Modal verbs

 Modal verbs are verbs that are always followed by another infinitive
verb;
E.g. She can play the piano very well.

 To form the negative or the interrogative we don’t need an auxiliary

verb:

NEGATIVE – we just add NOT to the modal verb

E.g. We must not (mustn’t) wear sunglasses in the classroom

INTERROGATIVE – we just put the modal verb before the subject

E.g. Can you speak German?
 The 3rd person singular doesn’t take an -s/-es at the end of the
verb;
He can run the marathon.

 Each modal verb expresses many different meanings:

She can go to the party tonight.

(permission – asking and giving)

Tattoos can damage your skin.

(possibility/probability)

Garfield can eat a birthday cake all by himself.

(ability/capacity)
MODAL VERBS – meanings
(Make The Grade 2, WB pages 96-97)
 CAN/COULD
 ability/capacity
She can read this text in two minutes.
They can’t read without their glasses.

 permission
Can I go to the concert tonight? (asking permission)
No, you can't go to the concert. (refusing permission)
You can go to the cinema tonight. (giving permission)

 request

Can you pass me the salt, please?

Could you open the window, please? (more polite, formal)
  possibility/probability
Piercings can be dangerous.
You could get an infection. (less probable)
 Suggestion
We could go to the cinema tonight

BE ABLE TO
 ability/capacity
She was able to read when she was three.
Peter wasn’t able to speak till he was two.
 Possibility
Jack will be able to come next week.

- We often use it in places where it is not possible to use can: She won’t be able to concentrate 
 MAY / MIGHT

 permission (formal and polite)

May I come in?
Yes, you may.

 probability / possibility
She may go to the USA next week.
It’s a bit cold today. It might rain tomorrow…
(less probable / possible)
 SHOULD / OUGHT TO
* Should is much more common in negatives and questions
than ought to

 Advice
You should start studying. The test is tomorrow.
You shouldn’t spend all your money on clothes.

 Opinion
She believes every kid should have his/her own mobile.

 Desire
They should reduce the price of petrol. It’s so expensive.
 HAVE TO
- Have to is NOT a modal verb. We can use have to in all the verb forms 

 Necessity
You have to watch this film!. (You really must watch this film!)
 Obligation
You have to drive on the left in England.
I’ll have to get up early tomorrow. The exam is at 8.

DON’T HAVE TO
- We use don’t have to when we don’t need to do something, when there’s no obligation

 Lack of obligation
You don’t have to wait here. (=you can do it, but it’s not necessary)
 NEED TO
* Need to can be used in all the verb forms.

 Necessity
Do you need to talk to me?
She needs to sleep. She’s very tired now
 Obligation
We need to return this immediately

DON’T NEED TO (main verb) / NEEDN’T (semi-modal)

 Lack of obligation / necessity
You don’t need to hurry. There’s plenty of time.
You needn’t do all the exercises.
* Main verb need is followed by to and it changes with person, number and tense
 MUST
 obligation
Teens must ask for their parents’ permission.
 necessity
I don’t have food at home. I must go to
the supermarket.

 logical deduction/certainty
Mary is missing classes.
She never misses classes. She must be ill.

MUSTN’T
 prohibition
Students mustn’t use their mobiles in classes.
* there is obligation not to do something.
 WOULD
 Formal request
Would you make dinner?
Would you open the door, please?
(more polite than: Open the door, please.)

 Offer
Would you like a marmalade sandwich?
 ACTIVITIES
- Fill in the blanks using MUST, MUSTN’T, DON’T HAVE TO, SHOULD, SHOULDN’T, MIGHT, CAN, CAN’T
CAN’T
1. Jerry _______________ be working today. He never works on Sundays.
MUST
2. You _______________ be 18 to see that film.
MUST
3. You _______________ hear this story. It’s very funny.

CAN
4. You don’t have to shout. I _______________ hear you very well.

