CHAPTER 2

II. TEACHING MODALS. METHODOLOGICAL APROACHES

Language is a semiotic system, a socially accepted system of signs. The signs of the
language, i.e. the words made up of individual speech sounds rendered in writing by letters,
are known and shared by the entire comunity.(Vizental; 2008, p.15)

Ferdinand de Saussure, the father of semiology (the science of signs), viewed human
communication as a continuous encoding-decoding process that goes on between two or more
individuals who”know the code”, i.e.share the same language.The process starts in the mind
of the speaker – the producer and sender of the message - who puts his/her thoughts
(meanings) into words, organizes them into structures according to the rules of the language
and gives them a physical (phonetic/graphic) form. When a sentence is uttered, language gets
activated and speech is possible only because it is based on the phonetic system of language.
The relationship between language and speech is similar to that between code and
message.The message thus construed is ’’sent” towards the listener/receiver of the message,in
the form of ’’ribbon’’-a continuous succession of sound waves.There are three traditional
branches of linguistics: phonetics-for oral linguistic form; grammar-for the linguistic
structure; and semantics-for meaning.In written communication, there is a similar encoding-
decoding process,only this time the physical form of the message is graphical, and the time
lapse is consistent.The writer and the reader of a novel may never meet and the latter can
think at leisure of what the former wanted to say.The competent speaker’s ability to decode
and encode linguistic messages thanks to his/her knowledge of ’’the code’’ is refered to as
linguistic competence. Linguistic competence goes hand in hand with linguistic
performance,i.e.the speaker’s actual usage of the language.

English language has become a very important tool for development and advancement
in the world. As any language English language can’t be used suitable in understanding a
message without knowing its grammar. An important role in mastering the English language
is played by grammar.Grammar is the backbone of a language and without it any single thing
you know may be flux,in a sort of jelly without much consistency. In a nutshell you need in
order to organise and put your messages and ideas across. It is the railway through which your
message will be transported without it,in the same way as a train cannot move without

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railways, you won’t be able to convey your ideas to their full extension without a good
command of the underlying grammar patterns and structures of language.

Grammar is crucial in achieving fluency which constitutes a huge step forward in

people’s strugle for success.

II.1. TEACHING GRAMMAR

Teaching grammar has been for a long time a controversial aspect of language
teaching. Most do not pay attention to it and others become obsessed with it. But we will not
debate that now; we are going to focus here on how to teach it. Nowadays there’s a need for
grammar revival, since, after the introduction of CLT(Communicative language teaching).
experimental learning and communicative goals were emphasized more and grammar was
eclipsed. The difference is that consciousness-raising may exist at the level of understanding
and "does not necessarily entail production" (Harmer, 1995: 24).
In my experience,grammar shouldn’t be taught ’’ by the book’’.At least not in
teaching English as a second language.That’s not what students are there for.They don’t want
to know all of these rules,they’re not interested in them.They want to learn English.They want
to speak,read and write in English.That’s why another way of teaching grammar without
boring the students to death with ’’the rules’’ is by teaching grammar in context.
When teaching grammar the sound rule is: the more concise, the better, i.e. be
economical. That also applies to planning and resources. The easier the activity is, the better
is accepted by the students.The activities should be efficient and appropriate. The efficiency is
determined by economy (time-efficient), ease (easy to set up), and efficacy (consistent with
learning principle). Appropriacy takes into account the learners' needs, interests, attitudes and
expectations.

II.1.1. The Deductive Method (DM)

There are also two ways of approaching grammar: deductive (rule-driven) and
inductive (rule-discovery).
According to Harmer “Grammar teaching sometimes happens as a result of other work
the students are doing”, “or when a grammar problem presents itself unexpectedly in the

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middle of a lesson and we feel we have to deal with it on the spot” (Hammer:210). It may also
grow from a task that the students are performing or performed. We can plan in advance what
we want to teach or just rely on the course book to teach grammar. When we want students to
study any grammar piece we have our own grammar presentation and practice activities.
We can introduce grammar in a number of ways or we can just show them grammar
evidence and ask them to work out on their own how language is constructed. We must
provide opportunities for them to practise grammar and use games to make it more engaging.
There is also a need for effective activities which have to be efficient and appropriate. We can
teach grammar in situational context or through texts, stories, songs and rhymes, games, etc.
The deductive approach is rule-driven and more teacher-centered, but it is easy to
apply leaving little room for mistakes if the rule is stated clearly and concisely. It should be
mentioned also that this method is not necessarily dependent on translation. According to
Thornbury (1999:30) "many popular student grammar practice books adopt a deductive
approach, having all their explanation and exercises in English."
The deductive approach is a process. The teacher starts by presenting a rule and then
provides examples. The target language is applied in the examples provided and then students
engage in language practices (Thornbury, 1999; Norris & Ortega, 2000; cited in Erlam, 2003;
Gollin, 1998). Nunan (1991:151) states that deductive reasoning occurs only when the
learners are taught rules consciously and given specific information about a language.
In general, the advantages of the deductive approach are summarized by Thornbury
(1999:30):
 “Starting the lesson with a grammar presentation may be off-putting for some
students, especially younger ones. They may not have sufficient metalanguage (i.e.
language used to talk about language such as grammar terminology). Or they may not
be able to understand the concepts involved.

 Grammar explanation encourages a teacher-fronted, transmission-style classroom;

teacher explanation is often at the expense of student involvement and interaction.

 Explanation is seldom as memorable as other forms of presentation, such as

demonstration.

 Such an approach encourages the belief that learning a language is simply a case of
knowing the rules.

The advantages of a deductive approach are:

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  It gets straight to the point, and can therefore be time-saving. Many rules —
especially rules of form — can be more simply and quickly explained than elicited
from examples. This will allow more time for practice and application.

 It respects the intelligence and maturity of many - especially adult -students, and
acknowledges the role of cognitive processes in language acquisition.

 It confirms many students' expectations about classroom learning, particularly for

those learners who have an analytical learning style.

 It allows the teacher to deal with language points as they come up, rather than having
to anticipate them and prepare for them in advance.”

This advantages and disadvantages hinge on the quality of the rule explanation and how
user-friendly the rule is. According to Michael Swan (1997) truth, limitation, clarity,
simplicity, familiarity and relevance is what makes a good rule.

The deductive approach comes from deductive reasoning where rules, patterns and
principals are presented and then practiced and where the concept goes from general to
specific.
The deductive method is a top-down method [i.e. making use of what we already know
to help us predict the structure and content of the text, and getting a general overall
impression of the message] (Scrivener, 2010: 258) while the inductive method is more of a
bottom-up approach [ ie building up the messages from the individual small pieces]
(Scrivener,2010: 257).This means that the deductive method moves from general to specific
while the inductive method does the opposite. Both methods have been applied to grammar
teaching and learning.
"A deductive approach (rule-driven) starts with the presentation of a rule and is
followed by examples in which the rule is applied. An inductive approach (rule-discovery)
starts with some examples from which a rule is inferred.” (Thornbury, 1999: 29)
Through the inductive method the students study the examples and then from them
they derive and understand the rule. At the intermediate level students are already familiar
with the rule discovery; they are more active in the learning process; it involves students’
pattern recognition and problem solving abilities. Discovery learning involves a lot of practice
and mistake accompanied by guidance and feedback from the teacher. The Direct Method and

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the Natural Approach are often correlated with the Inductive approach. Both present grammar
in such a way that students experience it.

II.1.2. The Inductive Method (IM)

The inductive method is a rule-discovery path, the learner studies examples from
which derive an understanding of the rule. Language is acquired through exposure. This
method is identified with the Direct Method and the Natural Approach. They share the
assumption that language data is best processed inductively and differ when it comes to the
way the input is selects and organized and how often the teacher should intervene. Inductive
teaching is based on trial and error cycles with guidance from the teacher. Students learn by
trying different things, seeing what works and what not.

Some researchers (Scrivener, 1994 - cited by Adrian Tennant, 2005) have suggested
the "discovery technique" as an inductive way of teaching grammar. The aim of this technique
is to engage students in discovering a general grammar rule or pattern. The students
"discover" the grammar following a series of steps that will lead them to deduce the meaning
and the form.

In the inductive method, students are subjected to examples of language use. After being
subjected to the examples, they are engaged to use target language and then they are
encouraged to generalize the rules that were deduced (Thornbury, 1999; Decoo, 1996; Gollin,
1998).

According to Thornbury (1999:54) the advantages of this method are:

 "Rules learners discover for themselves are more likely to fit their existing mental
structures than rules they have been presented with. This in turn will make the rules
more meaningful, memorable, and serviceable.

 The mental effort involved ensures a greater degree of cognitive depth which, again,
ensures greater memo ability.

 Students are more actively involved in the learning process, rather than being simply
passive recipients: they are therefore likely to be more attentive and more motivated.

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 It is an approach which favors pattern-recognition and problem-solving abilities
which suggests that it is particularly suitable for learners who like this kind of
challenge.

 If the problem-solving is done collaboratively, and in the target language, learners

get the opportunity for extra language practice.

