didn 't you ?

; as,
You met him,
andso do you. afllirmative nature of a statement
He cats fish cmphasize the
used to
298. Do is also
pale. ; as,
You dolook go, but he didgo.
notto invitation more persuasive
Itold him request or
imperative,do makes a
299. In the
Do be quiet. goingto be such fn.
Oh. do come!It's stressed.
is strongly
In suchcases do
Might
Can,Could, May, capacity ;as,
ability or
300. Can usually expresses
acoSs the river.
Ioanswim
sum.
Hean work this formal.
Can voulit this
boOx permission. Mayisrather
express
Can and mayare used to
301.
Canis usedin the corresponding
can/may go nOW.
You
Can/Maylborrow
your

to express
possibility
umbrella?
in affirmative sentences. inter ogg-
302. May is used
negative sentences.
tive and tomorrow.
Itmayrain
home.
He maybe at
Can this be true ? impossibility, while mo.
denotes
It cannot be true.
with It may not be true'. Cannot
Compare 'It cannot be true'
denotes improbability.
may is used to express a wish; as,
303. In very formal English,
May you live happily and long !
May success attend you !
used as the past equivalents of can and may; as,
are
304. Couldand mightacross (Ability)
Icouldswim the river when I was young.
(Permission)
He said I might/could go. (Possibility)
Ithought he might be at home.
could betrue. (Possibility)
She wondered whether it
expresses only bility to do an act, but not the performance ofa
305. Could, as in the first example above, past.
able tofor ability +action in the bank)
act. We should use was/were were able to (or managed to) swim to the bank. (not :we could swim to the
When the boat was upset, we
however, either could or was/were able to may be used.
In negative statements, the puzzle. It was too difficult.
Icouldn't(or: wasn't able to) solve
contexts could and might are used as less positive versions of can and may; as,
306. In present-time more hesitant than I can attend the party'.)
Icould attend the party. (Less positive and 'May/Can I...)
Might/Could I borrow your bicycle ? (A diffident way of saying
may rain.....)
It might rain tomorrow. (Less positive than It
Could you pass me the salt ? (Polite request)
307. Might is also used to express a degree of dissatisfaction or reproach ; as,
You might pay a little more attention to your appearance.
308. Note the use of can, could, may and might with the perfect infinitive.
expresses annoyance
He is not there. Where can he have gone? (= Where is it possible that he has gone? - May

100 HiGH SCHOOL ENGLISH GRAMMAR

 lou oond haw acvepted the ottet (- Whr didu' yot
accept the
Fatima nay might haw gonr with Savoia (- Poeilbly Fatima basofler)
gotne/went with Saroja)
Why did voudËve so carelessl? Yon didn't run into the
lamppost.) might hae nn into the lamppost. ( It is feortunate that you

Shall Should, Will, Would

09. Shall is used in the irst person and willin all persons to express pure future. Today l/we shall is less
common than Ie will, as.
Ishall will be twenty-five next birthday.
\We will need the money on 15th.
When shall we see you again?
Tomorrow will be Sunday.
You wìll see that I am right.
In present day English, however, there is agrowing tendency to use will in all persons.
310. Shall is sometimes used in the second and third nersons to express a command, a promise, or threat ;
as,
He shallnot enter my house again. (Command)
You shall have a holiday tomorrow. (Promise)
You shall be punished for this. (Threat)
Note: That these uses of shall are old-fashionedandformaland generally avoidedin modern English.
311. Questionswith shall Iwe are used to ask the will of theperson addressed ; as,
ShallIopen the door ? (i.e, Do you want me to open it ?)
Which pen shall I buy ? (i.e., What is your advice ?)
Where shallwe go ? (What is your suggestion ?)
12 Will is used to express
(1) Volition ; as,
I will(=amwilling to) carry your books.
I will(=promise to) try to do better next time.
Iwill (=am determined to) succeed or die in the attempt.
In the last example above, will is strong-stressed.
(2) Characteristic habit ; as,
He willtalk about nothing but films.
She willsit for hours listening to the wireless.
(3) Assumption or probability ; as,
This will be the book youwant, Isuppose.
That will be the postman, I think.
313. Will you indicates an invitation ora request; as,
Willyou have tea ?
Will you lend me your scooter ?
314. Should and would are used as the past equivalents of shall and will ; as,
Iexpected that I should(more often: would) get a first class.
He said he would be twenty-five next birthday.
She said she would carry my books.
She would sit for hours listening to the wireless. (Past habit)
315. Shouldis used in all persons to express duty or obligation; as,
We should obey the laws.
You should keep your promise.
Children should obey their parents.

AUxXILIARIES AND MODALS 101

 16. In dauses of condiion, shouldis used to cXpress a
II it should rain, they will supposition that may not be true.
hot onme
If he shozBd see me here, he willbe annoved
1. Should and wuidare also used as in the
examples below.
() Ishoald ( l) like yunto help her. (Should'would like' is apolite form of 'want'.)
() Wouidyntend me yon scooteY, nlease ?(Would you ?' is more polite than Will you ?')
(in You showBd have been nore careiul. (Should+perfect infinitive indicates a past
obligation that
( He should be in the ibrarv now.
(Expresses probability) was not ful
() wish vou would not chatter so much. (Would after wish expresses a
strong desire.)
Must, Oght to
318, Must is usecd to express necessity or
You must improve your spelling.
obligation.
We must get up early.
318A. Must refers to the present or the near future. To
talk about the past we use had to
have to): must has no past form. (the past
Yesterday we had to get up early.
319. Must is often used when the obligation comes
from the speaker. When the obligation
Rorm
somewhere else, have to is often used. Compare:
Imust be on a diet. (It ismy own idea.)
Ihave to be on a diet. (The doctor has
told me to be on a diet.)
comes fon
319A. Must can also express logical certainty.
Living in such crowded conditions must be difficult. (-I am sure it is
She must have left already. (I am sure she has difficult.)
left already.)
320. Ought (to) expresses moral obligation or
We ought to love our neighbours. desirability ;as,
We ought to help him.
You ought to know better.
321. Ought (to) can also be used to express
Prices ought to come down soon. probability; as
This book ought to be very useful.