CAN’T
5. It _______________ be him. I saw him a week ago, and he didn’t look like that.
SHOULD
6. You look pretty tired. I think you _______________ go to bed early tonight.
MIGHT
7. Let me look. I _______________ be able to help you.
MUSTN’T cross the street if the lights are red !”
8. “Children, you _______________
SHOULDN’T sit so near the TV. It’s bad for your eyes.
9. You _______________
CAN’T
10. I’m sorry but I _______________ give you a lift because my car is broken.
DON’T HAVE TO work this evening. I can do the tasks for you.
11. You ___________________
CAN
12. John doesn’t need a calculator. He _______________ do sums in his head.
MUSTN’T
13. Passengers _______________ open the door when the train is moving.
DON’T HAVE TO pay for the tickets because I got them from Sam for free.
14. I ____________________
PERFECT MODAL VERBS
(Make The Grade 2, WB pages 96-97)
 PERFECT MODAL VERBS
 We use ‘perfect modals’ to talk about actions, events or possibilities in the past.
A ‘perfect modal’ is a modal verb combined with a present perfect verb form.

STRUCTURE: Subject + modal verb + have + past participle

E.G. My mother has arrived late. She must have been in a traffic jam.

Alex may have taken the wrong train.
She couldn’t have passed because she hadn’t studied enough.
You should have listened to the teacher.
I needn’t have read the book. There was no exam.

 We often speak about the past, and we often need to speak about

the past in order to explain mistakes or guess about possibilities. 

 MAY / MIGHT HAVE DONE SOMETHING
 To Express a guess or weak possibility in the past.

I don’t know where I have lost my umbrella. I may have left it on

the train.
I might have dropped it. Or I might have left it at the bus stop.

Teacher: Why didn’t el Richi come to school

yesterday?
Student: Well, he may have decided to stay at home.
Or he might have spent the day playing video games.
He might even have slept all day.
You know how he is.
 WOULD HAVE
 to talk about something you wanted to do but didn't. This is very
similar to the third conditional, but we don't need an 'if clause'.

I would have gone to the party, but I was really busy.

(I wanted to go to the party, but I didn't because I was busy. If I hadn't been so busy, I would have gone to the
party.)

I would have called you, but I didn't know your number.

(I wanted to call you but I didn't know your number, so I didn't call you.)

A: Nobody volunteered to help us with the fair

B: I would have helped you. I didn't know you needed help.
(If I had known that you needed help, I would have helped you.)
 NEEDN’T HAVE
 To express that the action is done, but it was unnecessary and even a
waste of time.

Yesterday my friend had already bought two tickets for the concert so
you really needn’t have bought another one, it was a waste of money.

Martha worked all the weekend to finish her assignment on time, but
actually she needn’t have done so.

The bus arrived two minutes after you left, so

you needn’t have taken a taxi.
 CAN’T HAVE DONE SOMETHING
 To show that we are almost sure something did NOT happen in the
past / impossibilities.

She can’t have forgotten to send you an invitation. You are her best friend
and besides, I saw your name on the list.

You can’t have seen Will at the mall yesterday.

He is in hospital and is very ill.

A: I saw Elvis in las Vegas when I was a child.

B: You can’t have seen him. He died long before you were born.
 MUST HAVE DONE SOMETHING
 To Show we are almost sure something happened in the past.

A: Lucy was terribly tired yesterday and when I called her last
night, she didn’t answer the phone.
B: She must have fallen asleep.

A: Some villagers were trapped on the mountain for a week.

B: Oh! They must have been very hungry when they came back.
 COULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING
 To show we had the ability or opportunity to do something in the
past but we didn’t do.
I could have studied law at university, but I didn’t want to.

 To show a suggestion that was not taken.

You could have asked for our help or you could have asked the
manager to assign you to a different task. Why didn’t you?

 To show an action that almost happened, but didn’t.

Be careful! That car could have knocked you over!!

 To show certainty that something didn’t happen.

They couldn’t have stolen my bicycle – there was nobody here.
 SHOULD / SHOULDN’T HAVE DONE
 To talk about unfulfilled obligations in the past.
I failed the test. I should have studied more I guess.
You should have returned the book to library on time. Now you have to pay
a fine.

 To talk about regrets.