 Working things out for themselves prepares students for greater self-reliance and is
therefore conducive to learner autonomy.

The disadvantages of an inductive method include:

 The time and energy spent in working out rules may mislead students into believing
that rules are the objective of language learning, rather than a means.

 The time taken to work out a rule may be at the expense of time spent in putting the
rule to some sort of productive practice.

 Students may hypothesise the wrong rule, or their version of the rule may be either too
broad or too narrow in its application: this is especially a danger where there is no
overt testing of their hypotheses, either through practice examples, or by eliciting an
explicit statement of the rule.

 It can place heavy demands on teachers in planning a lesson. They need to select and
organize the data carefully so as to guide learners to an accurate formulation of the
rule, while also ensuring the data is intelligible.

 However carefully organized the data is, many language areas such as aspect and
modality resist easy rule formulation.

 An inductive approach frustrates students who, by dint of their personal learning style
or their past learning experience (or both), would prefer simply to be told the rule."

Both methods offer certain advantages and disadvantages. As I mentioned before, the
deductive class is more teacher-centered, while the inductive on is more student-centered.
When it comes to meaning-focused instruction vs. form focused instruction, some researchers
(Adair-Hauck, Donato, & Cumo-Johanssen, 2005; Felder, 1995; Hammerly, 1975; Larsen-

6
Freeman, 2003; Shaffer, 1989) have come to a general consensus that the correct approach is
the one that falls in between the two, a combination of the two methods.

A deductive and an inductive approach basically differentiate in

lesson,procedures,learner roles, teacher roles and usage of metalanguage in the teaching
process.
A deductive approach is based on the top-down theory which the presentation and
explanation of grammar rules take the presedence over teaching. The language is taught from
the whole to parts so learners understand the grammar rules and structures firstly. Next, they
see the examples provided by teacher and finally they begin to produce their own examples.
In contrast to this an inductive teaching is based on the bottom-up theory which
accepts theview that language learners tend to focus on parts rather than the whole. For this
reason teaching process begins with a text, audio or visual in a context.
Secondly learners work on the material to find the rules themselves . In the final
stage, they give their own examples.(Block, 2003)
In a deductive approach learners are passive recipients when teacher elicits the rule on
the board. However, in an inductive approach they are active as they are responsible for
exploring the rules themselves. That is to say, while the process of learning is experiental in
inductive approach it is more traditional and descriptive in deductive approach. According to
Thornbury (1999), the class where students involve in the lesson actively is quite reasonable
since it provides more comfortable and motivating environment for them. He also remarks
that an inductive teaching supply more profund knowledge of language as learners study
cognitively in order to discover the rules. It has been pointed out that when learners take place
in the learning process actively so as to discover the rules they develop their authonotmy
which makes them good language learner (Hinkel and Fatos, 2002). Additionaly it has been
suggested (Shaffer, 1989) that when grammar is presented deductively it will be easier for
learners to understand the written or spoken form of languageas learners aware of the rules.
For example, when learners reads a text with present continuous they are able to
comprehend the text deeply since they have known the rule of present continuous tense. Also
it is remarked that it is unnecessary to apply inductive approach if the grammar rules are quite
simple, but complex grammar items should be taugth inductively in order to demonstrate
usage of the rules in sentences clearly (Larsen-Freeman, 2003).
One another significant difference is the role of the teacher. In a deductive teaching
teacher is the authority in the classroom. The main role of teacher is to present the new

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grammar item to the learners. Second role is to prepare exercises for the students. Teacher is
the organiser and controller of the classroom. Conversely in an inductive teaching teacher
behaves as a guide and helper while students study the grammar rules themselves. It appears
that while deductive approach is teacher-centered and traditional, inductive approach is
student-centered.
In a deductive approach when the grammar item is presented with metalanguage such
as, name of the tense, subject or object is often used. On the other hand in an inductive
approach since students discover the rules terminology of language is not used. Moreover
learner’ s conscious awareness raises by means of metalanguage. Consciousness-raising is
defined as “helping to raise students’ awareness about grammatical feaures” (Larsen-
Freeman, 2003: 79).
It is also identified as “ … the deliberate attempt to draw the learner’s
attention specifically to the formal properties of the target language” (Rutherford and Smith,
1988: 107). It has been argued by Brown (1994) that to raise learners’ consciousness
awareness by using terminology during learning process might be confusing for learners as it
leads to focus on these particular terms rather than understanding the rules and use the
language properly. In addition to this it has been pointed out that a deductive approach makes
language too descriptive by using language terminology. This leads to the perception that
language is only a tool for making descriptions (Rutherford and Smith, 1988). That is to say,
while grammar is learnt consciously in deductive approach, it is learnt subconcsiously in
inductive approach. Therefore, it seems that an inductive approach is more natural and
parallel to the language acqusition process.
Applying deductive or inductive approach while teaching grammar depends on student
variety in the classroom. All learners are different and they learn in different ways. For
instance their needs, ages, backgrounds and levels are the factors that are taken into
consideration by the teacher for choosing suitable teaching strategy. To illustrate this, Brown
(1994) remarks that adult learners are tend to deal with the rules when they use target
language since their mentality is able to think abstract items. He has pointed out that
deductive teaching is more appropriate for adult learners and meet their expectations as they
give more importance to rules when they use the language so presentation of grammar rules
firstly is more useful for them.
On the other hand young learners are successful in exploring grammar structures from
the examples rather than learning them deductively since they aremore likely to learn by
doing because grammar rules are complex and abstract for them.

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 The major aim of grammar teaching is to make students aware of how language is
constructed and how to produce accurate sentences both verbally and written. The common
goal of deductive and inductive approaches is to teach grammar but in different ways. While
in the former the teaching process is descriptive and traditional in the former, the latter is
totally experiental.
Learner-centered approaches are more desirable in these days for the reason that pupils
learn more effectively when they actively participate the lesson. Therefore it is obviousley
seen that an inductive approach is more ideal. Nevertheless, it is not always possible to use
this approach in all classrooms due to some resons. For example, in an inductive approach
students work in pairs or small groups to find the grammar rules but when the number of
students is high it is hard for teacher to control learners while they work on the rules.
Additionaly, it has been argued by Brown (1987) that it is feasible to increase the
success of teaching and learning both deductive and inductive approaches by choosing the
right approach by taking into account the learner profile and teaching setting. It is understood
that there is no certain result for usefullness of these two teaching approaches. It is also
indicated that “There is no necessary or logical connection between an inductive and
deductive approach to teaching and any particular grammar model. One may believe that the
learning of the grammar if fundementally an inductive process, and yet believe that the most
adequate accounts the of grammar of a language are for example, transformational”
(Rutherford and Smith, 1988: 131). Therefore it is seen that it depends upon people’s personal
choices or their learning style as well.
Overall, I can sum up by saying that a deductive and an inductive approach differ in
terms of learner and teacher role, lesson procesures and usage of metalanguage language for
teaching the grammar item. In addition to this it is possible to combine these approaches for
teaching grammar in terms of the grammar item, learner profile and setting. It is also teacher’s
decision to choose the suitable approach in terms of learner needs.

II.1.3. The relationship DM/IM and the Implicit/Explicit learning

At the intermediate level students are between childhood and adulthood, that's why a
set of considerations applies to them:

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 o some intellectual processing is possible, complex problems can be solved with
logical thinking but its success is possible if the learner pays attention to the
task

o the attention span is lengthening but can be easily shortened

o they are ultrasensitive at this level that's why the teacher has to keep their self-
esteem high

o they are more adultlike when they make diversions from the immediate
communicative context to dwell on a grammar points.

"There is no doubt that a knowledge - implicit or explicit - of grammatical rules is

essential for the mastery of a language: you cannot use words unless you know how they
should be out together" (Penny Ur, 2006:4)
Explicit instruction can be presented by the deductive way and also by the inductive
one. Implicit and explicit instruction can both include deductive and inductive reasoning. In
implicit instruction, learning occurs at an unconscious level and examples are presented
without grammatical rules. The opposite happens in explicit instruction
According to Brown (2000), explicit learning is a “conscious awareness and intention
to learn” while implicit learning is “learning without conscious attention or awareness”,
implicit learning occurs “without intention to learn and without awareness of what has been
learned” (Brown, 2007:217).
According to DeKeyser (2003:329) “in some cases, explicit knowledge can be
considered functionally equivalent to implicit knowledge.” He also suggests that “Even
though implicitly acquired knowledge tends to remain implicit, and explicitly acquired
knowledge tends to remain explicit, explicitly learned knowledge can become implicit in the
sense that learners can lose awareness of its structure over time, and learners can become
aware of the structure of implicit knowledge when attempting to access it, for example for
applying it to a new context or for conveying it verbally to somebody else.”

