Modal verbs and uses

1. MODAL VERBS: MAIN
CHARACTERISTICS
•Modal verbs don’t change at all.
Ex.: I/He/We/They can speak English
•They needn’t use auxiliary verbs for questions
or negatives.
Ex.: Could you open the door?
They shouldn’t speak in class.
•They are followed by the bare infinitive.
•Ex.: He must be her brother / She may have my
umbrella.

2. MODAL VERBS
MODAL USE EXAMPLE
CAN ABILITY Mary can swim very fast.
REQUEST Can you call me tonight?
POSSIBILITY I can meet you later.
CAN’T INABILITY I can’t speak German.
PROHIBITIO You can’t drive without a driving licence.
N That can’t be the price – it’s too cheap!
DISBILIEF
COULD PAST She could run fast.
ABILITY Could you help me wiht the suitcase?
POLITE You could exercise and eat healthier food.
REQUEST
POLITE
Mark coul join us at the cinema.
SUGGESTION
POSSIBILITY
MAY POSSIBILITY It may rain tomorrow.
POLITE May I come in, please?
REQUEST

3. MODAL USE EXAMPLE
MIGHT POSSIBILITY It might rain tomorrow.
WILL FUTURE I’ll go to Uni next year.
PROMISES I will study harder
OFFERS I will help you with you homework.
INSTANT
DECISIONS
I’ll have the tomato soup.
WOULD FORMAL REQUEST Would you open the window, please?
OFFERS Would you like something to drink?
SHALL SUGGESTIONS Shall we go?
MUST OBLIGATION You must study harder for the exam.
CERTAINTY She’s got a great job. She must be very
THAT
SOMETHING IS
happy.
TRUE
MUSTN’T PROHIBITION You mustn’t exceed the speed limit.
SHOULD ADVICE, You should improve your pronunciation.
OPINION
OUGHT ADVICE, You ought to eat less fast food if you want to
OPINION
TO keep fit.

4. SEMIMODAL VERBS: MAIN
CHARACTERISTICS
•Semimodal verbs are used in all tenses and
change for the third person singular.
Ex.: He has to help his father.
She was able to swim well when she was
only 3
years old.
•They may need auxiliary verbs for questions or
negatives.
Ex.: do you have to study at the weekend?
They don’t have to train this afternoon.

5. SEMIMODAL VERBS
SEMI USE EXAMPLE
MODALS
BE ABLE ABILITY I was able to finish my homework on time.
TO
HAVE TO OBLIGATION I have to buy the tickets today.
DON’T/ LACK OF I don’t have to get up early on Saturday.
DOESN’T OBLIGATION
HAVE TO
THESE VERBS ARE NOT SEMIMODALS, BUT THEY SHARE SOME USES WITH MODAL
VERBS.
NEED OBLIGATION I need to cook dinner tonight/ He needs to cook dinner
tonight.
NEEDN’T LACK OF You needn’t bring anything to the party / You didn’t
OBLIGATION need to bring anything to the party..
HAD ADVICE/ You’d better go to the doctor
BETTER PERSONAL You’d better not to take my car!
OPINION No negative

6. MODAL PERFECTS: MAIN
CHARACTERISTICS
•Modal verbs don’t change at all and are followed by
“have + past participle”.
Ex.: I/He/We/They should have studied harder.
•They needn’t use auxiliary verbs for questions or
negatives.
Ex.: Could you have passed the exam without
studying?
They shouldn’t have eaten so much.

7. MODAL PERFECTS
MODAL USE EXAMPLE
PERFECTS
MUST CERTAINTY THAT Rob has arrived late. He must have
SOMETHINGWAS been in a traffic jam.
TRUE
MAY A GUESS ABOUT A She may /might have taken the wrong
/MIGHT PAST ACTION bus
COULD PAST ABILITY You could have asked the doctor
/ABILITY TO DO before taking that medicine.
SOMETHING IN THE
PAST THAT IN THE
END WAS NOT
DONE
COULDN’T CERTAINTY THAT He couldn’t have gone to the party
SOMETHING DID because he was ill.
NOT HAPPEN

8. MODAL USE EXAMPLE
PERFECTS
WOULD DESIRE TO DO I would have gone to the party, but I was too
SOMETHING IN
THE PAST WHICH busy.
IN FACT COULD
NOT BE DONE
SHOULD CRITICISM OR You should have told me before.
REGRET AFTER
AN EVENT
OUGHT CRITICISM OR You ought to have studied harder for the final
REGRET AFTER
TO AN EVENT
exam.
NEEDN’T AN You needn’t have bought a present for me.
UNNECESSARY
PAST ACTION

9. Some practise
 1-I have no time. I________ leave now or I ________ miss the bus.
 2-I wish I _________ buy a new mobile phone but I don't have enough money.
 3-She looks tired; she ___________ take some days off.
 4-Judy is not at home. She__________ have gone to Madrid, I don't know.
 5-Tom __________ play tennis quite well. I usually play with him every weekend.
 6- _________ we go out tonight, please? Yes, but you __________ be late.
 7-I haven't decided yet where I __________ go in my next holidays. I think I
__________ go to Paris.
 8- ___________ you water my plants while I am away? If they don't get enough
water they __________certainly die.
 9-Jack ____________ come to our wedding, but we aren't sure.
 10 -__________ I buy the tickets for the concert? I see you're too busy.
 11-We __________ pay the fees at the fixed time.
 12-You __________ clean your room more often.
 13-If it rains on Saturday, we __________ go to the beach.
 14-Jane ___________ not play the violin when she was five, but now she
___________ play it very well.
 15-You __________ not be so nervous. I think it ___________ be very easy.

10. THAT’S ALL FOLKS