Transcript Modals and semi-modals

Modals and
semi-modals
Modals and semi-modals
Modals
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
Can, may, must…
They are the same for all
persons.
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
They don’t need an auxiliary
verb for questions and
negatives:
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
You must pay attention.
You shouldn’t swim when it’s
windy.
Should I stay with you?
Two modal verbs can’t be
used in the same phrase:

I will can play again next month
(*).
Semi-modals
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Be able to, have to
They aren’t the same for all persons.
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They may need an auxiliary for
questions and negatives:
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

You have to pay attention / She has
to pay attention.
You don’t have to say you’re sorry.
Do we have to speak in English?
They’re used when the modals
can’t be used.

I will be able to play again next
month.
SIMPLE MODALS
Must / have to
Obligation
I must go to the hospital
Logical deduction (only must)
The film must be very good. Everybody likes it.
Can’t
Logical deduction
This person can’t be Michael. He’s too short.
Don’t have to
Lack of obligation
You don’t have to say you love me.
Mustn’t / can’t
Prohibition
We mustn’t smoke at school.
We can’t skip classes.
Can (past, could) / be able
to
Ability
She can swim very fast.
I couldn’t concentrate yesterday.
Next year, I will be able to speak three languages.
Should / ought to
Advice
You should listen to your teachers.
May / might / could
Possibility
It may rain this afternoon. It’s very cloudy.
Can / could / may
permission
Can I come in, please?
Shall
Offering (used only in questions and with 1st persons)
Shall we continue?
Shall I give you my phone number?
PERFECT MODALS
PERFECT MODALS: MODAL + HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE
Should have
Criticism about a past action
You should have made a bigger effort.
You shouldn’t have used the present simple so often.
Must have
Logical deduction about
something in the past
You must have worked very hard. I can see you’re so tired!
Many people went to see that film. Its director must have
won a lot of money.
Could have
Ability to have done
something which wasn’t
done.
You could have written some more.
Couldn’t have
Disbelief
You couldn’t have finished so quickly. It’s impossible!
Needn’t have
An unnecessary past action
You needn’t have brought that bottle of wine. We have got
plenty of it here.
Might / may have
Guessing about a possibility
in the past
She might have forgotten to do her homework.
Would have
Past conditional: you
wanted to do something,
but you couldn’t
I would have gone to her party, but I wasn’t invited.