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 Whilst the approach taken by individual language students may differ widely, they all
share a common goal of achieving full linguistic proficiency in the target language. Most
scholars agree that such proficiency is attained when sufficient implicit knowledge has been
acquired (Ellis, 2006). Implicit knowledge is a kind of unconscious skill that enables us to
comprehend and produce the target language without conscious effort. In contrast,
explicitknowledge has its basis in some conscious understanding that can be articulated by the
student.
The role of implicit and explicit language instruction in the acquisition of both forms
of knowledge has been researched and discussed to a great extent historically. Whether the
acquisition of sufficient implicit knowledge required for full language proficiency can be
achieved by means of explicit instruction has been much disputed and has led some scholars
to question the effectiveness of formal language instruction. Explicit understanding may
therefore be used by the learner in order to accelerate his implicit learning.Instruction should
be appropriate for the learning tendencies and individual aptitudes of the group of learners. It
is crucial to consider the age of the learner as there appear to be major differences in learning
aptitudes between age groups. As we see with bilingual child learners, children are capable of
achieving perfect grammatical competence in an L2 with purely passive, i.e. implicit,
exposure. There appear to be developmental patterns that affect. the cognitive functioning of a

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child once it reaches adolescence and continue into adulthood which inhibit the ability for
implicit learning (Doughty, 2003 cited in De Graaff & Housen, 2009)

II.2.TEACHING THE MORPHO-SYNTACTIC FEATURES OF ENGLISH MODALS

According to Harmer (1995: 9) people who learn languages encounter a number of

problems, especially with the grammar of the language which can be complicated and which
can appear confusing. There are three most important reasons for this : the clash between
function and form; the similarities and differences between the students’ own language and
the language that is being learnt; and various exceptions and complications that all
languages seem to suffer from.
From the ecomplexity of English modal verbs it also denotes the complexity of
teaching them. That’s why must use integrated skills in teaching modal verbs. According to
the fact that we teach students from a secondary school , that means from 5 th grade to 8 th
grade , they only study a few modal auxiliaries verbs : can, may, must and should .
With young students deductive presentation of grammar is not recommended, as it is
too abstract for their age and would probably scare them away. That is why the teacher must
use interesting activities so as to introduce grammar contextually to facilitate understanding
and learning and to promote good habit formation.
When we are in front of the class, after presenting them the morpho-syntanctic
features of modal verbs (they do not take ’-s’ for the third person singular, they form the
interrogative and the negative by inversing the subject and the modal verb, they are
”defective” verbs for not having Infinitive and –ing forms) we go further with practising.
Taking into account the fact that the textbook‚’’Pathway to English’’ is very poor in
exercises that we need to practice with the students, we have to choose different activities
from other books .
First of all, if we have to teach 5th grade students, the teacher can give them some
images where there are presented different activities such as: to walk, to ride a horse, to swim
etc, and ask them to tell which activities they can do and which they can’t
e.g. I can ride a horse .
I can’t swim .
Another activity is :

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Make questions then ask a partner . Write your partner’s answers :
a) play chess Can you play chess…………………………………...?
b) play tennis Yes I can/No I can’t…………………………………..?
c) use a computer …………………………………………………....?
d) cook ……………………………………………………?
e) play the piano ……………………………………………………?
f) run fast ……………………………………………………?
g) ride a bike ……………………………………………………?
h) speak French ……………………………………………………?
If he/she talks to older students the teacher gives them exercises like :

Correct the errors :

1. Can I to speak to the manager ,please?
2. Poor Peter ! He is locked in . He can’t to get out.
3. You may used my directory ,if you want .
4. He might being on the next train.
5. It’s a house that can costs a lot of money .
6. I can’t telling you how happy she was.
7. They may have go out by now.
8. You mustn’t to tell them that I phoned you.
9. Dan can speak English , doesn’t he ?
10. Could you to tell me when it’s time to go home ?
11. He couldn’t has complained to the manager.
12. Tom must being asleep now.
13. They could to swim well when they were only seven.
14. He cans have sent you a nice present on your birthday .
15. Helen may being have lunch with her parents now.
Or :
Match the two parts of the sentences below:
1. You make sure
2. You hold
3. You protect
4. You cut

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 ( ) only the onion .
( ) the knife like this.
( ) the other hand .
( ) that the egg is fresh.
Now connect both parts of the sentences and write sentences , using modals for strong advice
and obligation :

1. …………………………………………….
2. …………………………………………….
3. …………………………………………....
4. ……………………………………………

And for the last activity the teacher asks students to work in pairs the following task
were they have to use ”could’’ in giving direction :
 Today someone asked me how to get to a place by bus. I only knew the train route so I
tried to tell her that she could use the train instead.
This is an excerpt of the conversation :
- Do you know which bus goes to entertainment center ?
Me : - You could use the train , entertainment center would be the last stop.
What I meant was to suggest the train instead. Is this the correct way of saying it ? If this
is wrong what is the correct way of saying it ?
Such activities are easy to organize, highly motivating and efficient. They divert the
students’ attention from the main issue ”learning grammar ” , and involve them directly in the
process of acquisition . Taught in this way, grammar becomes easy to learn, creative and
leads to good habit formation .

II.3 TEACHING THE FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OF ENGLISH MODALS

Teaching structures is obviously very important . But with the comunicative focus on
meaning and interaction, the structures themselves become less important than the meaning
they express. That’s why grammar must be approached from a functional perspective.
Modality is a sector that offers the speaker a wide choice of forms. We have to discuss the
various functions that can , may , must and should can express (their polysemy) :
 may = permission , possibility
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  must = obligation , probability
 can (‘t) = (in) ability (im) possibility
 should = advice, duty , obligation
With intermediate students, patterns, comparative presentation and theoretical
explanation can be the most straightforward way to the students’ minds .
Obviously, understanding an issue is far from knowing it when teacher asks students
to translate simple sentences based on modal verbs the students have difficulty in identifying
the correct variant. That is why the teacher show them a logical path to follow :
1. Sunt sigur ca nu a ajuns inainte de miezul noptii.
-he impossibility (1%) past (have +vb3)
He can’t have arrived before midnight.
2. Poate ca vom cumpara casa.
-we possibility (50%), future (vb1)
We may buy the house .
3. Sunt sigur ca ati auzit de David Copperfield.
-you probability (99%) , past (have +vb3)
You must heard of David Copperfield .
Conversely ,each of these functions can be expressed by various forms; or in
pragmatic terminology , the same speach act can be performed with the help of different
’’ocutions” (or ”wordings ’’ in Halliday’s terminology ). Nu ar strica sa explici printr-un
exemplu, posibilitatea expr. prin can si may.
Starting from function to form is a much more ”natural” way of teaching a language
then the other way around . Usually, we know what we want to accomplish in our lives, and
then we identify the easiest way by which we can accomplish that specific thing .
When the students have learnt to distinguish amoung the different meanings and uses
of modal verbs, the teacher must proceed with other types of activities that should allow the
students to practice and use the new structures until good habits are formed and they can deal
with modality in real linguistic situations.
For the first activity the teacher sets up students in groups of four and asks them to
work on the use of modals verbs by giving them a double choice exercise and a rephrase
exercise from “ Elementary Language Practice “ by Michael Vince(1999-p.97).
Choose the best word or phrase :
a) Take an umbrella. It …1…later on.

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 1) might rain 2) must rain
b) Jim always goes on holiday to the same place. He …….it there !
1) might like 2) must like
c) Paula isn’t sure about the party . She ……
1) must not come 2) may not come
d) Let’s ask Tim .He ……the answer.
1) might know 2) can’t know
e) I suppose that aliens ……the earth .Anything is possible!
1) can’t visit 2) could visit
f) Hello , you…… George . I’ve heard a lot about you!
1) must be 2) might be
g) I’will try to finish ,but I…….enought time.
1) can’t have 2) might not have
h) That ……Helen’s bike .Hers is green and bigger than that.
1) must be 2) can’t be
Write a second sentence with a similar meaning to the first sentence.Use the word in bold.
a) It wasn’t necessary for me to go to school yesterday .
have
I didn’t have to go to school yesterday………………..
b) I’m sure this isn’t right .
can’t
……………………………………………………..
c) Tina knew how to play the piano at an early age.
could
…………………………………………………….
d) Perhaps I’ll see you tomorrow.
may
……………………………………………………
e) Harry managed to repair the radio.
able
…………………………………………………..
f) It was necessary for Bill to return his library book.
had
…………………………………………………..

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 g) It’s possible that Carol will phone tonight.
might
................................................................................

