Transcript MODAL VERBS
MODAL VERBS
2nd of Bachillerato
DEFINITION
MODALS
ARE SPECIAL VERBS WITH THE FOLLOWING FEATURES: 1. THEY DO NOT CHANGE IN TERMS OF PERSON, GENDER OR NUMBER
He can speak four languages / You can write Chinese
2. THEY FORM THE NEGATIVE AND THE INTERROGATIVE FORMS WITHOUT
DO
Must she do her homework? / We shouldn’t smoke
3. THEY ARE FOLLOWED BY THE BASE FORM OF A VERB (INFINITIVE OR PERFECT INFINITIVE)
They may come to see us / I must have talked to her before leaving
4. THEY DO NOT HAVE INFINITIVE, GERUND, PARTICIPLE, FUTURE FORMS OR COMPOUND TENSES *
to can, *canning, *canned, *will can, *have been canning/*is canned/etc.
5. THEY ARE USED LIKE ‘AUXILIARY VERBS’ IN SHORT ANSWERS, QUESTIONS TAGS & WITH
SO, NEITHER, NOR
‘
Must I wear a uniform?’ ‘Yes, you must’ You can’t lend me a pound, can you?
They ought to study harder for the exams. So ought we.
SEMI-MODALS & NEED TO
BE ABLE TO
&
HAVE TO
ARE SEMI-MODAL VERBS BECAUSE THEY SHARE MOST OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF MODAL VERBS EXCEPT THAT THEY CAN BE CONJUGATED
I would like to be able to stay here.
You’ll be able to walk soon.
Have you been able to solve the problem?
When I was young I had to get up at 5 o’clock in the morning.
They had had to train hard before the athletics competition took place.
NEED TO
IS NOT A MODAL, NOR A SEMI-MODAL, BUT IT SHARES SOME OF THEIR USES AND MEANINGS
One needs to have a visa to go to the U.S.A.
He needs to get a new pair of trousers.
CAN / BE ABLE TO / CAN’T
CAN
expresses: a) General
ability
or capacity to do sth
She can lift me up with one hand
b)
Possibility
Even expert drivers can make mistakes
c) Ask for and give
permission
Can we borrow these books?
d)
Offers, suggestions
&
requests
I can help you with the washing up.
We can talk about that later.
Can you come here a minute, please?
BE ABLE TO
expresses: a) General
ability
to do sth
One day people will be able to run a kilometre in two minutes We have been able to cook the dinner on time.
b) Particular
ability
to do sth on a specific situation in past (with the meaning of
manage to, succeed in
)
How many eggs were you able to eat at the festival competition?
How many eggs did you manage to eat at the festival competiton?
CAN / BE ABLE TO / CAN’T
CAN’T
expresses: a) Lack of
ability
or capacity
I can’t cook a Spanish omelette.
b)
Impossibility
Humans can’t fly on their own.
c)
Prohibition
You can’t speak loudly at the hospital.
d)
Negative deduction
or
certitude
that sth is
impossible
They can’t be at home. The lights are off.
That can’t be the postman, it’s only seven o’clock.
COULD
COULD
is the past form of
CAN
and it expresses: a) General
ability
or capacity to do sth in the past
He was a terrific liar: he could make anybody believe him.
b) Polite
requests
Could I see you tomorrow evening?
c) Less direct
suggestions
or
offers
I could do the shopping for you, if you’re tired.
d) More remote
possibility
Her performance was the best that could be hoped for.
MAY / MIGHT
MAY
expresses: a)
Possibility
We may go climbing in the Alps next summer.
b) Ask for or give
permission
May I put the TV on?
Visitors may not feed the animals.
c) Ask for sth
May I have some more wine, please?
MIGHT
expresses: a) Less
possibility
Peter might phone. If he does, could you ask him to ring later?
b) Ask for
permission
(more formal)
Might I sit on this chair?
WOULD / SHALL SHOULD / OUGHT TO
WOULD
expresses: a) Polite
requests
b) Together with
like
,
Would you open the window, please?
offers
&
invitations
Would you like a cup of tea?
SHALL
expresses: a)
Offers
Shall I carry your bag?
b)
Suggestions
Shall we go to the concert?
c)
Requests for insructions
d)
Requests for avice
How shall I cook the chicken?
What shall I do?
SHOULD / OUGHT TO
a)
Advice
or
opinion
express:
You should go and see Mary.
*Slight difference of use:
should
is used to give a subjective opinion or personal advice;
ought to
has a more objective force (talking about laws, duties & regulations).
People ought to vote even if they don’t agree with any of the candidates
MUST / HAVE TO
MUST
expresses: a)
Obligation
(more commonly used when the obligation comes from the speaker, in present)
I really must stop smoking.
You must be here by 8 o’clock at the latest.
b) Logic
deduction
about a present event (to say that we are sure about sth because it’s logical)
Mary must have some problem: she keeps crying.
There’s the doorbell. It must be Roger.
HAVE TO
expresses: a)
Obligation
(more commonly used when the obligation comes from ‘outside’ –a rule, an order, etc., in present; anytime in other tenses)
I have to work from 9 a.m. till 5 p.m.
Did you have to go to church on Sundays when you were a child?
NEED TO / NEEDN’T
NEED TO
is not a modal, nor a semi-modal, but it is used in affirmative sentences to express: a)
Obligation
One needs to have a visa to go to the U.S.A.
b)
Necessity
He needs to get a new pair of trousers.
NEEDN’T
is a modal and it expresses: a)
Lack
of
necessity
or
obligaton
You needn’t try to explain.
We needn’t book a table, the restaurant won’t be full tonight.
DON’T HAVE TO / MUSTN’T
DON’T HAVE TO
expresses: a)
Lack
of
necessity
or
obligaton
You don’t have to come early tomorrow.
MUSTN’T
expresses: a)
Prohibition
You mustn’t move any of the papers on my desk.
PERFECT MODALS
MUST HAVE + participle
expresses a
logical deduction
about a past event (certainty that sth was true)
The lights have gone out. A fuse must have blown.
MAY / MIGHT HAVE + participle
expresses a
guess
about a past action
Polly’s very late. She may have missed the train.
‘What do you think that noise was?’ ‘It might have been a cat.’
COULD HAVE + participle
expresses
ability
to do sth in the past which in the end was not done
I could have married anybody I wanted to (but I didn’t).
COULDN’T HAVE + participle
expresses
certainty
that sth did not happen
I couldn’t have won, so I didn’t go in for the race.
WOULD HAVE + participle
expresses
desire
to do sth in the past which in fact couldn’t be done
She would have arried earlier but she was delayed.
SHOULD / OUGHT TO HAVE + participle
expresses a
criticism
or
regret
after an event
I wonder where she is. She should have arrived by now.
I ought to have gone out last night. I’m sorry I didn’t.
SHOULDN’T HAVE + participle
expresses a
criticism
or
regret
You shouldn’t have told him anything about our conversation.
after an event
NEEDN’T HAVE + participle
expresses an
unnecesary
past action
I needn’t have bought all that wine, only three people came to the dinner.