GRAMMAR LECTURE – 3
MODALS, AUXILLARIES, ADVERBS,
ADJECTIVES and TENSE

MODALS AND AUXILLARIES
WHAT?
Modal is an auxiliary verb that is used with another verb to
indicate its mood, as can, could, may, might, must, shall,
should, will, and would: it has no special form in the third
person singular and no present or past participle.
May, might; can, could; shall, should; will would; ought;
need; dare; are called modal auxiliaries because they are
used to form certain moods for which English has no
inflected verb form.

MODALS
I CAN ALWAYS MAKE YOU SMILE
ABILITY
CAN I EAT MY
FOOD IN HERE?
CAN
THEORITICAL
PERMISSION
POSSIBILITY
ANYBODY CAN MAKE MISTAKES.

MODALS
PAST
I could never listen to lectures in my
ABILITY school days.
COULD
I could speak for another hour or so.
CONTINGENT
POSSIBILITY

PERMISSION
PERMISSION
(Rare usage)
MAY MIGHT
May I come in?
It may rain today.
Might I smoke in here?
FACTUAL POSSIBILITY
POSSIBILITY (SPECIFIC)
What you say might be true?

He shall get his dues.
We shall let you know our decision.
WILLINGNESS He shall be punished. OBLIGATION
He should listen to his elders.
I 'am surprised that such a tragedy
should happen to you.
SHALL SHOULD
INTENTION INSITANCE
PITY

Willingness
Habitual Will/Would Intention
• Will you please break open
the piggy bank?
• I will do better in my next exam.
Necessity • We will reach on time.
• Oil will float on water.

OBLIGATION OBLIGATION
MUST OUGHT TO
NECESSITY EXPECTATION
NECESSITY

ADJECTIVES
• Tell us the quality of the Noun or pronoun.
• It may also point out quantity of the Noun or Pronoun.
Example: There are 3 tiered wedding cakes on
display in the baker’s shop.

DEGREES
 COMPARITIVE : BETWEEN TWO
• FEWER vs. LESS
 SUPERLATIVE : ALL

ADVERB
Are those phrases that modify/describe:
• ADJECTIVES
• VERBS
• OTHER ADVERBS
Example:
He drove a very fast car.
He drove slowly.
He brought the car very quickly to a halt.

TENSES
Perfect
Tenses Simple Continuous Perfect
Continuous
Active I call I am calling I have called …………..
Present
Passive I am called I am being I have been called I have been
called calling
Active I called I was calling I had called …………..
Past
Passive I was called I was being I had been called I had been
called calling
Active I shall call ………. I shall have called …………..
Future Passive I shall be I shall be calling I shall have been I shall have
called called been calling