Another activity can be a fun one ,for example a game called “What might you do
with it ? “. The preparation is simple : one or two students stand with their backs to the board ;
they are the guessers . The teacher write on the board the name of a well-known household
object : for example, a pencil , a cup , or a box of the matches .The rest of the class help the
guessers to find out what the object is by suggesting things they might (or could) do with it.
They should use their imagination and not answer by suggesting the obvious use – at
least , not immediately . For example, if the object is a pencil , they could say things like :
 I could pick it up
 I might point at something with it.
 I could scratch my had with it.
We can note that in this case might and could are used interchangeably .
The following step is explaining them the partial synonymy between:
must - have to
should –ought to
We usually use must when we talk about necessary or important actions (inner
obligation) and we use have to when we talk about a rule made for us by somebody else
(external obligation).
e.g. I must leave now. I don’t want to be late.
We have to wear a uniform at my school.
In most cases should and ought to are used interchangeably today . However there is
slight difference in meaning .
Should is used when we want to express our subjective opinion (“what I think is best
for you to do”).
e.g. You should call your mother more often.
Ought to is used when we want to express an objective truth (“what is necessary and
cannot be avoided “).
e.g. According to this road sing , they ought to stop here.
To practice this new information the teacher asks students to solve the following
exercise :

17
Decide which type of modal goes with each sentence and fill the gaps with have to,
must,should or ought to .When you see Negative the modal verb must be in a negative form:
1. If you want to lose weight ; you ____________it pasta, potatoes, white
bread or white rice . Negative
2. It’s allright . You ________________come to Muriel’s wedding if you
don’t want to. Negative
3. Stupid boy ! You ________________play with matches .Negative
4. I haven’t heard from Eleonora for ages. Maybe I________________a ring
5. You ______________ remember your passport .Otherwise they won’t let
you on the plain.
6. The weather forecast says this weekend will be fine . We____________go
on a picnic.
7. You ____________ go there on your own .It’s extremely dangerous .
8. You _____________ come if you don’t feel like it. Negative
9. You _____________ take life so seriously . Relax a bit . Negative
10. Orange juice in cartoons has no goodness in it at all. You
____________make it yourself .
11. You _____________ drink and drive .Negative
12. These instructions are difficult to follow . They____________ to explain
things better.

The last part must convince the teacher if students are able to produce the new
information by themselves. That is why the teacher writes on the board a sentence such as
“Larry walked into the warehouse and found a dead body”. He asks students to find a
conclusion e.g. “There might have been a killer on the loose “ . “Someone may have had an
accident “etc
Getting the students to use modal verbs in speech shouldn’t be too difficult .The
teacher can pose various questions such as “What will you do tonight ?”. The student will
then be likely to answer with “I will watch TV”. But if the teacher report with “What should
you do tonight “, the appropriate answer should then be “I should do my homework”.
Simple questions like these will allow the students to use them more and get them into
their heads more easily .

18
 Language works in the same way: the learner must first know what he / she wants “to
do” with the language ( request command , express intention or probability ) , then he / she
must identify the means by which to do it ; which is a matter of choice from among the
resources that he / she has available. Evidently the choices must be determined not only by
linguistic considerations (meaning of words , grammatical structure ,etc) but also by
pragmatic ones ( situational context : addressee ,etc. ) . As shown repeatedly before , good
functional ,strategic communicative skills can become indispensable tools in the hands of the
speaker aiming for social success.

CHAPTER 3
EXPERIMENTAL USE OF SONG LYRICS AS A MEANS OF
TEACHING MODALS COMMUNICATIVELY

III.1. Introduction
Students' active involvement in the learning process has grown increasingly. There's a
continuous search to find ways to assist learners in developing their cognitive potential.
The perception about grammar has changed and it has acquired a very important role
in teaching, but from another perspective, the functional one. Teachers with a traditional view
on language teaching try to use more the explicit way of grammar teaching to present
structures but others think that language can be required without overt grammar instructions
using the implicit way of grammar teaching. For some teacher language teaching in class is a
tool for communication but for others it is not vital because it is viewed as a skill that learners
may acquire when they are exposed to the language. Grammar teaching is not only about
putting words in sequence but also about teaching the meanings of the words that come
together to form a sentence. The perception about grammar has changed and it has a very
important role in teaching. Teachers with a traditional view on language teaching try to use
more the explicit way of grammar teaching to present structures but others think that language
can be required without overt grammar instructions using the implicit way of grammar
teaching.

19
 The age of the learners is a basic determiner in choosing the best method to teach
grammar. With higher levels methods that are used are more instructional and more teacher-
centered. Explicit instruction can be presented by the deductive way and also by the inductive
one. Implicit and explicit instruction can both include deductive and inductive reasoning. In
implicit instruction, learning occurs at an unconscious level and examples are presented
without grammatical rules. The opposite happens in explicit instruction.
Deductive and inductive methods and their effectiveness have been studied in
empirical studies. Explicit instruction can be presented by the deductive way and also by the
inductive one. Implicit and explicit instruction can both include deductive and inductive
reasoning. In implicit instruction, learning occurs at an unconscious level and examples are
presented without grammatical rules. The opposite happens in explicit instruction.

III.2. Objectives and methods

The objective of the study is to investigate the effectiveness of both deductive and
inductive methods in teaching the article and whether the two can be applied at the
intermediate level to promote the acquisition of English Modal Verbs.
Another objective of the study is to see the student’s perception on modern methods
used in teaching English Modal Verbs and to see if it’s a better way of understanding them.
I have chosen two intermediate classes,I applied the Communicative Method on both,
but on one of them I used some song lyrics to introduce them the new information and, in the
other one I taught Modal Verbs without any reference to music.
Therefore, the specific objectives of this study are:
1.-to present and practice English Modal Verbs orally and in writing
2.-to develop the students’ competence to use modals
3.-to prove that using songs is a better way to understand the usage of Modal Verbs
by registering, monitoring and comparing the results of the tests following the experiment.
The data were collected from two sources: a pre-test and a posttest. The same pre-test
was given to both classes and displayed the knowledge of the participants on the Modal Verbs
before the treatment. There were 5 exercises in the test, and the pre-test and the posttest were
scored in the same way. The tests were scored and then the results were evaluated. After that
the mean scores of the pre-test and posttest were compared.

20
 The participants in this study were 34 intermediate level students from two 8th grade
parallel classes. All follow the same curriculum and use the same textbooks. The study was
conducted during 2015-2016. Each class had 17 students.

III.3. Procedure

III.3.1. Pre-test administration and evaluation

A pre-test was created for this study. The pre-test was administered to the students to
check their previous knowledge of Modal Verbs. The results of the pre-test showed that the
students were not well acquainted with the grammatical feature examined. The test had 5
exercises (gap filling, translation and multiple choice).

Pretest on Modal Verbs

Name:
Class: (Total 90 marks)
I. Complete the blank spaces with the appropriate modal verbs: have to,
must, mustn’t ;
1.Yesterday…………..finish my Geography project.
2.She will………...wait in line like everyone else.
3.All employees…………..on time for work.
4.We…………..forget to take the chicken out of the freezer.
5.If you are under 13 you……………to get your parents’permission.
6.Your daughter……………try on a few different sizes.
7.The doctor………..get here as soon as he can.
8.Do you…………..work next weekend?
9.Bicyclists………….remember to signal when they turn.
10.Angela, you………….leave your clothes all over the floor like this.
(1x10=10p)

II. Put in can/can’t/could/couldn’t:

21
1………….you swim when you were 10?
2.We………….get to the meeting on time yesterday, because the train was
delayed by one hour.
3.He’s amazing, he …………speak five languages, including Chinese.
4.I………..drive a car until I was 34.Then I moved to the countryside, so I
had to learn.
5.She’s seven years old, but she………..read yet. Her parents are getting
her extra lessons.
6.James………..speak Japanese when he lived in Japan, but he’s forgotten
most of it now.
7.I………….understand the chapter we had to read for homework. It was
so difficult.
8.I…………lift this box-it’s too heavy! Would you help me?
9.John………..play tennis really well. He’s champion of his club.
10.My grandmother…………use a computer until last month. Since then
she’s been taking lessons at the library
(2x10=20)

III. Which is the most suitable modal verb:

1.He…………..have lied to you. He is not a liar.
a.couldn’t
b.shouldn’t
c.mustn’t
2.’’I …………must admit you are right.’’ said Lucy.
a.can
b.must
c.may
3.I………come yesterday because I had a terrible headache.
a.couldn’t
b.shouldn’t
c.mustn’t
4.I……….never understand why he behaved like that.
a.might

22
 b.could
c.should
5………..I have a look at your photos?
a.may
b.might
c.can
6.That old man …………have grabbed her purse.
a.might
b.must
c.can
7.It’s nine o’clock. Helen……….have packed her suitcases.
a.may
b.can
c.should
8.I think you………..wait for her.
a.can
b.should.
c.may
9…………I offer you a cup of tea?
a.should
b.may
c.can
10.You……..have watered the flowers! Look, it is raining.
a.shouldn’t
b.mustn’t
c.couldn’t

(2x10=20p)

IV. Translate into English the words given in brackets:

1.I (as putea) write to her but I don’t have any paper, any envelope,
anything.
2.Now we ( putem) speak a little English.

23
3.They (trebuie) ask questions and answer questions.
4.I am sure you (poti) help her.
5.You (poti) change your place with mine, if you want.
6.I knew he (trebuie/probabil) have seen you come in.
7.(Trebuie) I go there right now?
8.It (trebuie) be late. It is getting darker.
9.Jane (s-ar putea) come by train.
10.You (ar trebui) leave her a note.

(2x10=20p)

V. Translate the following sentences:

1.Ar trebui sa inveti in fiecare zi 20 de cuvinte.
2.Ai putea sa-l intrebi pe fratele tau,daca pot veni maine.
3.A trebuit sa ramanem mai mult, pentru ca a trebuit sa facem curat in clasa
4.Ai putea sa-mi faci o favoare?
5.Chiar n-ar trebui sa bei atat de mult.
6.N-am putea merge la cinema?
7.S-ar putea ca la sfarsitul saptamanii s-o vizitam pe matusa Paula.
8.Nu ai voie sa deschizi pachetelul inainte de ziua ta.
9.Ea ar putea gasi o bluza draguta.
10.Probabil ca ti-e sete.

