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Modals

Modal verbs are special auxiliary verbs in English that provide additional information about the main verb, indicating modality such as ability, permission, and obligation. They do not change form and are always followed by a bare infinitive. Examples include 'can', 'could', 'may', and 'must', which can express various functions like ability and advice.

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Suzette Guevarra
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2 views

Modals

Modal verbs are special auxiliary verbs in English that provide additional information about the main verb, indicating modality such as ability, permission, and obligation. They do not change form and are always followed by a bare infinitive. Examples include 'can', 'could', 'may', and 'must', which can express various functions like ability and advice.

Uploaded by

Suzette Guevarra
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Modals

– Also called as modal verbs, modal


auxiliary verbs, modal auxiliaries) are
special verbs which behave irregularly in
English.
– They are different from normal verbs like
"work, play, visit"
• They give additional
information about the
function of the main verb
that follows it.
• They have a great variety
of communicative
functions.
Some characteristics of
modal
•
verbs
They never change their form. You can't
add "s", "ed", "ing"...
• They are always followed by an infinitive
without "to" (e.i. the bare infinitive.)
• They are used to indicate modality allow
speakers to express certainty, possibility,
willingness, obligation, necessity, ability
List of Modal
Verbs
can, could, may, might,
will, would, shall,
should, must
Use of Modal Verbs:
Modal verbs are used to express functions such as:
1. Ability
2. Permission
3. possibility
4. Obligation
5. Prohibition
6. Lack of necessity
7. Advice
8. Probability
Examples of modal verbs which
expresses ability:

Can, Could, Be
Able To
Ability/Lack of Ability
Present and Future:
can/can’t + base form of the verb
1. Tom can write poetry very well.
2.I can help you with that next week.
3. Lisa can’t speak French.
– (am / is / are / will be) + able to + base form of the
verb
– (am not/ isn’t / aren’t/ won’t be) + able to + base
form of the verb
1. Mike is able to solve complicated math equations
2. The support team will be able to help you in about ten
minutes.
3. I won’t be able to visit you next summer.
Past:
Could / couldn’t + base form of the
verb
1. When I was a child I could climb trees.

was / were + able to + base form of the verb


wasn’t / weren’t + able to + base form of the
verb hasn’t / haven’t + been able to + base
form of the verb
1. I wasn’t able to visit her in the hospital.
2. He hasn’t been able to get in touch with the client
yet.
SEATWORK #
Fill in the correct form of can, could or be able to as
in the examples.
1. Ben could not help his little brother with his
homework yesterday.
2. Can I call you later tonight?
1. _______ Tony run long distances when he was a
boy?
2. ______ you please call a tow truck for me? My car
broke down. (polite)
3. ______ you teach me how to fix my computer?
You’re so good at it.
4. ______ you ______ reach the customer if you call
him at 4:00 his time?
Identify the modals shown in the text and present it using an appropriate
graphic organizer.
Regrets
As we get older and when we think about our past we sometimes
ponder the things that we should have done. And we also may regret
those things we did badly and the mistakes we made. In reality, we
can always learn from our mistakes and hope to never make them
again. For example, if I failed a test because of a lack of study, the
next test I will hope to pass because of hard work. Remember too
that some regrets are not based in reality and we may waste time
thinking that they are. Would I have really not have been involved in
a car crash if I had been driving more slowly? After all, the other
driver ought to have been concentrating and not playing with their
radio. We have to be honest with ourselves and live in the now. The
only things we can control are the things happening now, in this

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