Modal Auxiliary Verbs

Modal Auxiliary Verbs

Modal Auxiliary Verbs are used to indicate permission,

possibility, ability, necessity, and advisability.

Examples:

I will study at Kardan University.

May I come in?
He may pass the test.
She can do it.
I must study hard.
You should be on time.
 MODAL USES
Basically all AUXILIARIES have two usages

primary use secondary use

The use of MODALS for The use of
MODALS for
their initial or basic MEANING. Some other purposes.
Like: CAN shows ABILITY LIKE: CAN shows request
E.G. I can drive. E.g. Can I go?
In the above example the In the above example the
MODAL “CAN” has its primary MODAL “CAN”
use.
 Modal Auxiliary Verbs

modal auxiliaries do not take final ‘s’ even if the subject is

singular.

e.g. He can do it.

modal auxiliaries are followed by simple form of the verb

(bare infinitive).

e.g. She will come.

Note: the modal auxiliary “Ought to”

to is exception and
followed by to.
e.g. He ought to go to the meeting.
 Polite request with “I” as the subject

May/could/can I is used when the speaker wants to do

something himself.
Examples:
May I use your computer?
Could I use your computer?
Can I use your computer?

Note: May & could have the same meaning & are
equally polite, but can is considered a bit informal.

Note: Might can also be used to make a polite request as

could/may.
e.g. Might I use your computer?
Polite request with “you” as the subject

We use would/will/could/can + you to show that the speaker wants

someone else to do something for him or for her.

Would & will have the same meaning but will is considered informal.
Basically would and could have the same meaning. The difference is
slight.

Would shows willingness.

Could shows possibility. (if it is possible and if you want to do.

Would you please open the door?

Could you please open the door?
 Polite request with would you mind

Note: Would you mind if I is followed by the simple past.

e.g. Would you mind if I closed the windows?
It has the same meaning like; May I close the windows?
Here the speakers want to do something himself. But when
he wants someone else to do something for him or her, so
we use would you mind + ing verb.
e.g. Would you mind closing the door?
Typical Responses
No. I’d be happy to.
Not at all. I’d be glad to.
 Using imperative sentences to make polite request

Imperative sentences are normally used to make an order (or

request when the word please is added)

Examples:
Open the door.
Be on time.
Don’t make noise.
Bring a glass of water, please.

Note: It can also be used to give directions.

e.g. Turn right at the corner.

Note: Sometimes would/could you is added as a tag question to turn an imperative

into a polite request. But sometimes won’t is added to make a very polite request.

Examples:
Open the door, would/could you?
Bring a glass of water, won’t you?
 Expressing necessity (must, have to & have got to)

Must and have to both express necessity.

Examples:
You must study hard for exam.
You have to study hard for exam.
Must is stronger than have to, but have to is more commonly used in
everyday English. Have got to is also used to show necessity, but is
considered informal and is used commonly in spoken English. Have to
is used both in formal and in informal English.
e.g. I have go to go now. I have to go now.
Note: The idea of past necessity is expressed by had to only.
e.g. I had to go to the doctor last night.
 Lack of necessity & prohibition

When must & have to are used in negative, they have different
meanings.

e.g. You must not go out. (prohibition)

e.g. You don’t have to go to office. (lack of necessity)

Note: The lack of necessity can also be expressed by “need not”. The
use of need as an auxiliary is chiefly British.

e.g. You needn’t worry.

 Advisability should, ought to & had better

Should & ought to have the same meaning. They express advisability.
Examples:
You should study harder.
You ought to study harder.
Had better is close in meaning to should/ought to but had better is a
bit stronger and sometimes it expresses a warning or threat of a
possible bad consequence.
e.g. You had better study harder.
Note: Ought to in not commonly used in negative. When it
Is used, the to is dropped.
e.g. you oughtn’t leave your key in the car.
 The past form of should
When should + have + past participle is used, it shows that something
was good but you did not do it. You made a mistake.

Examples:
I should have studied last night.
I should have gone to the doctor.

Note: Should + not + have + past participle is used to talk about a

negative idea that we did, but it was not good.

e.g. You should not have gone to the movie.