I should have let my daughter marry the man she loved. She’s so unhappy now.
We shouldn’t have spoiled our son like this. Now he is out of control.

 Criticism.
Of course, you feel sick. You shouldn't have eaten so
much chocolate.
 ACTIVITIES
- Fill in the blanks using MUST, CAN’T, MAY, MIGHT, COULD, SHOULD, SHOULDN’T and the PAST FORMS of them

COULD HAVE LENT

1. I __________________________you the money. Why didn’t you ask me (LEND)
MUST HAVE MISSED
2. Mr Travis hasn’t come to work yet. He has never been late for work. He __________________________ the bus (MISS).
MUST HAVE LISTENED
3. She knew everything about our plans. She __________________________ to our conversation (LISTEN)
COULD/ MAY / MIGHT HAVE RAINED last night (RAIN).
4. The street is wet this morning . I’m not sure but it ________________________________________
CAN’T HAVE TALKED to her because she wasn’t at school yesterday. (TALK)
5. A : I talked to your science teacher yesterday. B : You ______________________
MUST HAVE WON
6. Mrs White bought a new fur coat ! - She __________________________ the lottery (WIN).
SHOULDN’T HAVE LET
7. He came home alone yesterday. You ________________________him MIGHT HAVE GOT lost. (LET, GET)
do that ; he __________________________
MAY/MIGHT HAVE BEEN Jack I saw in the park yesterday, but I’m not sure about it (BE).
8. It __________________________
MUST HAVE HAD
9. Sally looks worried . She __________________________ a problem with something (HAVE).
MUST HAVE BEEN
10. Everyone shouted in fear. They __________________________ very afraid (BE).
MUST HAVE LEFT
11. I can’t find my book . I __________________________ it on the bench. (LEAVE)
COULD HAVE BROKEN a leg (BREAK)
12. You were stupid to go skiing here. You __________________________
MUST HAVE WORKED so hard (WORK)
13. He looked so tired when I saw him. He __________________________
CAN’T HAVE WRITTEN this because it is in French and Tom doesn’t know French. (WRITE)
14. Tom __________________________
HAD BETTER
 HAD BETTER (‘d better)
- FORM
 The word had is a past verb form, but the expression had better is
only used to talk about the immediate future.
You‘d better call me soon. I’ll be worried.

 After had better we need to use infinitive without to.

I‘d better take a look. (NOT I’d better to take

 We use had better to give strong advice or to tell someone (including ourselves) what to do.
I‘d better go home. It’s getting late.
You‘d better tell mum what happened before she finds out. 
 Had better often implies that something negative will happen if something is not done and
it often sounds like a threat or a warning.
He‘d better give me my money back or he’ll be in trouble. 
You‘d better behave yourself if you don’t want me to get really angry. 
 Had better not (‘d better not) is the negative form of had better.

You‘d better not say a word about this. 

I‘d better not forget. 

 In spoken English we normally use the short form ‘d better.

And in informal speech, people sometimes say just better (without had).

You better go home.
I better get it right this time. 
 HAD BETTER vs SHOULD
 We often use should to give advice, to say that something is a good thing.

 And we use had better to express urgent advice or a warning, with bad

consequences if you don’t follow it.

You should try the cake. It’s delicious. 

She‘d better hurry up or she’ll miss my cake. 
 ACTIVITIES
- Fill in the blanks using SHOULD / OUGHT TO or HAD BETTER

OUGHT
1. His picture _______________ to increase in value.
SHOULD
2. The government _________________ help the unemployed people.
'D BETTER
3. You _________________ not shout at your sister or I'll punish you!
'D BETTER
4. You _________________ not eat fast food, otherwise you'll gain weight.
OUGHT
5. You _________________ not to have signed at the top of the letter.
SHOULD
6. You look tired. You _____________ take a rest.
OUGHT
7. You ________________ to switch off the light whenever you leave a room.
OUGHT
8. Mark __________________ to get the promotion. He deserves it.
'D BETTER
9. It's raining, we ___________________ go home.
SHOULD
10.You have a fever, you __________________ take off your coat!