Modality

By
Sir Badal
What is communicative
Tone
Tone of voice in communication
refers to how you utilise words or
phrases to create an impact on
the audience.
Tone of voice helps a business to
interact with its customers
through the material it creates for
marketing.
It is also a powerful weapon for
moulding the public's view of
Tone
 Sad
(unhappy, despondent, disconsolate, discouraged,
gloomy, downcast, downhearted, depressed, dejected,
melancholy, Serious)
 Assertive
(I am confident we can come to a mutual agreement on
this issue. Pay attention to details.)
 Curious
(A curious tone is inquisitive and eager.)
 Joyful
("She spoke with a joyful tone that was contagious to
everyone in the room.“)
 Encouraging
(Don't worry, you can do it!)
 Persuasive tone
(This is the right time to take decisions)
Tone
 Humorous
(A humorous tone comes across when we tell jokes,
funny anecdotes, and when we interact with friends,
family members, and people we are close to.)
 Optimistic
(“Despite the civil unrest happening in my city, I believe
I can make things better and see real change in my
lifetime.”)
 Formal
(“I will address that issue right away.” )
 Informal
(“Hey, what's up?)
 Pessimistic
(When the world seems like a terrible place, it may feel
like the bad things will only get worse and nothing will
ever change for the better.)
Tone
 Cooperative
 Friendly
 Worried
 Aggression
 Horror
 Inspirational tone
 Entertaining
 Information
 Tense
 Acerbic
 Amused
Can
General ability
Request (informal)
Impossibility (negative only)
Permission (informal)
Can
"Can" is one of the most
commonly used modal verbs in
English.
It can be used to express ability
or opportunity, to request or offer
permission, and to show
possibility or impossibility.
Examples: I can ride a horse.
Can

• "Can" is used to indicate present ability or

capability to do something.
• For example: "I can swim."
• It is also used to express permission or to
inquire about permission in informal contexts.
• For example: "Can I borrow your pen?" or
"You can leave now."
• "Can" can be used to express possibility or
likelihood in the present or future.
• For example: "It can get quite hot in the
summer."
Could
We use could to show that
something is possible, but not
certain:
They could come by car. (=
Maybe they will come by car.)
They could be at home.
Could
• "Could" is the past tense form of "can" and is used to
indicate past ability or capability.
• For example: "When I was younger, I could run very fast."
• It is also used to indicate a conditional or hypothetical
ability or possibility in the present or future.
• For example: "If I had more time, I could finish this
project."
• "Could" can be used to make polite requests or
suggestions.
• For example: "Could you please pass me the salt?"
• Additionally, "could" can be used in reported speech to
indicate a past ability or possibility.
• For example: "She said she could speak three
languages."
Be able to
We use 'can' and 'be able to' to
talk about abilities, knowledge, or
talent.
We use 'can' to talk about the
present and the future.
'Be able to' is used in all tenses
to show ability.
May
May is a modal verb. It is used
with the base form of a verb.
You use may to indicate that
something will possibly happen or
be true in the future, but you
cannot be certain.
Might
"Might" is a modal verb most
commonly used to express
possibility. It is also often used in
conditional sentences.
English speakers can also use
"might" to make suggestions or
requests, although this is less
common in American English.
Will / shall
As a general rule, use 'will' for
affirmative and negative
sentences about the future. Use
'will' for requests too.
If you want to make an offer or
suggestion with I/we, use 'shall'
in the question form. For very
formal statements, especially to
describe obligations, use 'shall'.
 Shall
• Historically, "shall" was used to express the simple
future tense for the first person singular and plural (I
and we). For example: "I shall go to the store."
• In modern English, "shall" is less commonly used in
everyday conversation and is often considered more
formal or archaic. However, it is still used in legal
documents, formal writing, and some dialects.
• "Shall" can also be used to express obligation,
permission, or suggestions, particularly in questions
or statements with the first person. For example:
"Shall we go?" (suggesting the action of going), "You
shall not pass!" (indicating a command or
prohibition).
 Will

• "Will" is more commonly used to express

the future tense in English for all persons
(I, you, he/she/it, we, they). For example:
"She will arrive tomorrow."
• It can also express willingness, intention,
promise, or determination. For example:
"I will help you with your homework."
• In some contexts, "will" can also be used
to express habitual actions or predictions
based on current evidence. For example:
"The sun will rise tomorrow."
Would
Would is used to talk about a
possible or imagined situation,
and is often used when that
possible situation is not going to
happen.
Should is used to say that
something is the proper or best
thing to do, or to say that
someone ought to do something
or must do something. Adam
could visit us on Monday.
 Would

• "Would" is commonly used to express hypothetical

situations, conditional statements, or polite requests.
• In conditional sentences, "would" is used in the result
clause (the main clause) to indicate a possible or
hypothetical outcome, often paired with an "if" clause (the
conditional clause).
• For example: "If I had more time, I would travel around
the world."
• It can also be used to express polite requests or offers.
• For example: "Would you like some tea?" or "I would
appreciate it if you could help me with this."
• Additionally, "would" is used to express habitual actions or
past habits.
• For example: "When I was younger, I would always go
fishing with my grandfather."
Should
'Should' is a modal verb that is
used for: giving advice,
suggestion or recommendation.
predicting the future and talking
about expectations.
Should
• "Should" is commonly used to indicate obligation,
expectation, or advice.
• It is often used to express what is morally or logically
right, expected, or advisable.
• For example: "You should apologize for what you said."
• "Should" can also be used to give advice or
recommendations. For example: "You should see a
doctor if you're feeling unwell."
• In conditional statements, "should" can express what
is expected to happen in the result clause under
certain conditions.
• For example: "If you study hard, you should pass the
exam."
May

• "May" is used to indicate a possibility or

likelihood of something happening.
• For example: "It may rain tomorrow."
• It is also used to ask for permission or to
grant permission formally.
• For example: "May I borrow your book?" or
"You may leave the room."
• Additionally, "may" is sometimes used to
express wishes or hopes.
• For example: "May you have a wonderful
journey!"
Might
• "Might" is also used to express possibility or
uncertainty, but it often implies a lower degree of
probability compared to "may."
• For example: "She might come to the party, but I'm
not sure."
• "Might" can also be used to make suggestions or
polite requests.
• For example: "You might want to consider studying
abroad."
• In reported speech or hypothetical situations, "might"
can be used to indicate a possibility that is not
realized.
• For example: "He thought he might go to the concert,
but he changed his mind."
1.Lexical Differences:
1.Vocabulary variations exist in both
everyday language and specific
terminologies. For instance:
1.British English: "lorry" (truck), "boot"
(trunk of a car), "biscuit" (cookie).
2.American English: "truck" (lorry),
"trunk" (boot), "cookie" (biscuit).
1.Syntactic Differences:
1.Sentence structure and word
order may differ slightly
between British and American
English:
1.British English: "Have you got a
pen?"
2.American English: "Do you have a
pen?"
1.Phonological
Differences:
1.Pronunciation variances can be
observed in vowel and
consonant sounds:
1.British English: "bath" (/bɑːθ/),
"dance" (/dɑːns/).
2.American English: "bath" (/bæθ/),
"dance" (/dæns/).
1.Grammatical Differences:
1.Differences in grammatical
structures and usage include:
1.British English: Use of the present
perfect tense more frequently, e.g., "I
have just eaten."
2.American English: Often preferring the
simple past tense in similar contexts,
e.g., "I just ate."