Transcript MODAL VERBS

MODAL VERBS
A brief overview
Which verbs are MODAL VERBS?
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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
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Can I ...?
Could you ...?
Will he ...?
Would she ...?
May it ...?
Might we ...?
Shall I/Shall we ...?
Should they ...?
Must I ...?
• Negatives
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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:
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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:
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CAN
COULD
MAY
MIGHT
Can I stay up late?
Could I stay up late?
May I stay up late?
Might I stay up late?
• BE ALLOWED TO
You’re allowed to stay up late.
Modals and related verbs used to talk
about PROHIBITION:
• MUSTN’T
• CAN’T
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You mustn’t smoke in here.
You can’t smoke in here.
NOT BE ALLOWED TO
NOT BE PERMITTED TO
BE FORBIDDEN TO
BE PROHIBITED
You’re not allowed to smoke in here.
You’re not permitted to smoke in here.
You’re forbidden to smoke in here.
Smoking is prohibited.
Modals and related verbs used to talk
about OBLIGATION:
• MUST
I must go to the dentist.
• HAVE TO
• HAVE GOT TO
We have to change our shoes.
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
• DON’T NEED TO
there.
He hasn’t got to go there.
He doesn’t need to go
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
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MUST
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He must be rich. (I’m sure he is rich.)
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She must be waiting for him. (I’m sure she’s waiting for him
right now.)
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CAN’T
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You can’t be hungry. (I’m sure you aren’t hungry.)
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He can’t be listening. (I’m sure he isn’t listening now.)
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BE BOUND TO
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You’re bound to pass the exam. (I’m sure you will pass it.)
Modals used to talk about
CERTAINTY: past
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MUST
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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
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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
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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
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MAY/MAY NOT
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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
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It might rain soon. (Perhaps it will rain soon.)
He might not be telling the truth. (Perhaps he isn’t doing so.)
COULD
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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
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MAY/MAY NOT
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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
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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
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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:
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to talk about FUTURE opinions, beliefs, hopes,
predictions (I’ll probably come later. I don’t think I’ll go out.)
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to express offers, promises, requests, agreements,
refusals (I won’t tell anybody. Will you shut the door, please?)
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to express decisions made at the time of speaking (“Did
you call Mom?” “I forgot. I’ll call her now.”)
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in first conditional sentences (If she phones, I’ll tell you.)
WILL and SHALL
• WILL is used with all persons
I’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:
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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.)
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in reported speech (She said she wouldn’t tell me everything.)
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to express polite offers and requests (Would you like
something to drink? Would you pass me the salt, please?)
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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 1-40500768-0.
• VINCE, M. and EMMERSON, P.: First Certificate Language Practice
with key. Oxford: Macmillan Publishers Limited, 2003. ISBN 1-40500765-6.