(2x10=20p)
(plus10 additional points)

Evaluation and Answer Key

8th GRADE
 There are no additional points than those mentioned.
 Total 90 marks plus 10 additional points.
24
 1. 1x10=10 points
1.had to, 2.have to, 3.must be, 4.mustn’t, 5.have, 6.have to, 7.must, 8.have to,
9.must, 10.mustn’t.

2. 2x10=20 points
1.could, 2.couldn’t, 3.can, 4.couldn’t, 5can’t, 6.could, 7.couldn’t, 8.can’t,
9.can, 10.couldn’t.

3. 2x10=20 points
1.a, 2.b, 3.a, 4.b, 5.a, 6.a, 7.a, 8.b, 9.c, 10.a.

4. 2x10=20 points
1.could, 2.can, 3.must, 4.may, 5.can, 6.must, 7.must, 8.must, 9.might, 10.should.

5.2x10=20 points
1. You should learn 20 words every day. 2.Could you please ask your brother if I can
come tomorrow. 3.We had to stay longer, because we had to tidy up the classroom. 4.Could
you do me a favour ? 5.You really shouldn’t drink so much. 6.Couldn’t we go to the cinema?
7.We might visit aunt Paula at the weekend. 8.You mustn’t open the parcel before your
birthday. 9.She might find a nice blouse. 10.You must be thirsty.

Pre-test results
This part of the study is analyzing the results of the pretest, the treatment applied
(inductive and deductive approach).

It can be seen from the data in Table 1 that there was no significant difference between
how well both classes did on modal verbs on the pretest. There was no significant difference
in the scores either.

Table 1. Pretest Summary Statistics

Classe N M SD
s
VIII A 17 7.52 2.03

25
 VIII B 17 7 2.09

Fig.1

N- Number of students M – Mean SD – Standard Deviation

Tabel 2. Pretest score results for VIII A and VIII B

Score Nr. of students Percent

9,00-10 13 76%

7,00-8,99 6 35%

5,00-6,99 15 88%

Fig.2

26
 Pretest score for
VIII A and VIII B
9,00-10
7,00-8,99
9,00-10; 13; 38%
5,00-6,99; 15; 44% 5,00-6,99

7,00-8,99; 6; 18%

Fig.3

III.3.2. The methods used during the treatment

The two methods were assigned in the following way: VIIIA – inductive and VIII B -
deductive. During the treatment, my attention was focused on whether the students
understood the rules well and if they could use modal verbs in contextualized sentences
spontaneously and accurately. Students were engaged in different activities for practice in
both cases: inductive lesson and deductive one. The treatment was designed to reduce the
errors in using modal verbs and increase students’ ability to use them correctly.

27
 The differences between the two classes were very small. Lesson plans were designed
for each method and it was decided to use different materials for the two classes. For this
study I searched and found suitable for the students in the second class to use songs lyrics
where they were forced to discover the sense of modal verbs and also taking into account the
explanation given in their textbooks. The two classes received treatment, they were taught the
same grammatical feature but using different methods, the first class was taught the English
modal verbs without any other external material, while the second class was taught the
English modal verbs by using songs as a support: the contrastivity between those two was
shown to the students.
We present below a sample of inductive grammar lesson plan to be used with the control
class, and a sample of deductive grammar lesson plan to be used with the experimental class.

Inductive grammar lesson

Lesson Plan
Date : March 11th , 2016
Level : Intermediate/VIII A
Textbook : Highflyer, Longman
Estimated Time : 50 minutes
No. of Students : 17 students
Lesson Topic : The English Modal Verbs
Type of lesson : mixed – acquisition, reinforcement
Aim: Learning modal verbs through an inductive grammar teaching
Activity: Inductive grammar learning exercise followed by small group discussion
Prior knowledge: Students have studied same modals before and have limited knowledge of
the rules.

Goal:
Students will be able to use modal verbs appropriately.

Objectives:
Terminal Objective:
1. By the end of the lesson, students will be able to understand the grammatical

28
rules of using the modal verbs
2. By the end of the lesson, students will be able to speak and write the correct
form of modal verbs in sentences .
Enabling Objectives:
1. Students will be able to fill in the correct form of modal verbs.
2. Students will be able to cite the importance of using modal verbs in
sentences .
3. Students will be able to rephrase sentences using the appropriate modal verb.
Materials & Equipment:
worksheet
Blackboard and chalk

Procedure (50 minutes):

Motivation and Warm-up: (10 minutes)

1. The teacher first activates students' awareness of the modal verbs forms by
comparing different situation when referring to a certain object.
2. The teacher encourages students to guess what grammar rules are.
3. The teacher writes down the grammar rules on the blackboard and explains
it’s important to properly use the modal verbs’ forms when you want to express your ideas.
Guided Activity: (18 minutes)
- Activity 1: Can/May/Must/Should(pair work): (9 minutes)
1. The teacher gives students handout (See Appendix 6), explains the 3
examples on the worksheet, and demonstrates how to use some modal verbs(can, may, must
and should).
2. The teacher pairs up students and asks them to complete the exercise1 and
discuss their answers (See Appendix 6).
3. The teacher asks students to share their answers and explains the grammar
rules they use.
4. The teacher gives students feedback about their answers and explanation.
- Activity 2: Expressing ability, permission and advice(pair work) (9 minutes)
1. The teacher goes to the exercise 2 (See Appendix 6), and again explains the
3 examples on the worksheet, and demonstrates how to use zero can, may, must and should.
2. The teacher asks students to complete the exercise 2 and discuss their
answers (See Appendix B).
3. The teacher asks students to share their answers and explains what rules
they used.

29
 4. The teacher gives students feedback about their answers and explanation.
Independent Activity: (15 minutes)
- Activity 1: Oral practice (group work) (10 minutes)
1. The teacher goes to exercise 3 (See Appendix 6), divides students into small group of
three to four, and asks them to choose two topics heading for their groups.
2. The teacher then asks groups to decide on three objects in each topic area, and express
their ideas regarding the topics they have chosen(to express polite requests, to express
opinions, obligations and suggestions).
3. The teacher asks each group to share their ideas regarding the topics they have chosen.
- Activity 2: Writing practice (individual work) (5 minutes)
1. The teacher asks students to write a dialogue based on their conversation
using the forms of modal verbs presented before, and prepare to share after writing. At the
end of the class, students’ papers will be collected.
Closure (2 minutes)
1. The teacher briefly states what they have learned today, and answers students’ questions.

Deductive grammar lesson

Lesson Plan
Date : March 11th , 2016
Level : Intermediate/VIII B
Textbook : Snapshot Intermediate, Longman
Estimated Time : 50 minutes
No. of Students : 17 students
Lesson Topic : The English Modal Verbs
Type of lesson : mixed – acquisition, reinforcement
Aims: Demonstrate that using songs to introduce modal verbs helps students to better
understand their usage.
Objectives: - to make the students use the modal verbs in sentences of their own
-to have the students eliciting the context where the modal verbs appear
-to solve some listening exercises with modal verbs
-to be able to participate at a debate on basis of the song they have listened

30
 Strategies: pair-work; group-work
.
………………………………………………………………………………..........................
Activity 1 (10 minutes) :
Teacher asks students to separate themselves in 4 groups and listen to the song “Green Eyes”
by Coldplay. Meantime they receive some sheets of paper with the lines of the song but with
some gaps (Appendix 8) and they are asked to complete the song with must, should and
could.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Activity 2 (5 minutes) :
Teacher asks the leaders of each group to read their answers and compare them.
Activity 3 (5 minutes) :
Teacher asks students to analyze some phrases in the song.(Appendix 8)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Activity 4 (10 minutes) :
Teacher asks students to take a look at the modal verbs used and what is their meaning
(Appendix 8). Taking into account their answers teacher tries to discover if they understood
the usage of modal verbs. If he/she sees that students may not clearly understand the modals
that have been used there ,he/she will act like a helper and explain them all the situations.
Activity 5 (10 minutes) :
Teacher asks students: “Who was the song written for ?” and then they discuss their opinions
in a debate with pro or against arguments.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Activity 6 (10 minutes) :
Students will be asked to keep their groups. They will be assigned a new topic. Teacher tells
them they are to produce a short story or a joke, where they are to use modal verbs with some
different values. The students in the other groups will have to recognize the values of the
modal verbs and write them on a sheet of paper. In the end the teacher will discuss the
answers pointing up to the mistakes and trying to correct them.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………...
Homework : Write about a genius. Tell what he/she could do when he/she was young and
how he/she might have changed his/her life by doing something else.

