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Modal Verbs

The document provides a comprehensive overview of modal verbs, detailing their uses in expressing ability, possibility, obligation, necessity, and permission. It explains the differences between various modals such as 'can', 'must', 'should', and 'need', including their forms and functions in different tenses. Additionally, it highlights important grammatical rules related to modals, including their negative forms and the implications of using certain modals in context.

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13 views2 pages

Modal Verbs

The document provides a comprehensive overview of modal verbs, detailing their uses in expressing ability, possibility, obligation, necessity, and permission. It explains the differences between various modals such as 'can', 'must', 'should', and 'need', including their forms and functions in different tenses. Additionally, it highlights important grammatical rules related to modals, including their negative forms and the implications of using certain modals in context.

Uploaded by

vellisca13
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Grammar reference

Modal Yerbs

Ability can He can concentrate very well.


\ee note 1 (page 95)
be able to She's been able to learn three languages,

."r ld Hr r*td b, t g*d ttrd*t brt l*'


Possibility / Speculation could/may/might I could / may / might pass the exam it' t cram.

Positive deduction *rst /J, p^rrr'rl/ h,'r rrr, ir r^t r, ryood


student.
Negative deduction She always does her homework late. She con't be

Obligation /
!'|l! 4f!!!!f4, *-* -"-- *-
must have to You must / have to wear a tie in the ot't'ice.
See note 2 (page 95)

Necessity need to I need to learn Chinese Jor my new job.

Positive recommendation / thr,Jd / t" t tt-rtd / t, b, -"* fur*d


Mild obligation "rChtr "rCht yq!:
4
q
:i ry r: r I r:i.:_:t " .
Prohibition
See note 3 (page 95)
m
mustn't You mustn't eat in class. lt's not allowed.

You can't
t\,*t"rdy,rrl"d,
use a dictionary in the exam.
No obligation / No necessity don't have to / don't need to / needn't ttL * td*'t t wt"/d"rl
Seenotes 3 and 4 (page 95)
r::!-!: I r:::!llt-::ty""!:yF!:l: ._
Negative recommendation tarrr-, arg*aa a You shouldn't / oughtn't to arrive late lor school

Permission / Request canicould/may


l9-911f!: ---, *
You may start writing now.
--
c-y 9t y !U.:!!:rt y .r r y ¡ ry l ? ry qyo
"l ll *t
Recommendation to avoid had better (not) l'd better do some work or I won't pass the exom-
negative consequences / Warning You'd better not steal again because you'll go ta
See note 5 (page 95) pnson.

General
Most modalverbs...
. have the same form for all persons. I can, you can, he can, elc.
' do not use do / does to form the negative or interrogative: Must you come so late?
I shouldn't be so lazy, etc.

' are followed by the infinitive without to'. we must go, they should see, e\c.

ffilÍTr
, Be able to, have to and need Ío do not have the same form for all persons:
I am able to, he has to, she needs to, elc.
. Have to and need fo do use do / does to form the negative or interrogative:
Do I have to practise? You don't need to wait, eIc.
. Be able to, have to, needto and ought lo cannot be used without fo:
we have to go, they ought to understand, elc.

>94
1 Ability: can, could
rE?t!tl'!?!r
can does not have a frture or present perfect form. To express
these tenses,
we use will be oble to / have been able to.
y' We'll be able to pass the eram ot'ter this course.
X W-llea* pass the exom at'ter this course.
y' I've been able to read since I was two.
X l-ve-eeuld read since I was two.

Could can express two different types of ability:


a) Realability in the past (= was abre ro). Mozart courcr pray the piano
when he was
very young.
b) Hypothetical abilrty in the present or future (= would
be able to). They could help us,
but they don't want to.

2 must: different tenses

M¿rsf does not have a past simple, future or present perfect


form. To express these tenses,
we need to use had to / wilt have to / have h'aci to.
/ I had to cram lor the exam tast night.
X l-masf crom t'or the exom tast night.
I He'll have to say sorry to the head teacher.
X He'llmust say sorry to the head teocher.

3 must / hove to in the negative


E '?F;--l,!?ff
Must and hove to have very different meanings in the negative:
We mustn't smoke. = prohibition
We don't have to smoke. = it's not necessary / obligatory

4 need: negative
Need can form the negative in two ways:
a) wilh
.don't / doesn't, foilowed by the ¡nfinitive: He doesn,t need to revise,
He didn't need to worry.
b) with rol, followed by the infinitive without to. He needn,t revise.
This form can only be used in the present tense.

5 should vs. had better


should does not necessariry contain the suggestion of negative
consequences.
Everyone should be here by nine o'clock tonight.

Had better always contains the suggestion that something


bad might happen:
l'm very angry with you all, so everyone hacl better be here
by n¡neáLtoci tonight
Should cannot be used to express a threat, hod better can..
§ Robber: 'You had better give me the money!'
§ Robber: 'you should give me the monev!,

>95

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