Modal Verbs in English

What are modal verbs?

They are: • Ought to
• Can
They are Auxiliary verbs that
• Could
provide additional and specific
• May meaning to the main verb of the
• Might sentence
• Must
• Shall Modal verbs are sometimes
• Should referred to as
• Will Modal Auxiliary verbs because
they help other verbs
• Would
How do we use modals?

S M V
Subject Verb

Example: Mary could play the piano

They do not accept conjugation
They do not need other auxiliary verbs

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Form
There is no “s” in singular
There is no “do / does” in the question
There is no “don’t / doesn’t” in the negative

He can ski He cans ski or He can skis

Would you like to come with me?
Do you would like to come with me?
They can’t be serious
They don’t can be serious
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Form

Modal verbs do not have infinitives or –ing forms

to can / caning to must /musting

Modal verbs are followed by an infinitive without to

She must study

We should have gone the other way
He could play football in his youth (general ability)
Form

Modal verbs do not have all the tenses

Modal verbs use other verbs to complete the tenses

Can is completed with be able to
Must is completed with have to

You
They
must
can come
play the
early
piano
They
You will
hadbetoable
cometoearly
play the
yesterday
piano in the future
What do they express?
They can have different meanings depending on the
situations they are used
To understand it better we are going to divide them into 3
categories
1. Single Concept Modal: they have one meaning
2. Double Concept Modal: they have two meanings
3. Modals in past: They are used to express a situation in
the past
Categories
Single concept Multiple Concept Modals in Past
Modals Modals
Will May Would have
Might Must Could have
Should Would Might have
Ought to Shall Should have
Had better Could May have
Can Must have
Single Concept Modal
Modal Concept Examples
Will Future Joe will travel to NY next week

Might Small probability I might move to Canada some day

Should Recommendation You should go to the doctor

Ought to Formal We ought to know about first aids

recommendation
Had better Warning I had better study or I will fail the test
Multiple Concept Modal
Modal Concept Examples
May (1) Permission May I come in?

May (2) Good probability We may visit Mexico this summer

Must (1) Responsibility Everyone must pay taxes

Must (2) Assumption She didn’t arrive. She must be sick

Would (1) Past (used to) When I was young, I would play
soccer
Would (2) Present unreal I would buy the car but I can’t afford
it
Multiple Concept Modal
Modal Concept Examples
Shall (1) Educated expression Excuse me, I shall go now
Offer Shall I clean it?
Shall (2) Contractual obligation The company shall pay on January 1st

Could (1) Unreal Ability I could go if I had time

Could (2) Past Ability She could play the piano, not anymore

Can (1) Present Ability We can speak English

Can (2) Permission Can I have a sweet?

Modals in the Past
They are modals referred to actions that happened in the past

MODAL + HAVE + verb in past participle

Could have, would have, and should have are sometimes called
“modals of lost opportunities.” They work like a grammatical time
machine. The simple past just tells what happened. Past modals tell
what could have, would have, and should have happened.

It must have been a difficult decision

They should have invited her to their wedding
Except for modals that express obligation,
ability and lack of necessity:
Obligation:
Present = I must / have to work hard.
Past = I had to work hard.
Ability:
Present = I can run fast.
Past = I could run fast when I was young.
Lack of necessity:
Present = You don't have to / needn't take your umbrella.
Past = You didn't have to / didn't need to take your umbrella.
Must have + past participle

We use ‘must have + past participle’ when we are quite sure about
something.

You must have been very pleased when you received the results of
your exams.
He must have forgotten his phone at home again. He’s not
answering.
I must have left my keys in the car. I can’t find them.
We must have been crazy to let that happen!
Could have / might have / may have + past
participle

We use ‘could have /might have/may have + past participle’ when

we are not sure about something but we think it was possible.

He was supposed to be here an hour ago but he could have been

stuck in a traffic jam.
He may have said he was coming but I can’t really remember. I
wasn’t listening.
I might have been here when I was a child but I can’t really
remember.
Can’t have + past participle

We use ‘can’t have + past participle’ for things that we are sure did
not happen in the past.

I can’t have left my phone at work. You phoned me when I was

walking to my car. That’s it. It must be in the car.
You can’t have seen him this morning. He was with me all the time.
She can’t have liked the show. She hates musicals.
Would have + past participle

Would have has two common structures. The first is with but.

I would have A, but I had to B.

Use this structure to show that you wanted to do something in the
past, but you could not.

I would have called, but there was no phone service.

I would have loaned you the money, but I didn’t have any.
I would have bought the car, but I didn’t have money
Would have + past participle

Would have also forms the result clause of a past unreal conditional.

For example:

If I had known they were vegetarians, I would have made a salad.

If we had arrived earlier, we would have caught our flight.
If I had brought my umbrella, I wouldn’t have gotten wet in the rain.
Should have + past participle

Use should have to say that a different action was recommended in

the past.
If you arrive late to English class, you can say:
“I should have left my house earlier.”
If you regret an argument, you can say:
“I shouldn’t have yelled at you yesterday. I’m sorry.”

You can also use should have / shouldn’t have to tell other people
that a different action in the past would have been better.
If your friend fails a test, you can say:

You should have studied.

