Modal Verbs - by Viv Quarry (www.vivquarry.

com)
In order to understand English modal verbs, it is important to recognise how they can be used. Modal verbs in English can be used in TWO WAYS: 1. To show LEVELS OF PROBABILITY (deduction). 2. To perform SPECIFIC FUNCTIONS (additional meaning) like obligation, permission etc. MODAL VERBS USED TO SHOW LEVELS OF PROBABILITY
LEVEL OF PROBABILITY MODAL VERB TIME = PRESENT & FUTURE He'll be here by Friday. She won't be here. TIME = PAST

CERTAINTY CERTAINTY

WILL (Be) WON'T (Be)

That will / would have been Susan who called. It won't / wouldn't have been John, I think he's in So Paulo.

IMPOSSIBILITY

CAN'T Be It can't be Fred, he's He can't / couldn't have COULDN'T Be in the USA. written this, he doesn't It couldn't be right. speak Arabic. He must be right, he's He must have finished by an expert in this area. now, he's a fast worker. SHOULD (Be) He should be He should have finished finishing now, he's a by now, the exam's fast worker. nearly over. They might win, but I If they had played better, doubt it. they might have won. MIGHT NOT (Be) It's very cloudy, but I If I hadn't read that book might not rain. I might not have passed the exam. We may go to Greece She may have got lost. for our holidays. MAY NOT (Be) I may not arrive on He may not have done it. time. MAY (Be) MIGHT (Be) MUST (Be)

PROBABILITY (LOGICAL) PROBABILITY (LOGICAL + PREFERENCE) POSSIBILITY POSSIBILITY

POSSIBILITY POSSIBILITY

POSSIBILITY

COULD (Be)

You could be right, but I doubt it.

He could have had an accident even though he's a very good driver.

MODAL VERBS USED TO PERFORM SPECIFIC FUNCTIONS

FUNCTION COMPULSION PROHIBITION PERMISSION STRONG OBLIGATION STRONG OBLIGATION NO OBLIGATION NO OBLIGATION NO OBLIGATION DUTY DUTY FORMAL ADVICE FORMAL ADVICE INFORMAL ADVICE INFORMAL ADVICE INFORMAL ADVICE INFORMAL ADVICE REQUESTS ABILITY ABILITY MODAL VERB MAKE SB (Do) CAN'T/NOT ALLOWED TO MAY (Be) MUST (Do) MUSTN'T (Do) DON'T HAVE TO (Do) NEEDN'T (Do) DON'T NEED TO (Do) SUPPOSED TO NOT SUPPOSED TO WOULD (Do) WOULDN'T (Do) SHOULD (Do) SHOULDN'T (Do) OUGHT TO (Do) NOT OUGHT TO (Do) CAN (I/you) CAN (Do) BE ABLE TO (Do) TIME = TIME = PRESENT& PAST FUTURE She makes them tidy The teacher made them their room. write it out six times. My dad says that I She wasn't allowed to see can't see you him anymore. anymore. May I go now? I was allowed to go. I must remember to I had to apologize. pay the phone bill. Mother: "you mustn't The children weren't play with matches." allowed to play outside. I don't have to wake I was happy that I didn't up early on have to see him again. Saturdays. You needn't pay it You needn't have done it, now if you don't want but I'm glad you did. to. I don't need to study He didn't need to revise French anymore. for the exam. Your supposed to You were supposed to arrive at work at 8am. have done this by now. You not supposed to I wasn't supposed to have be here! been at the meeting. I'd arrive on time if I I would have arrived on were you. time if I'd been him. I wouldn't do that if I I wouldn't have done that were you. if I'd been him. You should always You should have dressed dress well at well at the interview. interviews. You shouldn't speak You shouldn't have to him like that. spoken to him like that. You ought to be here You ought to have been earlier. there earlier. You didn't ought to You didn't ought to have touch that. done that. Can/Could you help I asked him to help me. me, please? I can speak English. I could speak English when I was five. Will you be able to She was able to answer come? all the questions.

ABILITY NORMAL BEHAVIOUR OFFERS OFFERS SUGGESTIONS WILLINGNESS

MANAGE TO (Do) Does he manage to He managed to rescue get here on time? her. WILL She'll always do her She would always do her homework. homework. WILL I'll help you with that.I'd have helped you. SHALL Shall I give you a I should have helped you. hand. SHALL (LET'S) Shall we meet at I suggested meeting at 9. 9pm? WON'T (Do) I won't do it! She wouldn't do it.

Before using a modal verb, you must decide whether you are using it to show probability or possibility. If the answer to this question is YES, then the present and future form will be: MODAL VERB MODAL VERB Modal verb + E.g. + BE BE + + VERB + OBJECT + NOUN / ADJECTIVE GERUND or or

They may arrive on time. He might be the right person for the job. She should be arriving in a few minutes.

and the past form will be: MODAL VERB E.g. + PRESENT PERFECT

It must have been a very difficult exam, everyone's looking worried.

