NEUS FERRÍS & PATRICIO GARCÍA

MODAL VERBSMODAL VERBSGeneral Ideas. Use.General Ideas. Use.

NEUS FERRÍS & PATRICIO GARCÍA

GENERAL IDEAS ON MODAL VERBS.

All modals are followed by the root of the verb.

You do not add “s” to the third person singular.

The modal is followed by “not” to produce the negative.

To produce the interrogative, we invert the modal and the subject. We do not need an auxiliary verb.

Each modal verb has at least one meaning, one use – possibility, ability, …

There are some verbs called semi-modals that also act as modals. E.g.: don’t have to, managed to, be able to, … These verbs have special features.

NEUS FERRÍS & PATRICIO GARCÍA

MODALS EXPRESSING OBLIGATION

MUST expresses an obligation that involves the speaker’s opinion. It is personal.E.g.: I must get my hair cut

HAVE TO expresses a general obligation based on a law or a rule. It is more objective.E.g.: Children have to go to school until they are sixteen

Also, it is used to form past or future tenses indicating obligation.

E.g.: I’ll have to get up early tomorrow I had to study hard to pass the exam

NEUS FERRÍS & PATRICIO GARCÍA

MODALS EXPRESSING ABILITY

CAN / CAN’T are used to express general ability or inability to do something in the present or future. E.g.: Peter can / can’t speak French

COULD is used to express general ability in the past.E.g.: Peter could play the piano when he was 5 years old

BE ABLE TO is used to express ability in other tenses ( past, future ).E.g.: I will be able to work next weekend.They haven’t been able to find anyone suitable for the job.

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MODALS EXPRESSING PERMISSION

CAN / MAY are both used to ask for and to give permission.E.g.: May I smoke here? Yes, of course you can. No, I’m afraid you can’t.

BE ALLOWED TO is also used to express permission. It can be used to form past and future tense.

E.g.: Will I be allowed to swim there? He wasn’t allowed to enter because he was not wearing a tie.

NEUS FERRÍS & PATRICIO GARCÍA

MODALS EXPRESSING PROHIBITION

MUSTN’T is used to express prohibition.

E.g.: You mustn’t smoke in the school

MODALS EXPRESSING ADVICE

SHOULD / OUGHT TO / SHOULDN’T are used to express advice.

E.g.: You should / ought to / shouldn’t see a doctor

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MODALS EXPRESSING DEDUCTION

MUST is used to express affirmative deduction, meaning you are sure that it is …

E.g.: I can hear the bell. It must be the end of the lesson.

CAN’T is used to express negative deduction, meaning you are sure it is not …

E.g.: That can’t be the postman. It’s only 7 o’clock.

NEUS FERRÍS & PATRICIO GARCÍA

MODALS EXPRESSING POSSIBILITY / PROBABILITY

MAY / MIGHT / COULD express various degrees of possibility

E.g.: He may win the match She might come tomorrow They could come tomorrow

NEUS FERRÍS & PATRICIO GARCÍA

MODALS EXPRESSING LACK OF OBLIGATION

DON’T HAVE TO / NEEDN’T are both used to express lack or absence of obligation.

E.g.: He doesn’t have to / needn’t come to school tomorrow. It’s a holiday.