MODAL VERBS

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 Modal Basics

• Acting as auxiliaries
• Modals + bare-Infinitive
• Never changing forms (no -s, -ed, or -ing)
• Used with progressive (be + V-ing) and perfect (have + p.p.)
aspects

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 Primary Functions

• CAN / COULD => ability

• MAY / MIGHT => permission
• WILL / WOULD => prediction
• SHALL => prediction
• SHOULD / OUGHT => escapable obligation or duty
• MUST => inescapable obligation
• NEEDN’T => absence of obligation
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 Secondary Functions
might very
may uncertain
could
can be right.
You should
ought to
would have been
will right. almost
must certain
You are right. certain
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 Modalities

PERMISSION /
ABILITY POSSIBILITY
PROHIBITION

ADVISABILITY/DUTY/
OFFERS/REQUESTS/
DEDUCTION OBLIGATION/
SUGGESTIONS
NECESSITY
INADVISABILITY/LACK
OF NECESSITY, HABIT
PROHIBITION

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 Ability
• CAN / COULD => natural or learned ability
• Can you run 1500 meters in 5 mins.?
• Can you drive a car?
• Jim could run very fast when he was a boy.
• Barbara couldn’t sing very well when she was younger.
• be (un)able to
• be (in)capable of
• manage to
• succeed in
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 Ability
• COULD/WAS/WERE ABLE TO => acquisition of a skill after effort
• I tried again and found I could/was able to swim.
• WAS/WERE ABLE TO, MANAGED TO, SUCCEEDED IN => specific
achievement in the past
• In the end they managed to rescue the cat on the roof. (… couldn’t
rescue the cat …)
• Could they rescue the cat …? (No, they couldn’t./Yes, they managed to.)
• CAN/COULD + verbs of perception (NOT be able to)
• I can smell something burning.
• I couldn’t understand why he had decided to retire at 50.
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 Ability

• COULD ~ WOULD BE ABLE TO => “unreal past” (if-clause implied, unreal

situations NOT in the past)

• I'm sure you could get into university (if you applied).
• I could slap your face!

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 Ability

• COULD HAVE/WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO => ability not used due to
personal failure or lack of opportunity

• I could have done better in my school years if I had tried harder.

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 Permission / Prohibition
Informal
Can I stay out late?
can/can’t/
mustn’t
Could I stay out late?

May I stay out late?

may/mayn’t/
mustn’t
Might I stay out late?
Formal
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 Permission / Prohibition

• (not) be allowed to
• (not) be permitted to
• be forbidden to
• be prohibited
• be not to
• negative imperatives

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 Permission / Prohibition

• Very polite…
• Can/Could I (possibly)…
• Do you think I could/might use your phone?
• I wonder if I could/might…
• Might I (possibly) be allowed to...?

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 Possibility

• A certain fact
• She is at home.
• A possibility
• She could/may/might be at home.
• Less common for possibility
• She should/ought to be at home.

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 Possibility

• Questions about possibility

• Might/Could/Can* this be true?
• Might/Could he know the answer?
• Might/Could/Can* he still be working?
• Might/Could/Can* he have been waiting long?
• Might/Could he have left by tomorrow?

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 Deduction
• Certainty / Facts
• He lives here. / He is leaving.
• He lived here. / He has left. / He was working late.
• Deduction
• He must live here. / He must be leaving.
• He can’t live here. / He can’t be leaving.
• He must have lived here. / He must have been leaving.
• He can’t/couldn’t have lived here. / He can’t/couldn’t have been
leaving.

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 Requests with things/substances

Requests Responses

Of course, you can/may. (NOT could/

Can I have a sandwich (please)?
might)
Could I have some co ee
Certainly.
(please)?

May I have a sandwich (please)? No, you can’t/may not (, I’m afraid).

Might I have some water (please)? I’m afraid there isn’t any.
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ff
 Requests with action

• Requests
• Will/Would you (kindly) open the door for me (please)?
• Can/Could you (possibly) open the door (please)?
• Would you mind opening the window for me (please)?
• Responses
• Yes, of course (, I will).
• No, I’m afraid I can’t.

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 Suggestion/Invitations with actions

• Suggestions/Invitations
• Will/Won’t you come for a walk?
• Would/Wouldn’t you like to watch some movie?
• Responses
• (Yes,) I’d love/like to.
• (No,) I’d prefer not to, thank you.

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 Suggestions with actions

• Suggestions
• Shall we go for a swim?
• We can/could/might go for a swim.
• What shall/can/could we do this evening?
• Responses
• Yes, let’s. / Yes, shall we?
• No, I’d rather we didn’t./ No, I’d rather not.

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 O ers with actions
• Offers
• Can/Could/Shall I open the window (for you)?
• Would you like me to open the window?
• What shall/can I do for you?
• May I take your coat? (very polite)
• Responses
• Yes, please. / Can/Could/Would you? That’s very kind.
• No, thank you.
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ff
 Advisability
SHOULD

OUGHT TO

HAD BETTER

NEED TO

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 Necessity

HAVE TO

HAVE GOT TO

MUST

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 Advisability/ Necessity in the past

• * I should have been at the o ce before 9.

• * I ought to have left/have been leaving London before 9.
• I had to be at the o ce before 9.
• I had to be leaving London before 9.

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ffi
ffi
 Lack of necessity
Present Past

You needn’t go there.

You needn’t have gone there.
(You went there unnecessarily.)
You don’t need to go there.

You don’t have to go there. You didn’t need/have to go there.

(There was no necessity to go there, whether
You haven’t got to go there. you did go or not.)

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 Inadvisability
Present Past

You shouldn’t have started smoking. (but

You shouldn’t start smoking.
you ignored this advice)

You ought not to have started smoking.

You ought not to start smoking.
(but you ignored this advice)

You’d better not start smoking.

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 Failure to observe a prohibition

Present Past

You shouldn’t have parked here. (but you

You can’t park here.
did)

You oughtn’t to have parked here. (but you

You mustn’t park here.
did)

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 Habit

• He will always complain if he gets the opportunity.

• When we were students we would often stay up all night
• Jackie used to make all her own dresses.

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 Past habit

• I used to smoke, but I don't any more/any longer.

• I never used to eat a large breakfast, but I do now.
• I collected stamps when I was a child.
• I used to collect stamps (when I was a child).
• When I was a boy we always spent (or used to spend) our holidays on a
farm. We'd get up at 5 and we'd help milk the cows. Then we'd return to
the farm kitchen, where we would eat a huge breakfast.

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 Past habit

USED TO • no time reference necessary

• can be used to refer to states

• a time reference necessary

WOULD • never used at the beginning of a story
• not used to refer to states

past simple • a time reference necessary

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• COULD (not) have p.p.
• CAN’T/COULDN’T have p.p.
• MAY/MIGHT (not) have p.p.
• MUST have p.p.
• NEEDN’t have p.p.
• OUGHT (not) to have p.p.
• SHOULD (not) have p.p.
• WILL (not) have p.p.
• WOULD (not) have p.p. 30