31
III.3.3. Post-test on Modal Verbs

Name:

Class: (Total 90 marks)

1.Find the modal verbs in the text:

“Hey, guys, what are you going to do after classes?’’
“It’s a beautiful day for walking in the park. Maybe will have a juice or something.”
“The girls are hungry. What about getting a pizza? We could go to that new place, Hazard, to
see how it is.”
“I heard they did a really good job. My cousin had a pizza there these days. He says it’s
delicious.”
“That’s perfect. Let’s eat there, then. And afterwards? Should we go to see a movie?”
“I have a better idea: to come see the play our colleagues prepared for this evening.”
“Well, I think it will be boring.”
“Me, too. I’m a little bit curious, but I’d rather skip it.”
“Come on, guys! My sister performs this evening. It might be fun.”
“Well…..OK.”
“We’ll return, then to support the little ones. We’ll enjoy it, you’ll see.”
“Yeah, yeah! And, then, tomorrow, we’ll go to see a movie.”
“Sure. We’ll go wherever you wish.”
(2x3=6p)

2.Explain the differences between the following phases :

a) It might be fun.
b) It must be fun.
(2x2=4p)

3.Fill in the blanks respecting the instances required:

1)……….you be here in ten minutes? (rugaminte)

32
2) She………try again to talk to him. (obligativitate)
3) They………wait for you right in front of the hotel. (probabilitate)
4) I……..go to ski this Christmas. (probabilitate)
5) You……..visit him an hour a day. (permisiunea)
(5x5=25p)

4.Translate into Romanian the following phrases:

1) Could you help me pick something nice for my mother’s birthday?
2) It’s important! She should take part to the meeting.
3) They had to leave earlier to meet their parents.
(3x5=15p)

5.Translate into English the following phrases:

1) Trebuie sa va antrenati mult pentru meciul de fotbal.
2) Imi dati voie sa iau o pauza de 5 minute?
3) Ar trebui sa plece acum ca sa prinda trenul.
(5x3=15p)

6.Rewrite the sentences and use can, may or must:

1) Don’t park your car on bends. It’s illegal.
You……..park your car on bends.
2) Perhaps she will agree with it. Who knows?
She……. agree with it.
3) I want you to tidy the classroom.
You……..tidy the classroom.
4) Look at that balloon. It’s over there.
……….you see that balloon?
5) Why don’t you stay with us? No problem!
You……..stay with us.
(5x5=25p)

33
 (plus 10 additional points)

Posttest on the Modal Verbs

Evaluation and Answer Key

8th GRADE

 There are no additional points than those mentioned.

 Total 90 marks plus 10 additional points.

1. (2x3=6p)

1.could; 2.should; 3.might

2. (2x2=4p)

a) Ar putea fi distractiv.(probabilitate)

b) Trebuie sa fie distractiv.(obligativitate)

3. (5x5=25p)

1.could; 2must; 3.might; 4.could; 5.may;

4.(3x5=15p)

1.Ai putea sa ma ajuti sa aleg ceva frumos pentru ziua de nastere a mamei mele.
2.Este important!Ar trebui sa participle la intalnire.

3.Au trebuit sa plece mai devreme sa-si intalneasca parintii.

5. (5x3=15p)

1.You have to train more for the football match.

2.May you have a 5 minutes break?
3.He should go now to catch the train.

6.(5x5=25p)

1.must not/cannot; 2.may/can; 3.must; 4.can; 5.can/may;

34
III.3.4. Post-test results

The same post-test was applied to both classes and it was very similar to the pre-test to
reduce errors. The test had 6 exercises (gap filling, translation and sentence writing). The
results showed that the students did significantly better in the post-test compared to the pre-
test in the class where songs were used.

Table 4. Posttest Summary Statistics

Classes N M SD

VIII A - Inductive Method 17 8 1.90

Contrastivity
VIII B - Deductive Method 17 8 1.87

Fig.4 Posttest Summary Statistic

Tabel .5 Posttest score results for VIII A and VIII B

Score Nr. of students (N) Percent

9,00-10 15 88%

7,00-8,99 9 35 52%

5,00-6,99 10 58%
Fig.5 Posttest score results for VIII A and VIII B

Fig.6.

Posttest score for

VIII A and VIII B
9,00-10
5,00-6,99; 10; 29%
7,00-8,99
9,00-10; 15; 44% 5,00-6,99

7,00-8,99; 9; 26%

III.4. Experiment Conclusions

Since current trends in the second language teaching are centered on the effectiveness
of grammar instruction methods and how grammar should best be instructed, the aim of the
research was to show the academic success of the two classes after the treatment and the
effectiveness of the two methods, deductive(with the help of songs) and inductive(the

36
traditional one). With this study I wasn't only trying to make a comparison between the
effectiveness of inductive and deductive method, the main objective was to investigate
whether the inductive method and deductive method can be applied in the classroom
successfully for the article teaching for the intermediate level. In the inductive method,
students are given general rules after which they practice, but when it comes to the deductive
method, students are given examples through songs from which they have to figure out the
rules themselves. I also tried to prove that using songs when teaching grammar is more
effectiveand also relaxing for the students
The tests were employed to exclude the effects of previous learning. The pre-test and
post-test are the most frequently used experimental designs to get clear understanding about
different processes. A pre-test was designed after which followed the treatment using different
methods in each class: the inductive method for class VIII A and deductive with songs for
VIII B.
By comparing the average scores that the learners got from pre-test and post-test, we
assessed the effectiveness of the inductive and deductive methods of grammar teaching to
intermediate level and, also, the benefits of using songs to help students to understand the
English modal verbs better. It is easily noticed that in the class where songs were used the
students improved their scores.

Table.8 VIII A Pretest vs. Posttest results

Score Pretest N. Posttest N.

5 5 2
6 1 3
7 2 2
8 2 2
9 3 2
10 4 6
N- Number of students

37
Fig.9

Fig.10

Pretest

10; 4; 24% 5; 5; 29%

9; 3; 18%

6; 1; 6%

7; 2; 12%
8; 2; 12%

Table 9. VIII B Pretest vs. Posttest results

Score Pretest N. Posttest N.
5 7 2
6 2 3
7 1 1
8 1 4
9 3 1
10 3 6
N- Number of students
Fig.11

38
Fig.12

Observations:
- both methods have shown positive learning outcomes in the posttest on a shot-term;
- the treatment was brief, which could lead to the finding that students might forget about
modal verbs on a long-term;
- prior knowledge might have influenced the rule-discovering process. Students might have
tried to remember the rules instead of discovering them.

39
 Although the study has shown that the deductive method is effective when teaching
modal verbs with the help of songs, it is nevertheless recommended for teachers to familiarise
students with the inductive method, too. Also, teachers should incorporate rules in meaningful
and authentic tasks such as listening to thematic songs, by using the Communicative
Approach.
Another practical implication would be that teachers should vary in practice and
assessment materials and listening tests can be one of them. They should use more than
simply gap-filling exercises in practice.

CONCLUSIONS

Grammar and vocabulary are both important in language learning. Students are taught
to use language accurately, in a meaningful and appropriate way. Modal verbs are an
important part of learning English. They are common in writing and speaking. The English
modal verbs are often challenging for learners of English. This happens for many reasons,
including both grammar and meaning.. Learners nowadays should try to communicate and
experiment with language. Errors are inevitable, but we should focus on fluency and
encourage communication and accuracy. Lessons should link students' prior knowledge with
new information.
In the three chapters of my paper, I have tried to give a theoretical and practical view
of modal verbs and modern methods that can be used when teaching them. I have also used
my experience as a teacher to present sample lessons and activities related to the topic.
The grammar structure was taught in relationship with the communicative principles.
At the intermediate level students can establish what the relationship between words is and
they can work out the way in which modal verbs are used. I have tried to use different
activities in the classroom covering all language skills (listening, speaking, reading and
writing) and the communicative functions related to the topic.
The activities, the texts and the examples were taken mainly from different exercises
books because their students’ book “Highflyer’’ is very poor in exercises and explanation.

40
Textbooks and grammar books are very important because they are the primary resource for
students, along with the audio and video materials that accompany them and that’s why
students’ books should be improved.

41
.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Carstairs-McCarthy, Andrew. 2002. An Introduction to English Morphology: Words and their

Structure. Edinburgh : Edinburgh University Press.
Celce-Murcia, M. & D. Larsen-Freeman. 1999. The Grammar Book. An ESL/ EFL Teacher’s
Course, 2nd edition. Boston: Heinle & Heinle.
Gălăţeanu-Fârnoagă, G. & E. Comişel. 1993. Gramatica limbii engleze pentru uz şcolar.
Bucureşti: Omegapres & RAI.
Greenbaum, Sidney. 1996. The Oxford English Grammar. Oxford: OUP.
Harmer, J. 1995. Teaching and Learning Grammar. London: Longman.
Harmer, J. 2001. The Practice of language Teaching. London: Longman.
Leech, G. 1987. Meaning and the English Verb.London:Longman
Leviţchi, L. & I.Preda. 1992. Gramatica limbii engleze. Bucureşti: Editura Mondero.
Leviţchi, L. 1970. Limba engleză contemporană. Morfologie. Bucureşti: Editura Didactică şi
Pedagogică.
Dutescu-Coliban,Taina. 1983. Categories of English. Bucuresti: Reprografia Universitatii.
Murar, I. 2004. The English Verb. Craiova: Editura Universitaria.
Hermeren,L. 1978. On Modality in English.A Study of the Semantics of the Modals . Lunds
Studies
Scrivener, J. 1995. Learning teaching. Oxford: Heinemann.
Thomson, A. J. & A.V. Martinet. 1997. A Practical English Grammar. Oxford: OUP.
Thornbury, S. 1999. How to teach grammar. Harlow: Longman
Gluckman,M.1949.An Analysis of the Sociological Theories of Bronislaw Malinowsky.
Oxford University Press.
Lyons, J. 1977. Semantics. Cambridge University Press.
Sweetser, E. 1982. Root and Epistemic Modals: Causality in Two Worlds. Proceedings of the
Eighth Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society.
Searle, J.R. 1983. Intentionality. An Essay in the Philosophy of Mind. Cambridge University
Press.
Swan, M. 1997. How English Works: A Grammar Practice Book(with Answers).Oxford
University Press.