If the answer to the question above is NO then things are much more complicated and you will have to learn the modal verb used, and its past tense form, depending on the function.

Modal verbs - Difficult cases

Probability and possibility. CAN 'Could be' or 'could have been' mean that something is possible but you are NOT CERTAIN. E.g. guess) BUT 'Can't be' or 'can't have been' are used to say that something is not possible: you are CERTAIN. "Where's John?" "I don't know. He could still be at home" or "I don't know. He could have gone home" (I've got no idea, it's just a

E.g.

"Where's John?" "I don't know. He can't still be at home because I've just come from there." or "I don't know. He can't have gone home because his car's still here." or "I don't know. He couldn't have gone home, I've just seen his car." ('Couldn't be' has the same meaning but is slightly weaker) Specific functions MUST AND HAVE TO 'Must' is used when the speaker has AUTHORITY to oblige someone to do something. E.g. (Doctor to patient) (Mother to child) grandmother." (To yourself) "You must stop smoking immediately." "John. You mustn't speak like that to your "I must remember to buy my mother a present."

THE PAST OF 'MUST' IS 'HAD TO'. E.g. I had to remember to take my car keys with me when I went to the airport. When the obligation comes from another person or organization, HAVE TO is used. E.g. "I have to get up early tomorrow." (My job or a trip is obliging me to get up early) "How many years do you have to work before you can retire?" (Obligation from rules) Note! the pronunciation of 'have to' is /HAFTA/ Only 'Have to' is possible in the will future or the present perfect. 'MUSTN'T' means that there is an obligation NOT TO DO SOMETHING. BUT 'DON'T HAVE TO' means that there is NO OBLIGATION. E.g. (Teacher to student) before the exam, difficult questions" The past of mustn't is 'not be allowed to'. E.g. "My mother told me that I wasn't allowed to talk to strange men." "You mustn't forget to revise your modal verbs but you probably won't have to answer any

CAN FOR ABILITY 'Can' (do something), 'can't' (do something) and 'couldn't' (do something) are used with stative verbs and when the ability is GENERAL. E.g. "When the light went off I couldn't see anything." (stative verb) "I could swim when I was six years old." (I could swim at any time after 6 years old) When you want to talk about ABILITY ON ONE SPECIFIC OCCASION you must use BE ABLE TO or MANAGED TO.

E.g.

I wasn't able to fix the engine because I didn't have the parts I needed.

Managed to is used to stress the successful completion of the activity. E.g. The girl was drowning, but the lifeguard managed to save her.

In the present 'can' and 'be able to' are sometimes interchangeable, but in the will future or in perfect tenses, 'be able to' or 'managed to' must be used. REQUESTS The modal verb which is used for a request depends on THE LEVEL OF FORMALITY. In FORMAL SITUATIONS you can use WOULD or DO YOU MIND (DOING STH.). E.g. "Would/Do you mind if I open the window?" or "Would you mind turning down the music a bit?" (Talking to someone you don't know well)

In INFORMAL SITUATIONS use CAN (YOU DO STH.). E.g. "Dad, can we go to the cinema on Saturday?" or "John, can you pass me that book?" (Talking to a good friend or a member of your family) In nearly ALL SITUATIONS you can use COULD (YOU DO STH. FOR ME). E.g. shops) OFFERS WILL and SHALL are used when making offers. WILL means I'M OFFERING TO HELP YOU. It is usually used when you are talking to someone you know well, and it is obvious that you can help them. E.g. "Oh dear. There are so many dishes to wash!" "I'll help you do the washing up." "Could you help me with this exercise, please?" or "Could I have six pounds of potatoes, please? (At home, in class or in

SHALL means I'M ASKING YOU IF YOU WANT ME TO HELP YOU. It is usually used when you are talking to someone you don't know very well or when it is not clear that you can be of help. E.g. "Oh dear! These suitcases are very heavy." "Excuse me. Shall I help you with them?" (Two people who don't know each other) or "I'd like to go to a party next Friday, but I haven't got anyone to look after my son." "Shall I baby-sit for you?" (I'm not qualified, but I'll help you if you like) SHALL can also be used to make a suggestion. E.g. "Shall we go to the cinema tonight?"

WILL FOR CHARACTERISTIC BEHAVIOUR When using this structure it should be contracted when writing and not stressed when speaking. E.g. "He'll always be there when you need help."

If it is stressed when speaking, it means that the behaviour is annoying. E.g. "He will keep on interrupting me."

NEEDN'T HAVE DONE v DIDN'T NEED TO DO Needn't have done sth. means the action was completed, but was unnecessary. E.g. "You needn't have bought any butter. We've got lots of it." Using 'didn't need to do sth.', we don't know if the action was completed, just that it wasn't necessary. E.g. "I didn't need to do any shopping because I was eating out that night."