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MODAL VERBS in English: Necessity

Modal verbs express ideas such as possibility, prediction, speculation, deduction and necessity. They do not have participle or infinitive forms and do not take -(e)s in the third-person singular. Questions are formed by subject-auxiliary inversion. Common modal verbs include can, could, may, might, must, should, ought to, shall, and will. Semi-modal verbs are composed of two or more words ending in "to" like have to and be able to.

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Milena Mićanović Hadžimahović
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39 views

MODAL VERBS in English: Necessity

Modal verbs express ideas such as possibility, prediction, speculation, deduction and necessity. They do not have participle or infinitive forms and do not take -(e)s in the third-person singular. Questions are formed by subject-auxiliary inversion. Common modal verbs include can, could, may, might, must, should, ought to, shall, and will. Semi-modal verbs are composed of two or more words ending in "to" like have to and be able to.

Uploaded by

Milena Mićanović Hadžimahović
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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MODAL VERBS in English

Modal verbs are a type of auxiliary verb which express the mood of another verb.
They are used to express ideas such as: possibility, prediction, speculation, deduction and
necessity.

Modal verbs have the following characteristics:

1) They do not have participle or infinitive forms


2) They do not take the ending -(e)s in the third-person singular.
3) They do not have a past form: He/she canted. He/she musted.
4) The negative is formed by the addition of not / n’t: He cannot/ He can’t. NOT He don’t
can.
5) Questions are formed by inversion with the subject:  Can you? NOT Do you can?

MODAL CONCEPT EXAMPLE

Can  Ability: Julie can swim.

Permission: Can I come with you? ('May' is also used.)

Offers:  Can I help you?

Could Possibility: That story could be true - who knows!

Past ability: Charlie could swim when he was four years old.

Permission: Could I use your phone please?

Requests:  Could you tell me the way to the station please?

May Possibility: The President may come to our offices if the


meeting finishes before 5 pm.

Permission: May I borrow your dictionary?

Might Slight possibility : We might win a prize but I doubt it.

Past form of 'may' The President said he might come.


in reported speech:

Must Obligation: Dogs must be kept on a lead.

Logical deduction: You must be tired after your long journey.

Mustn't Prohibition: You mustn't tell Alex. It's a surprise!


Should Advice: You should take an umbrella in case it rains.

Logical deduction: I've revised so I should be ready for the test.

Ought to Advice: You ought to write to your grandmother.

Logical deduction: 30 € ought to be enough for the taxi.

Shall Future tense auxiliary: I shall be in London on Monday (or I'll be ...).

Offers/suggestions Shall I order a taxi?


with ''I' and 'we': Shall we begin the meeting now?

Will Future tense auxiliary: The ticket will cost about 50€.

Invitations/offers:  Will you join us for coffee? Won't you come in?

*semi-modals
Semi-modal verbs are composed of two or more separate words ending with ‘to’.
Have to / have got to - be able to - ought to  are examples of semi-modal verbs.

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