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Vizental, A. 2008. Strategies of Teaching and Testing English as a Foreign Language. Ed.
Polirom.
Simion, M. 2000. Keep Trying. A Book of Grammar Practice with Key. Ed. Carminis.
Vince, M. 1999. Elementary Language Practice. Macmillan

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 APPENDICES

Appendix 1

Pretest on Modal Verbs

Name:
Class: (Total 90 marks)
I.Complete the blank spaces with the appropriate modal verbs: have to, must, mustn’t ;
1.Yesterday…………..finish my Geography project.
2.She will………...wait in line like everyone else.
3.All employees…………..on time for work.
4.We…………..forget to take the chicken out of the freezer.
5.If you are under 13 you……………to get your parents’permission.
6.Your daughter……………try on a few different sizes.
7.The doctor………..get here as soon as he can.
8.Do you…………..work next weekend?
9.Bicyclists………….remember to signal when they turn.
10.Angela, you………….leave your clothes all over the floor like this.
(1x10=10p)

II.Put in can/can’t/could/couldn’t:
1………….you swim when you were 10?
2.We………….get to the meeting on time yesterday, because the train was
delayed by one hour.
3.He’s amazing, he …………speak five languages, including Chinese.
4.I………..drive a car until I was 34.Then I moved to the countryside, so I
had to learn.
5.She’s seven years old, but she………..read yet. Her parents are getting
her extra lessons.
6.James………..speak Japanese when he lived in Japan, but he’s forgotten
most of it now.
7.I………….understand the chapter we had to read for homework. It was

44
so difficult.
8.I…………lift this box-it’s too heavy! Would you help me?
9.John………..play tennis really well. He’s champion of his club.
10.My grandmother…………use a computer until last month. Since then
she’s been taking lessons at the library
(2x10=20)

III.Which is the most suitable modal verb:

1.He…………..have lied to you. He is not a liar.
a.couldn’t
b.shouldn’t
c.mustn’t
2.’’I …………must admit you are right.’’ said Lucy.
a.can
b.must
c.may
3.I………come yesterday because I had a terrible headache.
a.couldn’t
b.shouldn’t
c.mustn’t
4.I……….never understand why he behaved like that.
a.might
b.could
c.should
5………..I have a look at your photos?
a.may
b.might
c.can
6.That old man …………have grabbed her purse.
a.might
b.must
c.can
7.It’s nine o’clock. Helen……….have packed her suitcases.

45
 a.may
b.can
c.should
8.I think you………..wait for her.
a.can
b.should.
c.may
9…………I offer you a cup of tea?
a.should
b.may
c.can
10.You……..have watered the flowers! Look, it is raining.
a.shouldn’t
b.mustn’t
c.couldn’t

(2x10=20
IV. Translate into English the words given in brackets:
1.I (as putea) write to her but I don’t have any paper, any envelope,
anything.
2.Now we ( putem) speak a little English.
3.They (trebuie) ask questions and answer questions.
4.I am sure you (poti) help her.
5.You (poti) change your place with mine, if you want.
6.I knew he (trebuie/probabil) have seen you come in.
7.(Trebuie) I go there right now?
8.It (trebuie) be late. It is getting darker.
9.Jane (s-ar putea) come by train.
10.You (ar trebui) leave her a note.

(2x10=20p)

46
V.Translate the following sentences:
1.Ar trebui sa inveti in fiecare zi 20 de cuvinte
2.Ai putea sa-l intrebi pe fratele tau,daca pot veni maine
3.A trebuit sa ramanem mai mult, pentru ca a trebuit sa facem curat in clasa
4.Ai putea sa-mi faci o favoare?
5.Chiar n-ar trebui sa bei atat de mult.
6.N-am putea merge la cinema?
7.S-ar putea ca la sfarsitul saptamanii s-o vizitam pe matusa Paula.
8.Nu ai voie sa deschizi pachetelul inainte de ziua ta.
9.Ea ar putea gasi o bluza draguta.
10.Probabil ca ti-e sete.

(2x10=20p)
(plus10 additional points)

47
Appendix 2
Post-test on the Modal Verbs

Name:

Class: (Total 90 marks)

1.Find the modal verbs in the text:

“Hey, guys, what are you going to do after classes?’’
“It’s a beautiful day for walking in the park. Maybe will have a juice or something.”
“The girls are hungry. What about getting a pizza? We could go to that new place, Hazard, to
see how it is.”
“I heard they did a really good job. My cousin had a pizza there these days. He says it’s
delicious.”
“That’s perfect. Let’s eat there, then. And afterwards? Should we go to see a movie?”
“I have a better idea: to come see the play our colleagues prepared for this evening.”
“Well, I think it will be boring.”
“Me, too. I’m a little bit curious, but I’d rather skip it.”
“Come on, guys! My sister performs this evening. It might be fun.”
“Well…..OK.”
“We’ll return, then to support the little ones. We’ll enjoy it, you’ll see.”
“Yeah, yeah! And, then, tomorrow, we’ll go to see a movie.”
“Sure. We’ll go wherever you wish.”
(2x3=6p)

2.Explain the differences between the following phases :

a) It might be fun.
b) It must be fun.
(2x2=4p)

3.Fill in the blanks respecting the instances required:

1)……….you be here in ten minutes? (rugaminte)

48
2) She………try again to talk to him. (obligativitate)
3) They………wait for you right in front of the hotel. (probabilitate)
4) I……..go to ski this Christmas. (probabilitate)
5) You……..visit him an hour a day. (permisiunea)
(5x5=25p)

4.Translate into Romanian the following phrases:

1) Could you help me pick something nice for my mother’s birthday?
2) It’s important! She should take part to the meeting.
3) They had to leave earlier to meet their parents.
(3x5=15p)

5.Translate into English the following phrases:

1) Trebuie sa va antrenati mult pentru meciul de fotbal.
2) Imi dati voie sa iau o pauza de 5 minute?
3) Ar trebui sa plece acum ca sa prinda trenul.
(5x3=15p)

6.Rewrite the sentences and use can, may or must:

1) Don’t park your car on bends. It’s illegal.
You……..park your car on bends.
2) Perhaps she will agree with it. Who knows?
She……. agree with it.
3) I want you to tidy the classroom.
You……..tidy the classroom.
4) Look at that balloon. It’s over there.
……….you see that balloon?
5) Why don’t you stay with us? No problem!
You……..stay with us.
(5x5=25p)
(plus 10 additional points)

49
Appendix 3

Pretest on Modal Verbs

Evaluation and Answer Key

8th GRADE
 There are no additional points than those mentioned.
 Total 90 marks plus 10 additional points.

2. 1x10=10 points
1.had to, 2.have to, 3.must be, 4.mustn’t, 5.have, 6.have to, 7.must, 8.have to,
9.must, 10.mustn’t.

2. 2x10=20 points
1.could, 2.couldn’t, 3.can, 4.couldn’t, 5can’t, 6.could, 7.couldn’t, 8.can’t,
9.can, 10.couldn’t.

3. 2x10=20 points
1.a, 2.b, 3.a, 4.b, 5.a, 6.a, 7.a, 8.b, 9.c, 10.a.

4. 2x10=20 points
1.could, 2.can, 3.must, 4.may, 5.can, 6.must, 7.must, 8.must, 9.might, 10.should.

5.2x10=20 points
1. You should learn 20 words every day. 2.Could you please ask your brother if I can
come tomorrow. 3.We had to stay longer, because we had to tidy up the classroom. 4.Could
you do me a favour ? 5.You really shouldn’t drink so much. 6.Couldn’t we go to the cinema?
7.We might visit aunt Paula at the weekend. 8.You mustn’t open the parcel before your
birthday. 9.She might find a nice blouse. 10.You must be thirsty.

50
Appendix 4

Posttest on the Articles

Evaluation and Answer Key

8th GRADE

 There are no additional points than those mentioned.

 Total 90 marks plus 10 additional points.

