274 all about modals

1. AllAbout Modals!

2. What are the
modals in
English?
THESE ARE MODALS
CAN
SHOULD
MAY
COULD
MUST
MIGHT
WOULD
WILL
SHALL (WE DON’T USE MUCH IN AMERICAN ENGLISH)

3. WEALSO
HAVE
MODAL-LIKE
EXPRESSIONS
or PHRASAL
MODALS:
THESE ARE MODALS
BE ABLETO = CAN
HAD BETTER = OUGHTTO = SHOULD
MAY
COULD
HAVETO = MUST
MIGHT
WOULD
WILL
SHALL (WE DON’T USE MUCH IN AMERICAN ENGLISH)

4. MODALS
DON’TACT
LIKEOTHER
VERBS.
HOW ARETHEY DIFFERENT
THEY NEVER USE -ING
THE PAST FORMSAREVERY DIFFERENT
THEY DON’T ADD –S FOR HE/SHE/IT
IMPORTANT RULETO REMEMBER:AFTER A MODAL,YOU WILLALWAYS
USETHE BASE FORM OF ANOTHERVERB
MODALS HAVE STRANGE CHANGES IN MEANING INTHE NEGATIVE,AND
INTHE PASTTENSE.

5. THESAME
MODAL
OFTEN HAS
DIFFERENT
MEANINGS
FOR EXAMPLE “COULD”:
(1) SIMPLE PAST OF “CAN”: I could swim when I was six years old .
(2) A polite request: Could you please close the door?
(3) “Couldn’t” can be used to say that you don’t believe something.
She said she went to work yesterday, that couldn’t be true. I saw her at the
mall.
(4) “Could have + past participle” can describe something in the past that
was possible but did NOT happen:
You were very luck.You could have been hurt in that accident. (There was
an accident, but you were not hurt because you were lucky.)
(3) “Could” can be maybe. It could rain next week.

6. DIFFERENT
MODALS DO
DIFFERENT
THINGS IN
THE PAST
AND FUTURE:
FOR EXAMPLE
MODAL PRESENT PAST
might We might be online in the
spring. (I’m talking about
something in the future.)
My friend might call this
afternoon.
It might get hot again next
week.
I can’t find my keys. I
might have locked them in
the car. (Maybe in the
past.)
could She looks pale. She could
be wearing light makeup,
or she could be sick.
(Things that are possible)
I could see better after I
got my new glasses. (was
able)
She could have stayed
inside for weeks (maybe).
can Present or future meaning
I can’t sing very well.
(present)
I can’t go visit my family
this winter. (future)
She can’t have been telling
the truth. = I don’t believe
that she was telling the
truth. I think she was lying.