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Modals With Activities For Learners

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51 views

Modals With Activities For Learners

Uploaded by

John Jabez Lucero
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Modals

Meaning

amodal is a verb that combines with another


verb to indicate mood or tense.
 A modal,also known as a modal auxiliary or modal
verb, expresses necessity, uncertainty, possibility,
or permission
Possibility

 can, could and may


This expresses what the speaker
It can be
believes is a general truth or
dangerous to
known fact, or a strong
cycle in the city.
possibility.

It could/may be This does not express a general


dangerous to truth. The speaker is only
cycle in the city. expressing a weak possibility.
Permission

can, could and may


asking for
formal/polite? giving permission formal/polite?
permission

Can I ask Yes, you can.


you a informal Yes, you may. informal
question? Yes, you could.

Could I use
more
your formal/polite
formal/polite
phone?
Requests

When we make requests, we can use can or could (but


not may). Could is more polite than can:

Can you call back later? I’m busy now.

Could you call back later? I’m busy now.


Teachers and
Can you open your
parents often
books at page 34,
use can and could in
please.
requests:

Can you please


Could you just sit
refrain from
down and listen!
chewing gum.
Request

 Similarly, if you want to ask someone else to do


something, start your question
with will, would, can, or could.
 Would you get that box off the top shelf?
 Will you turn that music down?
Suggestion/advice
 What if you want to recommend something, but not
command it? If you’re giving suggestions or advice
without ordering someone around, you can use the
modal verb should.
 You should try the lasagna.
 That guy should wear less cologne.
Command

 if you want to command someone, use the


modal verbs must, have to, or need to
You must wash your hands before cooking.
You need to be here before 8:00.
Obligation or necessity

 Modal verbs can express a necessary action, such as


an obligation, duty, or requirement.
 Likewise, the negative form expresses that an action
is not necessary. Use the same modal verbs as with
commands: must, have to, or need to.
 Wehave to wait for our boss to arrive before we
open.
 You don’t need to come if you don’t want to.
Can, could or may: typical errors

•Could in the present only expresses weak possibility.


•Can expresses strong possibility:

I can travel in July because my exams will definitely be


finished at the beginning of that month. (strong
possibility)

I could travel in July because my exams will probably


be finished at the beginning of that month. (weak
possibility)
•We don’t normally use could to talk about general truths which
refer to the present time. We use can instead:

Not everyone can afford to buy organic food.


Not: Not everyone could afford …

•We use could, not can, to express future possibility.


•Can expresses that we are certain of something:

Working in Japan next summer could be a great experience.

(The speaker thinks this is possible, in particular circumstances)

Not: … can be a great experience.


Activities for Elementary/ High School
(using modals)
 Activity 1: Regrets
 Practice should have
 Ask students to think about regrets they’ve had in the past.
 To get them started, give a few examples of your own, e.g.
• I should have visited my grandparents more.
• I shouldn’t have started smoking and drinking.
• I really should have followed my parents’ advice.
 Activity 2: THINK PAIR-SHARE
 Write on the board the sentence stems:
• I should have….
• I shouldn’t have….
• I really should have…..
 Ask students to complete the sentences for themselves.
 Tell them that these should be regrets that they don’t
mind sharing with others. When they have finished,
ask them to work in pairs and compare their sentences.
Activity 3: Role play
 Think of a regretful situation.
 Let them perform a story using modals.
 Ex:

• You are the presidential candidate for the country. You


have just lost the election. Use the following:
• I should have….
• I shouldn’t have….
• I really should have…..
Activity 4: Modal verb drill

 To focus on form and meaning, you can set up a drill


like the following.
 Write on the board the words:
• possible
• impossible
• certain
Say different phrases and show how the sentence
changes depending on if it’s possible, impossible
or certain,
 We go out. (point to certain) We will go out.
 We stay at home. (point to impossible) We can’t stay at
home the whole month.
 We go to the cinema. (point to possible) We might go to
the cinema.
Activity: Jump to conclusions

 Tell the students you are going to describe a situation that


is open to interpretation (see example below).
 When you finish, ask them to work in pairs and make as
many sentences as possible as to what may have
happened.
 For this, they should use modal verb + have + past
participle
When I arrived at school today, there were papers all
over the floor in the hall and the principal’s office.

 Possible conclusions:
• There may have been a break-in.
• The principal might have gone crazy and thrown the
papers around.
• Some students may have played a joke.
• The principal must have been furious.
• The janitor might have been absent
Activity: These are the rules

 to practice modal verbs of obligation (students make rules)


 ways of doing it:
1. Ask students to work in groups.
2. Give each group the name of a place (e.g. library, swimming
pool, jail, school, bus, amusement park) and ask them to write
rules for this place (using must, mustn’t, have to and don’t have
to).
3. When they finish, groups read out their rules and the others
guess the place.
2. Group activity
 Ask students to work in small groups or pairs.
 Ask them to imagine that they are in charge of
designing the rules for a perfect language school.
 Theyshould include what the students and
teacher should do, mustn’t do and can do.
 Atthe end of the activity, ask different groups to
read out their rules (or post them on the wall).
Who has the best school?
Rules in Society

1. Prepare a series of sentences about typical rules in society


and ask students to complete them with a modal verb so
that they are true for their country, e.g.
 You ____________ vote in elections.
You ____________ drink alcohol at the age of 18.
You ____________ get married at the age of 15.
You ____________ drive a car at the age of 14.
You ____________ do military service when you are 18.

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