1. (2x3=6p)

1.could; 2.should; 3.might

2. (2x2=4p)

a) Ar putea fi distractiv.(probabilitate)

b) Trebuie sa fie distractiv.(obligativitate)

3. (5x5=25p)

1.could; 2must; 3.might; 4.could; 5.may;

4.(3x5=15p)

1.Ai putea sa ma ajuti sa aleg ceva frumos pentru ziua de nastere a mamei mele.
2.Este important!Ar trebui sa participle la intalnire.

3.Au trebuit sa plece mai devreme sa-si intalneasca parintii.

5. (5x3=15p)

1.You have to train more for the football match.

2.May you have a 5 minutes break?
3.He should go now to catch the train.

6.(5x5=25p)

1.must not/cannot; 2.may/can; 3.must; 4.can; 5.can/may;

51
Appendix 5

Inductive grammar lesson

Lesson Plan
Date : March 11th , 2016
Level : Intermediate/VIII A
Textbook : Highflyer, Longman
Estimated Time : 50 minutes
No. of Students : 17 students
Lesson Topic : The English Modal Verbs
Type of lesson : mixed – acquisition, reinforcement
Aim: Learning modal verbs through an inductive grammar teaching
Activity: Inductive grammar learning exercise followed by small group discussion
Prior knowledge: Students have studied same modals before and have limited knowledge of
the rules.

Goal:
Students will be able to use modal verbs appropriately.

Objectives:
Terminal Objective:
2. By the end of the lesson, students will be able to understand the grammatical
rules of using the modal verbs
3. By the end of the lesson, students will be able to speak and write the correct
form of modal verbs in sentences .
Enabling Objectives:
4. Students will be able to fill in the correct form of modal verbs.
5. Students will be able to cite the importance of using modal verbs in
sentences .
6. Students will be able to rephrase sentences using the appropriate modal verb.
Materials & Equipment:
worksheet
Blackboard and chalk

52
Procedure (50 minutes):

Motivation and Warm-up: (10 minutes)

1. The teacher first activates students' awareness of the modal verbs forms by
comparing different situation when refering to a certain object.
2. The teacher encourages students to guess what grammar rules are.
3. The teacher writes down the grammar rules on the blackboard and explains
it’s important to properly use the modal verbs’ forms when you want to express your ideas.
Guided Activity: (18 minutes)
- Activity 1: Can/May/Must/Should(pair work): (9 minutes)
1. The teacher gives students handout (See Appendix 6), explains the 3
examples on the worksheet, and demonstrates how to use some modal verbs(can, may, must
and should).
2. The teacher pairs up students and asks them to complete the exercise1 and
discuss their answers (See Appendix 6).
3. The teacher asks students to share their answers and explains the grammar
rules they use.
4. The teacher gives students feedback about their answers and explanation.
- Activity 2: Expressing ability, permission and advice(pair work) (9 minutes)
5. The teacher goes to the exercise 2 (See Appendix 6), and again explains the
3 examples on the worksheet, and demonstrates how to use zero can, may, must and should.
6. The teacher asks students to complete the exercise 2 and discuss their
answers (See Appendix 6).
7. The teacher asks students to share their answers and explains what rules
they used.
8. The teacher gives students feedback about their answers and explanation.
Independent Activity: (15 minutes)
- Activity 1: Oral practice (group work) (10 minutes)
1. The teacher goes to exercise 3 (See Appendix 6), divides students into small group of
three to four, and asks them to choose two topics heading for their groups.
2. The teacher then asks groups to decide on three objects in each topic area, and express
their ideas regarding the topics they have chosen(to express polite requests, to express
opinions, obligations and suggestions).
3. The teacher asks each group to share their ideas regarding the topics they have chosen.
- Activity 2: Writing practice (individual work) (5 minutes)
1. The teacher asks students to write a dialogue based on their conversation

53
using the forms of modal verbs presented before, and prepare to share after writing. At the
end of the class, students’ papers will be collected.
Closure (2 minutes)
1. The teacher briefly states what they have learned today, and answers students’ questions.

Appendix 6

Exercise 1:Read the text below and identify all the modal verb forms:

Shopping

A: Let’s go shopping. I have got quite a number of things to buy, and I believe I can get them all in
this shop. You see, I ought to buy a present for my friend. She has invited me to her birthday. What
shall we look at first?

B: Gloves, I think. They must be on the ground floor. Yes, here we are, and I can see just the kind I

54
want.

A: Well, that didn’t take us long, now let’s go up by the escalator to the third floor.

B: We’ll just take a quick look around to see if there is anything we could take back as presents for the
family.

A: I like these books, and do you? Shall we ask how much they are?

B: I want to get a comb and some hair clips. Where do you think I can find them?

A: Oh, you must go to the haberdashery department. That’s on a lower floor, I believe. We’ll get them
on our way out.

B: How do you like those white shoes just over there, on the right?

A: I like them very much, indeed. They are perfect for summer wear.

B: Do you think they’re my size? They look just about right.

A: You should try them on.

***
A: Do you think I should buy this camera?
B: I think it’s too expensive. You should find a cheaper one – you aren’t a professional, are you?

***
A: Where are you going?
B: I must do some shopping.
A: What will you buy?
B: I must buy some food. We’ve got nothing for dinner.

Exercise 2: Underline the correct answer 1-5

1.You mustn’t / shouldn’t have any problems with Jack. He’s such a good baby.

2.Timmy’s so stubborn .He just can’t / couldn’t do what he’s told.

3.I’m afraid cannot / may not came to your wedding as I’m on holiday in Australia.
4.You shouldn’t / mustn’t say a word about this to your mother. It’s a surprise.
5.I was able to /could get 10% of the market price by paying in cash.

Exercise 3 : Choose the wright answer :

1.Alex grew up besides the sea. He ……. swim when he was 4 years old.
a) can b) might c ) could
2.I doubt if the politician will stop at our stand but he said he …… come by .
a) could b) might c ) should

55
3. You …… take a warm jacket with you in case it gets cold later on .
a) might b) could c ) should
4.Escuse me ……..you tell me the way to the post office , please ?
a) can b) could c ) should
5.I can’t find my dictionary . …………. I borrow yours please ?
a) can b) may c) could

Appendix 7

Deductive grammar lesson

Lesson Plan
Date : March 11th , 2016

56
Level : Intermediate/VIII B
Textbook : Snapshot Intermediate, Longman
Estimated Time : 50 minutes
No. of Students : 17 students
Lesson Topic : The English Modal Verbs
Type of lesson : mixed – acquisition, reinforcement
Aims: Demonstrate that using songs to introduce modal verbs helps students to better
understand their usage.
Objectives: - to make the students use the modal verbs in sentences of their own
-to have the students eliciting the context where the modal verbs appear
-to solve some listening exercises with modal verbs
-to be able to participate at a debate on basis of the song they have listened
Strategies: pair-work; group-work
.
………………………………………………………………………………..........................
Activity 1 (10 minutes) :
Teacher asks students to separate themselves in 4 groups and listen to the song “Green Eyes”
by Coldplay. Meantime they receive some sheets of paper with the lines of the song but with
some gaps (Appendix 8) and they are asked to complete the song with must, should and
could.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Activity 2 (5 minutes) :
Teacher asks the leaders of each group to read their answers and compare them.
Activity 3 (5 minutes) :
Teacher asks students to analyze some phrases in the song.(Appendix 8)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Activity 4 (10 minutes) :
Teacher asks students to take a look at the modal verbs used and what is their meaning
(Appendix 8). Taking into account their answers teacher tries to discover if they understood
the usage of modal verbs. If he/she sees that students may not clearly understand the modals
that have been used there ,he/she will act like a helper and explain them all the situations.
Activity 5 (10 minutes) :
Teacher asks students: “Who was the song written for ?” and then they discuss their opinions
in a debate with pro or against arguments.

57
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Activity 6 (10 minutes) :
Students will be asked to keep their groups. They will be assigned a new topic. Teacher tells
them they are to produce a short story or a joke, where they are to use modal verbs with some
different values. The students in the other groups will have to recognize the values of the
modal verbs and write them on a sheet of paper. In the end the teacher will discuss the
answers pointing up to the mistakes and trying to correct them.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………...
Homework : Write about a genius. Tell what he/she could do when he/she was young and
how he/she might have changed his/her life by doing something else.

Appendix 8

GREEN EYES

by Coldplay

Honey you are a rock

58
Upon which I stand
And I came here to talk
I hope you understand
The green eyes, yeah the spotlight, shines upon you
And how……….,anybody, deny you
I come here with a load
And it feels so much lighter now I meet you
And honey you…………know
That I………….never go on without you
Green eyes

Honey you are the sea

Upon which I float
And I came here to talk
I think you…………

The green eyes, you’re the one that I wanted to find

And anyone who tried to deny you,…………be out of their mind
Because I came here with a load
And it feels so much lighter since I meet you
Honey you………….know
That I……………never go on without you
Green eyes, green eyes
Oh, oh, oh, oh, (x 4)
Honey you are a rock

Activities:

1.Complete the song with: must, should or could

2.Listen to the song and check your answers.
3.Analyze the following phrases:
“You’re a rock upon which I stand”
“You’re the sea upon which I float”
What is the author referring to?
4.Who do you think the song was written for?
5.Take a look at the modal verbs used; what do they mean?

59
60