Modals - Probability and Certainty

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    Modals - Probability and Certainty - Presentation Transcript

    1. M odals - P robability and C ertainty
    2. M odals - P robability and C ertainty
      • T he following modal verbs can be used to express probability or certainty:
        • You use ‘ must ’, ‘ ought ’, ‘ should ’, or ‘ will ’ to express probability or certainty .
        • You use ‘ cannot ’ or ‘ can’t ’ as the negative of ‘ must ’ rather than ‘must not’ or ‘mustn’t’, to say that something is probable or not certain.
    3. M odals - P robability and C ertainty
      • W hen you want to say that something is probably true or that it will probably happen, you use ‘ should ’ or ‘ ought ’. ‘ Should ’ is followed by the base form of a verb. ‘ Ought ’ is followed by a ‘to’-infinitive.
        • We should arrive by dinner time.
        • She ought to know.
    4. M odals - P robability and C ertainty
      • W hen you want to say that you think something is probably not true or that it will probably not happen, you use ‘ should not ’, or ‘ ought not ’.
        • There shouldn’t be any problem.
        • That ought not be too difficult.
    5. M odals - P robability and C ertainty
      • W hen you want to say that you are fairly sure that something has happened, you use ‘ should have ’ or ‘ ought to have ’, followed by a past participle.
        • You should have heard by now that I’m O.K.
        • They ought to have arrived yesterday.
    6. M odals - P robability and C ertainty
      • W hen you want to say that you do not think that something has happened, you use ‘ should not have ’ or ‘ ought not to have ’, followed by a past participle.
        • You shouldn’t have had any difficulty in getting there.
        • This ought not to have been a problem.
    7. M odals - P robability and C ertainty
      • Y ou also use ‘ should have ’ or ‘ ought to have ’ to say that you expected something to happen, but that it did not happen.
        • Yesterday should have been the start of the soccer season.
        • She ought to have been home by now.
        • Note: You do not normally use the negative form with this meaning.
    8. M odals - P robability and C ertainty
      • W hen you are fairly sure that something is the case, you use ‘ must ’.
        • Oh, you must be Sylvia’s husband.
        • You must know something about it.
    9. M odals - P robability and C ertainty
      • I f you are very sure something is not the case, you use ‘ cannot ’ or ‘ can’t ’.
        • This cannot be the whole story.
        • He can’t be very old -- he’s about 25, isn’t he?
        • Note: You do not use ‘must not’ or ‘mustn’t’ with this meaning.
    10. M odals - P robability and C ertainty
      • W hen you want to say that you are almost certain that something has happened, you use ‘ must have ’, followed by a past participle.
        • This article must have been written by a woman.
        • We must have taken the wrong road.
    11. M odals - P robability and C ertainty
      • T o say that you do not think something has happened, you use ‘ can’t have ’, followed by a past participle.
        • You can’t have forgotten me.
        • He can’t have said that.
    12. M odals - P robability and C ertainty
      • Y ou use ‘ will ’, or ‘ -’ll ’ to say that something is certain to happen in the future.
        • People will always say thing you want to hear.
        • They ’ll manage.
    13. M odals - P robability and C ertainty
      • Y ou use ‘ will not ’, or ‘ won’t ’ to say that something is certain not to happen.
        • You won’t get much sympathy from them.
    14. M odals - P robability and C ertainty
      • T here are several ways of talking about probability or certainty without using modals. For example, you can use:
        • ‘ bound to ’ followed by the base form of a verb.
          • It is bound to happen.
          • You’re bound to make a mistake.
    15. M odals - P robability and C ertainty
        • An adjective such as ‘ certain ’, ‘ likely ’, ‘ sure ’, or ‘ unlikely ’, followed by a ‘to’-infinitive clause or a ‘that’-clause.
          • They were certain that you were defeated.
          • I’m not likely to forget it.
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