2. What are They ?What are They ?
can
could
may might
must
should
will
shall
would
We use Modal verbs to talk about an ability/a duty/
a need /a necessity/wanting/ability .
have to
need to
ought to
3. What is special about them?What is special about them?
Modal verbs behave very
differently from normal verbs.
Here are some important differences:
4. HowHow??
1. Modal verbs are always followed by a verb in
its base formbase form.
EXAMPLES:
He can speakspeak Chinese.
Compare: I speak Chinese.
He speaksspeaks Chinese
You may taketake the book to school.
She may taketake the book to school.
Compare: You taketake the books to school.
She takestakes the books to school.
5. HowHow??
2.Modal verbs do not take "-s" in the third
person in the present simple.
EXAMPLES:
• He speaksspeaks Chinese.
• He can speakspeak Chinese. (NOT- He cans speak…)
• She eatseats a sandwich at 9:30
• She may eateat a sandwich at 9:30. (NOT-She
mays eat…)
6. 3. You use "not" to make modal verbs
negative, even in Simple Present and
Simple Past.
(We don’t use the helping verb “do”)
EXAMPLES:
He should not bebe late.
They might not comecome to the party.
Compare: I don’t should eat to much chocolates.
I cannot eateat any more cakes.
HowHow??
7. 4.Many modal verbs cannot be used in the
past tenses or the future tenses.
EXAMPLES:
He will can go with us. WRONG
She must studied very hard. WRONG
HowHow??
8. • Many modal verbs cannot be used
in all of the English tenses. That's
why we need to know their
meaning and the substitute for
these modal verbs.
Modal Verbs and theirModal Verbs and their
substitutessubstitutes
9. will- will not - wonwill- will not - won’’tt
We use this modal to speak about
future actions that we are sure/
convinced about.
10. Today is Tuesday. Tomorrow
will bewill be Wednesday.
= I know it because this is a known
fact.
He will not/won’t bewill not/won’t be in the
class tomorrow.
= I know it because he is going on
vacation.
will- will not(=wonwill- will not(=won’’tt((
11. CanCan –– Could BeCould Be –– able toable to
We use these modals to express:
• General ability/ disability
• possibility / impossibility
• opportunity
• Permission
• request
12. CanCan
I cancan walk.
= I have the general ability to do
the action of walking.
I can’tcan’t hear you, it is too noisy.
=I don’t have the ability to hear what
you are saying because of the noise.
13. CanCan
I have some free time. I cancan help her
now.
=I have the opportunity to help her.
I can'tcan't help her now because I don't
have any time.
=I don’t have the opportunity to help her.
14. CanCan CouldCould
In the past, can changes to could.
He couldcould speak only Chinese when
he was a kid. He couldncouldn’’tt speak to
his neighbor who speaks only English.
(General ability)
Practice-can/could
16. • I maymay choose the red dress to wear
in the party.
=I have two dresses. There is a chance that I will
choose to wear the red dress and not the blue
one.
• Today, he maymay come on time.
=Although usually he comes late,
There is a possibility that today he will come on
time.
maymay
17. • MayMay I come to visit you at 5 o’clock?
=I want to come to you but I’m not sure that you
want me to come/that you will be at home/that
you will let me enter .
• You maymay take only one candy.
=Although there are more candies, I permit you
to take only one of them!
maymay
19. • We maymay come on time, but if you
miss the bus, we mightmight be late.
=here is the possibility that we will be late
• If you advertise on the Internet you
mightmight get a lot of spam to your e-
mail box.
=Although you don’t want to get spam, there’s a
risk that you will get it.
mightmight
21. • If you want to be a champion you
shouldshould practice every day.
• When you make a cheese cake, you
shouldshould first check that you have
cheese.
Examples:-
22. must - mustnmust - mustn’’tt
Must – very strong advice/ obligation
Mustn't – things you're not allowed to
do
23. ExampleExample:-:-
• She is sick. She has high fever. She
mustmust take a pill.
= very strong advice/ obligation
• You mustnmustn’’tt ride your bike without a
helmet!
= you're not allowed to do.
24. Student worksheet 1Student worksheet 1
Modals and Related Expressions
must have to
1.I ……….be at the meeting by 10:00. I will
probably ………..take a taxi if I want to be on
time.
2.You ………..submit the application if it has not
been completely filled out. Check that the name,
address, and background information are correct.
3.It ………have been David. He's the only one who
would send you flowers.
25. Worksheet 2Worksheet 2
might should must
1.Nancy said you didn't need to buy her anything
for her birthday, but I really think you ……………at
least get her some flowers or a nice bottle of
wine.
2.Debbie said she was really busy this week, but I
think she …………… show up at the party if she
doesn't have to work overtime on Friday.
3.Nina said she would come over right after work,
so she …………. be here by 6:00.
4.Oh my God, he's unconscious. Don't move him -
he ……….. have internal injuries. Somebody call
an ambulance.
26. Worksheet 3Worksheet 3
Must / mustn’t need to/don’t need to
should/shouldn’t
1George has travelled a lot. He …………speak many
languages.
2I can hear you quite well. You ……………. not shout.
3I´m not sure where I go for my holidays but I
………… go to Italy.
4She ………… ride her bike at night without lights.
It's forbidden.
