The document explains modal verbs and semi-modal verbs, detailing their usage and unique characteristics compared to regular verbs. It outlines their forms, including how they are used in negative sentences, and provides examples for expressing ability, obligation, permission, and necessity. Additionally, it discusses specific modals like 'can', 'may', 'must', and their substitutes, emphasizing the significance of understanding their meanings and forms.

1. Modals
Modals
and
and
Semi Modals
Semi Modals
(Modal Verbs)
(Modal Verbs)

2. What are They ?
What are They ?
can
could
may might
must
should
will
shall
would
ought to
have to have got to
We use Modal verbs to talk about an ability/a duty/
a need /a necessity/wanting

3. Modals
Modals

4. What is special about them?
What is special about them?
Modal verbs behave very
differently from normal verbs.
Here are some important differences:

5. How
How
?
?
1. Modal verbs are always followed by a verb in
its base form
base form.
EXAMPLES:
He can speak
speak Chinese.
Compare: I speak Chinese.
He speaks
speaks Chinese
You may take
take the book to school.
She may take
take the book to school.
Compare: You take
take the books to school.
She takes
takes the books to school.

6. 2
.
Modal verbs do not take "-s" in the third
person in the present simple
.
EXAMPLES:
• He speaks
speaks Chinese.
• He can speak
speak Chinese. (NOT- He cans speak…)
• She eats
eats a sandwich at 9:30
• She may eat
eat a sandwich at 9:30.
How
How
?
?

7. 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 be
be late.
They might not come
come to the party.
Compare: I don’t like to be late.
I cannot eat
eat any more cakes.
I don’t eat
eat carrot cakes.
How
How
?
?

8. 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
How
How
?
?

9. • 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 their
Modal Verbs and their
substitutes
substitutes

10. will- will not - won
will- will not - won’
’t
t
We use this modal to speak about
future actions that we are sure/
convinced about.

11. Today is Tuesday. Tomorrow
will be
will be Wednesday.
= I know it because this is a known
fact.
We will not be
will not be in the office
tomorrow.
= I know it because he is going on
vacation.
will- will not(=won
will- will not(=won’
’t)
t)

12. Can
Can –
– Could
Could –
–Be able to
Be able to
We use these modals to express:
• General ability/ disability
• possibility / impossibility
• opportunity
• Permission
• request

13. Can
Can
I can
can walk.
= I have the general ability to do
the action of walking.
I can’t
can’t hear you, it is too noisy.
=I don’t have the ability to hear what
you are saying because of the noise.

14. Can
Can
I have some free time. I can
can help her
now.
=I have the opportunity to help her.
I can't
can't help her now because I don't
have any time.
=I don’t have the opportunity to help her.

15. Can
Can Could
Could
In the past, can changes to could.
He could
could speak only Hebrew when
he was a kid. He couldn
couldn’
’t
t speak to
his neighbor who speaks only English.
(General ability)
Practice time-can/could

16. may
may
=future possibility/get permission

17. • I may
may choose to wear the red dress
to 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 may
may come on time.
=Although usually he comes late,
There is a possibility that today he will come on
time.
may
may

18. • May
May 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 may
may take only one candy.
=Although there are more candies, I permit you
to take only one of them!
may
may

19. might
might
=possibility

20. • We may
may come on time, but if you
miss the bus, we might
might be late.
=I plan to come on time and this is why I I want
to catch the 7:15 bus.
If I catch the 7:30 bus, I can come on time or
not, I’m not sure.
• If you advertise on the Internet you
might
might 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.
might
might

21. should
should
= advice or a strong suggestion.

22. • If you want to be a champion you
should
should practice every day.
=You don’t have to practice but then, you will
not get better.
• When you make a cheese cake, you
should
should first check that you have
cheese.
-or else, it will not be a cheese cake

23. must - mustn
must - mustn’
’t
t
Must – very strong advice/ obligation
Mustn't – things you're not allowed to
do.

24. • She is sick. She has high fever. She
must
must take a pill.
= very strong advice/ obligation
• You mustn
mustn’
’t
t ride your bike without a
helmet!
= you're not allowed to do.()

25. Semi modals
Semi modals

26. have to - has to
have to - has to
had to
had to –
– will have to
will have to
= it is necessary
=shows obligation and giving advice.
have to/has to –in the present/near future
had to –in the past
will have to –in the future

27. • I have to
have to clean my room.
(My mother forces me to do it.)
• She has to
has to finish the test before the
bell rings.
(After the bell rings, you can’t go on answering
the questions.)
• Gail Devers had to
had to take radiation
therapy for her decease.
(…to get well.)
• At the end of the 8th
grade we will
will
have to
have to leave our school.
(…and go to high school.)

28. don
don’
’t have to
t have to
doesn
doesn’
’t have to
t have to
Don't have to / Doesn't have to
= it isn't necessary
Practice time-have/has to

29. Ought to
Ought to –
– be supposed to
be supposed to
–
– be allowed to
be allowed to
• Ought to =
• be supposed to= we expect him/her
to
• be allowed to = permission someone
will let/permit him do it.

30. • That’s a great movie. You ought
ought to see it!
(or You must
must see it.)
• The teacher is supposed to
is supposed to base the
grades on the tests and assignments.
• On Friday, the students in our school don’t
have to
have to wear the school uniform. They are
allowed to
allowed to wear any color they want. (They
are permitted to
are permitted to / They can
can even wear a pink
shirt with yellow stripes.)

31. (
(
be
be
)
)
able to
able to
be able to show an ability.
-I don’t know when I will be ready. I
will be able to
will be able to give you an answer
later.
-Is he able to
able to do it? Yes, he knows
how to do it and has time to do it.
(=Can
Can he do it?)

32. negative contractions
negative contractions
(short form)
(short form)

33. • 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 their
Modal Verbs and their
substitutes
substitutes