Modals can - could will - would may - might - must shall - should Modals used as auxiliary verb (e.g. I can go) do not show tense or subject agreement (e.g. He can go - not He cans go) before the negative particle in not negation (e.g. I cannot go) before the subject in yes-no questions (e.g. Can you go?) take the bare infinitive verb as the main verb in a verb phrase (e.g. He can go - not He can to go or He can went) • express stance meanings (see next slides) Time Differences with Modals Modals referring to present and future time: can may shall will Modals that can refer to past time: could might should would * Note that each present/ future modal has a corresponding past modal Stance meanings of Modals Permission/ ability: can could may might Meanings Personal meaning - permission or possibility, ability Logical meaning - possibility Stance meanings of Modals Obligation/ necessity: must should have (got) to need to be supposed to Meanings Personal meaning - obligation Logical meaning - necessity Stance meanings of Modals The act of choosing/ prediction: will would shall Meanings Personal meaning - volition or intention Logical meaning - prediction Requests: Boss and Worker: With your partner create 5 requests with FULL answers for each person using Could. Now, 5 using would Offers Create 5 requests using can, and then 5 full answers to those requests. Create 5 requests that the host of this party would make to their guests! Health Patterns: Ability With your partner list 10 things you had the ability to do when you were high school, that you cannot do now Using Could. Ex When I was in High School I could run 100 meters in 10 seconds! Obligations: Must, have to, should. Remember Mary? Her move to the country didn’t work out! She has decided to go back to school to get a master’s degree. What obligations does she have to accomplish this goal? Make 5 for each: Must, have to, should. Look at this photo of people. Using possibility modals (may might could must) describe their job and how you know. Ex: Person 1 must be a firefighter, because he has a helmet and a hose. The missing person! May, might, could, must The chairwoman has not arrived to this meeting. She is now 20 mins late. Using the modals above, create possibilities for her missing the meeting and tell how certain you are. Ex: She must be stuck in traffic. (high certainty). Sheldon, Douglas (SD) Frequency of Modals in Academic Writing can may will would should must could might have to shall The most frequent modals in academic writing are can, may, and will. Would, should, must, could, and might are used but infrequently. The most infrequent modals in academic writing are have to and shall. Shall is extremely infrequent. ...

1. Modals
can - could
will - would
may - might - must
shall - should
Modals used as auxiliary verb (e.g. I can go)
do not show tense or subject agreement (e.g. He can go - not
He cans go)
before the negative particle in not negation (e.g. I cannot go)
before the subject in yes-no questions (e.g. Can you go?)
take the bare infinitive verb as the main verb in a verb phrase
(e.g. He can go - not He can to go or He can went)
• express stance meanings (see next slides)
Time Differences with Modals
Modals referring to present and future time:
can may shall will
Modals that can refer to past time:
could might should would

2. * Note that each present/ future modal has a corresponding
past modal
Stance meanings of Modals
Permission/ ability: can could may might
Meanings
Personal meaning - permission or possibility, ability
Logical meaning - possibility
Stance meanings of Modals
Obligation/ necessity: must should have (got) to need to be
supposed to
Meanings
Personal meaning - obligation
Logical meaning - necessity
Stance meanings of Modals
The act of choosing/ prediction: will would shall
Meanings
Personal meaning - volition or intention
Logical meaning - prediction
Requests:
Boss and Worker: With your partner create 5 requests with
FULL answers for each person using Could.

3. Now, 5 using would
Offers
Create 5 requests using can, and then 5 full answers to those
requests.
Create 5 requests that the host of this party would make to their
guests!
Health Patterns: Ability
With your partner list 10 things you had the ability to do when
you were high school, that you cannot do now Using Could. Ex
When I was in High School I could run 100 meters in 10
seconds!
Obligations: Must, have to, should.
Remember Mary? Her move to the country didn’t work out!
She has decided to go back to school to get a master’s degree.
What obligations does she have to accomplish this goal? Make
5 for each: Must, have to, should.
Look at this photo of people. Using possibility modals (may
might could must) describe their job and how you know.
Ex: Person 1 must be a firefighter, because he has a helmet and
a hose.
The missing person! May, might, could, must

4. The chairwoman has not arrived to this meeting. She is now 20
mins late. Using the modals above, create possibilities for her
missing the meeting and tell how certain you are.
Ex: She must be stuck in traffic. (high certainty).
Sheldon, Douglas (SD)
Frequency of Modals in Academic Writing can
may
will
would
should
must
could
might
have to
shall
The most frequent modals in
academic writing are can, may,
and will.
Would, should, must, could, and
might are used but infrequently.
The most infrequent modals in
academic writing are have to and
shall. Shall is extremely infrequent.