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Modals

The document provides an overview of modal and semi-modal verbs, highlighting their unique characteristics and usage in English. It explains how modal verbs differ from regular verbs, including their grammatical rules and the contexts in which they are used. Additionally, it discusses the meanings and substitutes for various modal verbs, emphasizing their roles in expressing ability, permission, obligation, and possibility.

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6 views

Modals

The document provides an overview of modal and semi-modal verbs, highlighting their unique characteristics and usage in English. It explains how modal verbs differ from regular verbs, including their grammatical rules and the contexts in which they are used. Additionally, it discusses the meanings and substitutes for various modal verbs, emphasizing their roles in expressing ability, permission, obligation, and possibility.

Uploaded by

njtw
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Modals

and
Semi Modals
MODAL VERBS
TEACHER NICK
What are They ?
shall may might
should can
will
could
would
must
ought to
have to have got to

We use Modal verbs to talk about an ability/a duty/ a need /a


necessity/wanting
Modals
What is special about them?

Modal verbs behave very


differently from normal verbs.
Here are some important differences:
?How
1. Modal verbs are always followed by a verb
in its base form.
form

EXAMPLES:
He can speak Chinese.
Compare: I speak Chinese.
He speaks Chinese
You may take the book to school.
She may take the book to school.
Compare: You take the books to
school.
She takes the books to school.
?How
Modal verbs do not take "-s" in the third .2
.person in the present simple

EXAMPLES:
• He speaks Chinese.
• He can speak Chinese. (NOT- He cans
speak…)
• She eats a sandwich at 9:30
• She may eat a sandwich at 9:30.
?How
3. You use "not" to make modal verbs
negative, even in Simple Present and
Simple Past.
(We don’t use the helping verb “do”)

EXAMPLES:
He should not be late.
They might not come to the party.
Compare: I don’t like to be late.
I cannot eat any more cakes.
I don’t eat carrot cakes.
?How

Many modal verbs cannot be used in .4


.the past tenses or the future tenses

EXAMPLES:

He will can go with us. WRONG

She must studied very hard. WRONG


Modal Verbs and their
substitutes
• Many modal verbs cannot be
used in all of the English tenses.
That's why we need to know their
meaning and the substitute for
these modal verbs.
will- will not - won’t

We use this modal to speak about


future actions that we are sure/
convinced about.
will- will not(=won’t)
Today is Tuesday. Tomorrow
will be Wednesday.
= I know it because this is a known
fact.

We will not be in school


tomorrow.
= I know it because we are going on
holiday.
Can – Could –Be able to

We use these modals to express:


• General ability/ disability
• possibility / impossibility
• opportunity
• Permission
• request
Can
I can walk.
= I have the general ability to do
the action of walking.

I can’t hear you, it is too noisy.


=I don’t have the ability to hear what
you are saying because of the noise.
Can
I have some free time. I can help her
now.
=I have the opportunity to help her.

I can't help her now because I don't


have any time.
=I don’t have the opportunity to help her.
Can Could
In the past, can changes to could.

He could speak only Thai when


he was a kid. He couldn’t speak to
his neighbour who speaks only English.
(General ability)

Practice time-can/could
may
=future possibility/get permission
may
• I may choose to wear the red dress to
the party.
=I have two dresses. There is a chance that I will
choose to wear the red dress and not the blue
one.

• Today, he may come on time.


=Although usually he comes late,
There is a possibility that today he will come on
time.
may
• May I come to visit you at 5 o’clock?
=I want to come to you but I’m not sure that you
want me to come/that you will be at home/that
you will let me enter .

• You may take only one candy.


=Although there are more candies, I permit you
to take only one of them!
might
=possibility
might
• We may come on time, but if you
miss the bus, we might be late.
=I plan to come on time and this is why I I want
to catch the 7:15 bus.
If I catch the 7:30 bus, I can come on time or not,
I’m not sure.

• If you advertise on the Internet you


might get a lot of spam to your e-
mail box.
=Although you don’t want to get spam, there’s a
risk that you will get it.
should
= advice or a strong suggestion.
• If you want to be a champion you
should practice every day.
=You don’t have to practice but then, you will
not get better.

• When you make a cheese cake, you


should first check that you have
cheese.
-or else, it will not be a cheese cake
must - mustn’t
Must – very strong advice/ obligation
Mustn't – things you're not allowed to
do.‫אסור‬
• She is sick. She has high fever. She
must take a pill.
= very strong advice/ obligation

• You mustn’t ride your bike without a


helmet!
= you're not allowed to do it.
Semi modals
have to - has to
had to – will have to
= it is necessary
=shows obligation and giving advice.

have to/has to –in the present/near future


had to –in the past
will have to –in the future
• I have to clean my room.
(My mother forces me to do it.)
• She has to finish the test before the
bell rings.
(After the bell rings, you can’t go on answering
the questions.)
• Gail Devers had to take radiation
therapy for her disease.
(…to get well.)
• At the end of the 8th grade we will
have to leave our school.
(…and go to high school.)
don’t have to
doesn’t have to

Don't have to / Doesn't have to


= it isn't necessary

Practice time-have/has to
Ought to – be supposed to
– be allowed to
• Ought to
• be supposed to= we expect him/her
to
• be allowed to = permission someone
will let/permit him do it.
• That’s a great movie. You ought to see it!
(or You must see it.)
• The teacher is supposed to base the
grades on the tests and assignments.
• On Friday, the students in our school don’t
have to wear the school uniform. They are
allowed to wear any color they want. (They
are permitted to / They can even wear a pink shirt
with yellow stripes.)
able to )be(
be able to show an ability.
-I don’t know when I will be ready. I
will be able to give you an answer
later.
-Is he able to do it? Yes, he knows
how to do it and has time to do it.
(=Can he do it?)
negative contractions
(short form)
Modal Verbs and their
substitutes
• Many modal verbs cannot be
used in all of the English tenses.
That's why we need to know their
meaning and the substitute for
these modal verbs.

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