Note: The past forms of ought to and had better are the same.
e.g. You ought to have studied harder.
e.g. You had better have studied harder.
 Expectations, Be supposed to & Be to
Be supposed to & Be to are used to express that someone expects
something to happen.

Examples:
You are supposed to come on time.
You are to come on time.

Be to is stronger, more definite than be supposed to.

Be supposed to & be to express expectations about behavior; often

they give the idea that someone expects a particular person to do
something.
Compare the examples:

I should go to university. I can learn something new if I go. Going to the

university is a good idea.

I am supposed to go to university. I have a very important class today.

Be to is close in meaning to must.

Compare;

I must got to class. The students are waiting.

I am to go to class. otherwise, the teacher will

mark me absent.
 Making suggestions, let’s, why don’t, shall & we

The above mentioned words are used to make suggestions and have the
same meaning.

Examples:
Let’s go out for a walk.
Why don’t we go out for a walk?
Shall we go out for a walk?
Shall I go out for a walk?

Note: When I & We are used with shall in a question, the speaker is usually making
a suggestion and asking another person if s/he agrees with this.

Note: Sometimes “shall we” is used as a tag question after let’s. more
informally, “okay?” is used as a tag question.

Examples:
Let’s go, shall we?
Let’s go, okay?
 Making suggestions (Could)
Could can also be used to make a suggestion.

Examples:
Why don’t we go out for a walk? (you can either
include or exclude yourself in the suggestion)
Why don’t you go out for a walk?
Could we go out for a walk?

Note: Sometimes should is used in this structure, but

it always gives definite advice.
e.g. You are very weak at math. You should talk to your
mathematics teacher.
 Modals in Past
we use should + have + past participle to talk about “hindsight advice”

e.g. You had a test and you failed that badly.

Now your teacher says;
You should have studied harder.

Could + have + past participle is also possible in this structure, but it has
another meaning. It talks about “hindsight possibilities”.

e.g. Last night you were very sick. You did not sleep the whole night. Now
your mother says;
You could have asked me to carry you to the doctor.

Note: Might (but not may) is also possible to give suggestion, but
could is more common.
e.g. You might talk to you teacher.

…might/ may have + past participle… (hindsight possibilities)

 Expressing degree of certainty:
Present Time

Degree of certainty refers to how sure we are and what we

think the chances are that something is true.

If we are 100% sure that something is true in the present, we

don’t need to use a modal auxiliary.

Present tense: 100%

e.g. Ali is sick. It means that I am very sure that it is true.
 Must & May/might/could
Must is used to show a strong degree of certainty, but the
degree of certainty is still 95%.

e.g. Ali is not in class. He must be sick. (He usually comes on

time and is present in the class, but today he is not present;
so that is my logical conclusion.)

May/might/could: are also used to show degree of certainty

but less than 50%.

e.g. Ali is not in the class. He might/may/could be sick. It

means that I can think of some more possibilities as well.

Note: Maybe is an adverb, but has the same meaning as

“may be”
 Degree of certainty present time negative

Ali is not sick. Here in this sentence the speaker is sure that
Ali is not sick. (100%)

Ali couldn’t/can’t be sick. Here the speaker believes that

there is no possibility that Ali is sick( but the speaker is 99%
sure).
Note: Couldn’t/can’t forcefully express the idea that the
speaker believes something is impossible.
 Degree of certainty present time negative

Faisal is not eating his food. He must not be hungry. Here the
speaker is expressing a logical conclusion, a “best guess”
(95%)

I don’t know why he is not eating. He may/might/ not be

hungry. Here the speaker is using may/might not to express
possibility.
May/may shows less than 50% possibility.
 Degree of certainty past time

Hamid wasn’t in class yesterday. She was sick.

Here the speaker is 100%.

