3. WHAT IS SPECIAL ABOUT MODALS?
•THEY ARE ALWAYS FOLLOWED BY THE BASE
FORM OF A VERB.
•THEY FORM PAST TENSE IN A DIFFERENT
WAY.
•THEY OFTEN CHANGE MEANING IN NEGATIVE
OR PAST TENSE.
10. MAY = ALLOWED TO
MAY I SMOKE?
YOU MAY NOT SMOKE ON CAMPUS.
MAY I SPEAK TO YOU FOR A MOMENT?
11. MAY = POSSIBLE
IT MAY BE WARM TOMORROW = MAYBE IT
WILL BE WARM TOMORROW
I MAY NOT BE HERE NEXT WEEK = IT’S
POSSIBLE THAT I WON’T BE HERE.
“MAY” WITH THIS MEANING IS NOT USED
FOR A QUESTION.
13. MIGHT = POSSIBLE. USED LIKE MAY, BUT IT SEEMS A
LITTLE LESS POSSIBLE.
IT MIGHT NOT BE EASY TO LEARN TO DRIVE. (LESS
THAN 50% LIKELIHOOD)
(IT MAY NOT BE EASY TO LEARN TO DRIVE = 50/50)
IT MIGHT BE MY FAULT, IT MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA.
THIS MEANING OF MIGHT AND MAY ARE REALLY
ALMOST THE SAME.
14. MIGHT IS USED TO MAKE A VERY POLITE REQUEST:
MIGHT I MAKE A SUGGESTION?
SAME AS MAY I MAKE A SUGGESTION, BUT MORE
POLITE AND FORMAL.
THIS “MIGHT” IS ONLY USED FOR QUESTIONS—MPT
AFFIRMATIVE OR NEGATIVE STATEMENTS.
16. SHOULD = IT’S A GOOD IDEA
WE SHOULD TAKE A BREAK NOW.
YOU SHOULD NOT SMOKE SO MUCH. IT’S BAD
FOR YOUR HEALTH.
YOU SHOULD NOT BE HERE. THIS ROOM IS FOR
EMPLOYEES ONLY.
WHAT TIME SHOULD WE COME BACK?
18. MUST = REQUIRED
YOU MUST DO YOUR HOMEWORK IF YOU
WANT TO GET A GOOD GRADE.
MUST NOT = FORBIDDEN = AGAINST THE
RULE
YOU MUST NOT SMOKE HERE. YOU MUST
NOT DRIVE WITHOUT A LICENSE
19. MUST = HAVE TO
YOU MUST DO YOUR HOMEWORK IF YOU WANT TO GET A
GOOD GRADE =
YOU HAVE TO DO YOUR HOMEWORK.
YOU DON’T HAVE TO = YOU DON’T NEED TO = IT’S NOT
REQUIRED
IF YOU DON’T CARE ABOUT YOUR GRADE, YOU DON’T HAVE
TO DO YOUR HOMEWORK.
IF YOU TAKE THE CLASS ONLINE, YOU DON’T HAVE TO COME
TO SCHOOL.
