Transcript modals - AlQods English Club

MODALS
PROBLEMS THAT STUDENTS
HAVE USING MODALS
3 AREAS
• MODALS DON’T FOLLOW THE RULES
FOR SUBJECT/VERB AGREEMENT
• MODALS DON’T USE THE INFINITIVE
FORM (TO)
• SOME LANGUAGES USE REGULAR
VERBS OR ADVERBS INSTEAD OF
MODALS
A RIDDLE?
WHEN DOES A 3RD PERSON
PRESENT TENSE VERB NOT
NEED AN
‘S’ ?
WHEN IT’S A MODAL!
True modal auxiliaries are not
like other auxiliary and main
verbs. They don’t need subject
/verb agreement.
The Form of English Modals
I
can go
I
go
You
can go
You
go
She/he/it
can go
She/he/it
GOES
We
can go
We
go
They
can go
They
go
MODALS AND LEXICAL
VERBS
• HE WANTS TO GO. Yes or no?
• HE PLANS TO GO.
Yes or no?
• HE CAN TO GO.
Yes or no?
Modals do not have to follow the
rule which says that an infinitive
nd
must precede the 2 verb in certain
two-verb sequences.
Third area of confusion
Not all languages have modals –
often verbs or adverbs are used to
perform the same function.
Modals can be combined with
present and past tenses.
Present & past combinations
Base form of
modal
Can
Combined with
present tense
Can
Combined with
past tense
Could
Will
Will
Would
May
May
Might
Shall
Shall
Should
Must
Must
Had to
Remember that just because we
have present and past forms of
modals it doesn’t mean that we
only use the present form to talk
about the present time or that we
only use the past form to talk
about the past time.
HOWEVER
THIS DOES HAPPEN WHEN WE
ARE USING REPORTED SPEECH.
THEN THE MODALS REFLECT
THESE PRESENT
TENSE/PRESENT TIME AND
PAST TENSE/PAST TIME
CONNECTION
DIRECT SPEECH
REPORTED
(INDIRECT) SPEECH
Skippy: I can type.
Skippy said that he could
type.
Danie: I will go.
Danie said that she would
go.
Skippy: Shall I stay?
Skippy asked if she
should stay.
Charlotte: May I smoke? Charlotte asked if she
might smoke.
Elizabeth: I must work.
Elizabeth said that she
had to work.
Modals and Quasi Modals
Multiword forms ending in to which
function like true modals are called
quasi-modals
Examples
•
•
•
•
•
Modals
Can
Will
Must
Should
• Would (=past habit)
•
•
•
•
•
Quasi-modal
Be able to
Be going to
Have to , have got to
Be to, ought to, be
supposed to
• Used to
Notice that quasi-modals do not
exhibit the same formal
properties as the true modals in
that the subject verb agreement
rule must be applied (except for
ought to and used to
and all quasi-modals require that
a ‘to’ infinitive precede the main
verb
Rules for using Modals and
Quasi –modals in a sentence
We can should study hard for the test.
M M
.
I am able to must do the assignment.
QM M
.
I might be able to go to the film.
MQ
QM
He will have to improve his English
M QM
He is going to have to improve his
?
?
English .
So what are the patterns that you
can use?
Patterns
Modal + Modal = No
Quasi-modal +modal = No
Modal + quasi-modal = Yes
Quasi-modal + quasi-modal = Yes
The meaning of modals
Situational versus logical
probability
Situational uses of modals
• Making requests of a
general nature
• Will/would/can/ or
could you help me?
• Making specific
requests for
permission
• May/might/can or
could I leave the
room?
Although both the present and
past forms of these modals can
be used in making requests ,
only the present tense forms are
likely to be used in responses to
requests
Examples
•
•
•
•
•
To general requests:
Yes, I can.
(Not – Yes, I could.)
Yes, I will
Not, Yes I would.)
• To requests for
permission
• Yes, you may.
• (Not Yes, you might.)
• Yes, you can.
• (Not Yes, you could.)
Reason for this?
Reason for this?
• Past tense forms of modals are considered
more polite and less demanding that present
forms- so the person making the request
will use the past tense to ‘soften ‘ the
request, however , the person being asked is
not expected to ‘soften’ his/her response.
More often a direct response is expected.
• Yes, I can. No, I can’t.
If you saw me wearing a watch
and you wanted to know the time
what would you say?
Could you tell me the time?
Or
Would you tell me the time
Difference
Can/Could= is it possible
Will/would= willingness
Another use of Situational
Modals is to give advice
•
•
•
•
•
You might/could see a doctor.
You should see a doctor.
You had better see a doctor.
You must see a doctor.
You will see a doctor.
Additional uses of situational
modals
Ability –can, be able to
Desire- would like to
Preference- would rather ___ than __
Tomorrow we will look at the
Logical uses of Modals.