Hamid must have been sick. Here the speaker is making a

logical conclusion that he saw Hamid, who was not feeling
well, that is why he is making this logical reason. (95%)

Hamid may/might/could have been sick. Here the speaker is

making one possibility.
 Degree of certainty past time
negative
Hamid was not sick. (100%)
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Hamid couldn’t have been sick. (99%)
Hamid can’t have been sick. (99%)
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Hamid must not have been sick. (95%)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Hamid may not have been sick.
Hamid might not have been sick.
(less than 50%)
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 Degree of certainty
future time
Azan will do well on the test. (100%) Here the
speaker feels sure.
Azan should do well on the test.
Azan ought to do well on the test. (90%) Here
the speaker is almost sure.
Azan may do well on the test.
Azan might do well on the test,
Azan could do well on the test. Less than 50%
Note: Should & Ought to are also used to show
expectations about future.
e.g. She should/ought to come on time tomorrow.
 Progressive forms of modals
Let’s knock at the door lightly. Tom may be
sleeping . It shows a progressive present
possibility time.
All the lights are turned off in Sahil’s room. He
must be sleeping. It shows a progressive
present result.
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Ahmad wasn’t home when we went there. He might
have been studying at the library. Past progressive action.
Ahmad wasn’t home when we went there. He must
have been studying at the library. Past progressive action.
 Using used to & Be used to
Used to is used to talk about a habitual action
which existed in the past but does not exist
now.
e.g. He used to smoke cigar. It means that he
does not smoke cigar now. He gave up
smoking.
Be used to is used to talk about present habit.
e.g. I am used to sleeping with windows open.
 Used to & Be used to
Be used to is a gerund verb which is followed
by ing form of the verb.
e.g. He is used to studying till late at night.
Note: Be used to, Be accustomed to, Got used to
& Got accustomed to are gerund verbs and are
followed by Ing form of the verb.
Examples:
Ahmad is accustomed to living in cold weather.
Ahmad got used to living in cold weather.
Ahmad got accustomed to living in cold weather.
 Using Would (Repeated
Action in the Past)
Would & Used to have the same meaning
when they talk about past repeated actions.
Examples:
My father used to tell me stories when I was a child.
My father would tell me stories when I was a child.
Here the above sentences have the same meaning.
But sometimes Used to is used to show an action
that existed in the past. Would can not be used for
this situation.
e.g. I used to live in Peshawar.
 Expressing Preferences:
Would Rather
Would rather expresses preference. It is
followed by the simple form of the verb.
e.g. I would rather stay at home than go out.
Here staying home is preferred. When the verb
is the same, it does have to be repeated after
than.
e.g. I would rather play cricket than (play) tennis.
The past form of would rather is Would rather + have
+ past participle.
e.g. The movie was ok, but I would rather have gone to the
concert last night.
The progressive form of would rather + Be + ing
e.g. I would rather be lying on a beach in
Kargha than (be) sitting in class right now.
Pronunciation (Contraction):
I’d (I would)
I’d rather of
 Can & Be able to
Can is a modal auxiliary verb which is used to
show ability and can informally be used to give
permission like may;
Examples:
He can speak English very well. (ability)
You can leave now. (permission)
Be able to is a semi auxiliary verb which has
almost the same function as can.
e.g. He is able to speak English very well.
 Could
Could is a modal auxiliary verb which is used
to show past ability.
e.g. He could speak French well when he was a child.
Be able to is also used to talk about past
ability.
e.g. He was able to speak French well when he
was a child.
Be able to is normally used to show that
someone managed to do a particular action.
e.g. Last night someone was following but I was able
to escape.
 Summary chart of modals
& semi auxiliaries verbs
May/Might. A polite request
May. Formal permission
May/Might. Possibility (present & past)
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Should. Advisability
Should. Certainty (90%)
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Ought to. Advisability
Ought to. Certainty (90%)
Had better. Advisability/thread
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Be supposed to. Expectations
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Be to. Strong expectations
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Must. Strong necessity
Must. Prohibition
Must. Certainty (95%)
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Have to. Necessity
Have to. Lack of necessity
Have got to. Necessity
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Will. Certainty (100%)
Will. Willingness
Will. Polite request
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Be going to. Certainty (100%)
Be going to. Definite plan
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Can. Ability
Can. Informal permission
Can. Informal polite request
Can. Impossibility (negative only)
Could. Past ability
Could. Polite request
Could. Suggestion
Could. Possibility (less than 50%)
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Be able to. Ability
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Would. Polite request
Would. Preference
Would. Repeated action in the past
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Used to. Repeated action in the past
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Shall. Polite question to make a suggestion
Shall. Future with “I & we”