/She/He/It/We/
They will eat.
• I/You/She/He/It/We/
They will not (won’t) eat.
• Will (Won’t) I/you/she/
he/it/we/they eat?
• Why will (won’t) I/you/
she/he/it/we/they eat?
• I am going to eat.
• You/We/They are going to
eat.
• She/He/It is going to eat.
• I’m not going to eat.
• You/We/They aren’t going
to eat.
• She/He/It isn’t going to
eat.
be going to
• Am I (not) going to eat?
• Are (Aren’t) you/we/they going to eat?
• Is (Isn’t) she/he/it going to eat?
• What am I going to eat?
• What are you/we/they going to eat?
• What is she/he/it going to eat?
Past tense:
• was/wasn’t/were/weren’t going to eat
modal vs. phrasal modal
can
be able to
• I/You/She/He/It/We/
They can drive.
• I/You/She/He/It/We/
They cannot (can’t) drive.
• Can (Can’t) I/you/she/
he/it/we/they eat?
• Why can (can’t) I/you/
she/he/it/we/they drive?
• I am able to drive.
• You/We/They are able to
drive.
• She/He/It is able to drive.
• I’m not able to drive.
• You/We/They aren’t able to
drive.
• She/He/It isn’t able to
drive.
be able to
• Am I (not) able to drive?
• Are (Aren’t) you/we/they able to drive?
• Is (Isn’t) she/he/it able to drive?
• Why am I (not) able to drive?
• Why are (aren’t) you/we/they able to drive?
• Why is (isn’t) she/he/it able to drive?
Past tense:
• was/wasn’t/were/weren’t able to drive
KNOW HOW TO
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I/You/We/They know how to drive.
She/He/It knows how to drive.
I/You/We/They don’t know how to drive.
She/He/It doesn’t know how to drive.
Do (Don’t) I/you/we/they know how to drive?
Does (Doesn’t) she/he/it know how to drive?
Why do (don’t) I/you/we/they know how to drive?
Why does (doesn’t) she/he/it know how to drive?
KNOW HOW TO
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I/You/We/They knew how to drive.
She/He/It knew how to drive.
I/You/We/They didn’t know how to drive.
She/He/It didn’t know how to drive.
Did (Didn’t) I/you/we/they know how to drive?
Did (Didn’t) she/he/it know how to drive?
Why did (didn’t) I/you/we/they know how to drive?
Why did (didn’t) she/he/it know how to drive?
Azar & Hagen – Ch. 13
Modals, Part 2: Advice, Necessity, Requests, Suggestions
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Using should
Using have + infinitive ???
Using must
Polite questions: May I,
Could I & Can I
Polite questions: Could
you & Would you
Imperative sentences
 only if enough time
Modal auxiliaries [review]
Summary chart
Using let’s
 only if enough time
modal vs. phrasal modal (?)
must
• I/You/She/He/It/We/
They must do __.
• I/You/She/He/It/We/
They must not (mustn’t)
do __.
• Must I/you/she/he/it/
we/they do __.
• Why must I/you/she/
he/it/we/they do __?
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HAVE TO
I/You/We/They have
to do __.
She/He/It has to do __.
I/You/We/They don’t
have to do __.
She/He/It doesn’t have
to do __.
HAVE TO
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Do (Don’t) I/you/we/they have to do __?
Does (Doesn’t) she/he/it have to do __?
Why do (don’t) I/you/we/they have to do __?
Why does (doesn’t) she/he/it have to do __?
HAVE TO
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I/You/We/They had to drive.
She/He/It had to drive.
I/You/We/They didn’t have to drive.
She/He/It didn’t have to drive.
Did (Didn’t) I/you/we/they have to drive?
Did (Didn’t) she/he/it have to drive?
Why did (didn’t) I/you/we/they have to drive?
Why did (didn’t) she/he/it have to drive?
Using have + infinitive (have to/has to)
(a) People need to eat food.
(b) People have to eat food.
(c) Jack needs to study for his test.
(d) Jack has to study for his test.
(a) and (b) have basically the same meaning.
(c) and (d) have basically the same meaning.
Have + infinitive has a special meaning: it
expresses the same idea as need.
(e) I had to study last night.
Past form: had + infinitive
(f) Do you have to leave now?
(g) What time does Jim have to leave?
(h) Why did they have to leave…?
Question form: do, does, or did is used in
questions with have to.
(i) I don’t have to study tonight.
(i+1) Jim doesn’t have to study.
(j) The concert was free. We didn’t
have to buy tickets.
Negative form: don’t, doesn’t, or didn’t is
used with have to.
discussion topics/questions
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Pages 4-6
(Charts on pp. 2, 3, 9 & 10)
(“Common ELL Mistakes” on pp. 10-11)
Please get together with a partner or a
small group
• We’ll come back together as a whole
group to share thoughts & ideas
between 10:30 and 10:45
modals in low-level reading textbook
(Active Skills for Reading Intro, 3rd ed.)
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On Face2Face, you can play games ___.
What can’t you do on Face2Face?
How long can you work in another country?
Lifelong learning can help people ___.
Which of the following might Mr. Salinas say?
After you take Workshop 2, you will be able to ___.
At the end of Workshop 4, you will be able to ___.