You shouldn’t have played video games all weekend.
Practise
1. My son ___ be home by now. Where can he be?

a. Have to b. Would c. Should d. Could

2. I think your thumb is broken. You ___ go to the emergency room.
a. Might b. could c. ought to d. can
3. If you are interested in losing weight, you ______ try this new diet.
a. Could b. mustn’t c. don’t have to d. had to
4. Johnnie’s fallen down the stairs! I ________ call an ambulance!
a. Will b. might c. may d. ought to
5. You _______ come too early. We won’t leave until 9 o’clock.
a. Has to b. must c. needn’t d. can’t
Practise
6. Children ________ be accompanied by an adult at the zoo.
a. Ought to b. must c. would d. mustn’t
7. You _________ talk during tests. It’s forbidden!
a. don’t have to b. mustn’t c. couldn’t d. ought to
8. I can feel the heat. We _________ be near the fire.
a. Can b. would c. must d. have to
9. They ________ hear him because he was whispering.
a. Wouldn’t b. mustn’t c. shouldn’t d. couldn’t
10. You’ve never heard of Britney Spears! You ________ be serious!

a. Must b. had to c. can’t d. shouldn’t

Practise
11. __________ you like to have dinner with me tonight?

a. Could b. may c. should d. would

12. You _________ let him hear about the party tomorrow. It’s a
surprise!
a. mustn’t b. wouldn’t c. couldn’t d. can
13. __________ I speak to the Chief of Police, please?

a. Must b. May c. Would d. Need

14. He has arrived late. He _______ missed the bus

a. Must have b. Should have c. Could have d. must

More practise
Re-write the following sentences using modals so that thay have the
same meaning.
1. I suggest that you get a good lawyer!
should get a lawyer
You ___________________________________________
2. A university degree isn’t necessary for that job.
needn’t have a university degree for that job
You ___________________________________________
don’t have to have a university…
3. Perhaps my father will pick you up.
may / might pick you up
My father _______________________________________
4. 4. Eating is forbidden in class!
mustn’t eat in class
You ___________________________________________
More practise
Re-write the following sentences using modals so that thay have the
same meaning.
5. Look at his dirty clothes! I’m sure he is a poor person.
must be a poor person
He ____________________________________________
6. I don’t believe that the legend of Hercules is true because there’re
many contradictions.
can’t be true
The legend of Hercules ____________________________
Past Modals

1. Choose one of the following to complete the sentences.

Must have - Might have - Should have - Can't have
can`t have
1. John ________ gone on holiday. I saw him this morning downtown.
must have
2. Nobody answered the phone at the clinic. It ________ closed early.
should have
3. I ________ revised more for my exams. I think I'll fail!
must have
4. Sarah looks really pleased with herself. She ________ passed her
driving test this morning.
5. I didn't know you were going to Phil's party yesterday. You
should havetold me!
________
Must have - Might have - Should have - Can't have

must have
6. I can't believe Jim hasn't arrived yet. He ________ caught the
wrong train.
can`t have
7. I can't believe Jim hasn't arrived yet. He ________ caught the
correct train.
can`t have
8. Don't lie to me that you were ill yesterday. You ________ been ill -
Don said you were at the ice hockey match last night.
9. I don't know where they went on holiday but they bought Euros
before they left so they might havegone to France or Germany.
________
must have
10. His number was busy all night - he ________ been on the phone
continuously for hours.
11. It can`t have been Mickey I saw at the party. He didn't recognize
________
me at all.
2. Make the correct past modal form (use could have / would have /
should have + past participle)

Could have/ should have/ would have

could have bought
1) I ________ (buy) bread, but I didn't know we needed it. (past
possibility)
shouldn`t have invited
2) We ________ (invite) so many people to our party! I'm worried
that we won't have enough room for everyone. (past negative advice
/ regret)
should have started
3) I ________ (start) saving money years ago! (past advice / regret)
would have joined
4) We ________ (join) you at the restaurant, but we couldn't get a
babysitter. (past willingness)
could have been
5) The weather ________ (be) any worse! (past negative possibility)
Could have/ should have/ would have

couldn`t have arrived

6) I ________ (arrive) on time, even if I'd left earlier. There were
dreadful traffic jams all the way. (past negative possibility)
could have won
7) They ________ (win) the football match, but John hurt his ankle.
(past possibility)
would have finished
8) Amanda ________ (finish) the work, but she felt ill and had to go
home. (past willingness)
should have left
9) Lucy ________ (leave) earlier. She missed her flight. (past advice /
regret)
couldn`t have finished
10) We ________ (finish) the game, even if we'd wanted to. It was
raining very hard and we had to stop. (past negative possibility)
Could have/ should have/ would have

shouldn`t have eaten

11) I ________ (eat) so much chocolate! I feel sick! (past negative
advice / regret)
could have passed
12) Luke ________ (pass) the exam if he'd studied a bit more. (past
possibility)
would have called
13) John ________ (call) Amy, but he didn't have her number. (past
willingness)
shouldn`t have been
14) You ________ (be) rude to him. He's going to be really angry now.
(past negative advice / regret)
could have come
15) She ________ (come) to the restaurant if she'd left work earlier.
(past possibility)
QUESTIONS?
 THANK YOU
FOR YOUR COOPERATION!
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