Used (to), Need, Dare

322. The auxiliary used (to) expresses a discontinued habit.
There used to be a house there.
Iused to live there when Iwas a
boy.
Used (to) as an auxiliary verb is
tives and questions (e.g.)Did you old-fashioned and very formal. Today we normally use did in neg
used to swin ?)
323. The auxiliary need, denoting necessity or
obligation, can be conjugated with or without do.When con
jugated without do, it has no -s and -ed forms and is used with an infinitive without to only in
tive and interrogative sentences and in nega
'hardly'. sentences that contain semi-negative words like 'scarcely' and
He need not go. (=It is not
Need Iwrite to him ?
necessary for him to go.)
Ineed hardly take his help.
324. When conjugated with do, need has the usual
forms needs, needed and is used with a to-infinitive. IrD
commonly used in negatives and questions;it sometimes occurs in the affirmative also.

102 HiGH SCHOOL ENGLISH GRAMMAR

 Grammar 89

MODALS
also
Modal Auxiliaries that express the node of action denoted by the main verbs are called Modals. Modal verbs,
auxiliary verbs, are like auxiliary verlbs, used in combination with lexical verbs, Lexical verbs are action
called modal
well as linking verbs.
verbs,as
Lexical verbs are of two kinds:
(a) action verbs (b) linking verbs
1. Action verbs denote physical activity such as
drink eat hit
jump kick run

stand swim walk

2. Action verbs also represent mental activities or states such as:
forget guess hate
know love remember
think wonder worry
Or

Modals are the modified forms of helping verbs, i.e. they modify the mood of the action verb.
The main modals are as follows:
Shall, will, should, would, can, could, may, might, must, ought to, used to, need, has/had/have to, etc.
Features of Modals
1. Modals aways express the imaginary actions like ability, power, permission, request, possibility, wilingness,
certainty, right and wrong, necessity, etc.
2. Modals do not come alone, they always take the 1st form of the verb with them.
3. Modals are never affected by the person, number and gender of the subject.
Modals at a Glance
Modal What it Expresses

Shall Simple future (When used with 1 person i.e., I/we)

Threat, promise, determination, command when used with 2nd or 3rd person (you,
he, she, it, they)
Will
Simple future when used with 20d or 3rd person
Threat, promise, determination, command when used with 1 person
Should Duty, obligation, advice, suggestion, request, surprise, purpose, etc.
Past form of 'shall'

Would Past form of will'

Willingness, past habit, determination, suggestion, polite request, wish or desire,
unreal condition

Can Ability, strong possibility, permission

weakness, necessity,
Need Principal as well as defective verb. As a defective verb used in
obligation (Negative and Interrogative sentences)
Could Past form of can, ability of past, polite request, possibility, etc.
May Formal permission, doubtful possibility, purpose, wish
Might Past form of 'may'
Possibility, purpose
 90
Togetker nitk English Language & Literature-10
Must
Necessity. compulsion, obligation, determination, certainty.
prohibition, etc. emphatic
Ought tr Moral duty, obligation, advíice, strong probability
Used t Past habit
Has foHave to Had to Forced action of future or past

SOLVED QUESTION BANK

Multiple Choice/Objective Type Questions
1. Fillin the blanks with appropriate modals.
() "How kong (a). .or (b) .a person wait on a hungry stomach?":
(c) come to an impoverished man who (d) This thought
unemploymentConstanth
wait till his
are over. "(e) Inever get two full meals?" occupies his thought box. He ()
not even get achance ever to come out of this vicious
circle of poverty.
(a) (i) can (iü) shall (üiü) should (v) will
(b) (i) should (i) will (iii) would (iv) can
(c) () may (o) can (iüi) will (iv) should
(d) (i) have to (iü) has to (iiü) had to (iv) will have to.
(e) (i) shall (iü) can (iii)) has to (iv) should
) ) may (ü) might (üi) can
(II) On the Annual Day celebrations, the Principal (iv) could
delivered a
be the future policy makers, hence you (b)lecture, "Good Evening Children, vou all s
always try to win over the confidence of your superiors. You obey your teachers. You o
unturned and you (d) must not leave any st
...
not worry about the result. Take a pledge that you (e)
obey and respect your elders. You (f) take whatever stream you like but
chosen. excel in the nath
(a) (i) will (ü) would (iii) can (iv) should
(b) () shall (ü) ought to (iüi) should (iv) can
(c) (i) should (ii) would (iii) may
(d) (i) need
(iv) has to
(ü) should (üi) would (iv) shall
(e) (i) should (ii) may (iii) can
() can
(iv) might
(ü) may (ii) might (iv) would
ns. ( (a) () can ) should
(b) (c) () may
(d) (ii) has to (e) () shall
() (ii) might
(I) (a) (i) will (b) (ü) ought to
(d) () need (c) (i) should
(e) (ii) shall () ii) may
2. Fill in the blanks with
appropriate modals choosing from have to' 'has to' or had to'.
(a) Prachi work hard as one week is left for her CA Final
(i) has to (iü) had to
Examination.
(iüü) will have to (iv) should
(b) We borrow money as there was lack of funds.
(i) had to (ii) can
(c) Allthe children of class tenth will (ii) should (iv) would
(i) have to go tothe principal's office to collect their mark sheets.
(iü) can (iii) should (iv) would