1. Modals

2. List of the Modal Verbs • Can • Could • May • Might • Will • Would • Shall • Should • Must • Oughtto

3. Modals aredifferentfrom normal verbs • Theydon'tusean 's' for thethird person singular. • Theymakequestionsbyinversion ('shecango' becomes 'canshego?'). • Theyarefolloweddirectlybytheinfinitive of anotherverb (without 'to'), exceptoughtto.

4. Modals generallyexpress a speaker’sattitudeormoods. • Modals canexpressthat a speakerfeelssomethingisnecessary, advisable, permissible, possible, orprobable, and, inaddition, theycanconveythestrength of theseattitude.

5. Can = Ability or Permission • I can play piano. • Can I go with you? • May, Could = Permission • May I come in? • Could I go with you? • May, might = Possibility • It may rain outside • It might also snow • Must, have to = Obligation • I must catch my train • I have to catch my train • Should = Advice, recommendation • You should drink more water • You should try new Chinese restaurant • Will = Future • I will see you tomorrow • Shall = Suggestion, Offering help • Shall we have a drink? • Shall I carry your bag?

6. Permission • useverbssuch as 'can', 'could' and 'may' toask for andgivepermission. Wealsouse modal verbstosaysomethingis not allowed. Examples, • Could I leaveearlytoday, please? • Youmay not usethecartonight. • Canweswiminthelake?

7. PoliteRequest • May I, Could I, Can I • Usedtorequestpermission • May I borrowyourbook? • Could I borrowyourbook? (It has a presentorfuturemeaning not a pastmeaning) • Can I borrowyourpen? (usedinformallytorequest permission) Polite Impolite

8. Wouldyou, Willyou, Couldyou, Canyou • Wouldyouandwillyouarehavingthesamemeaningin a politerequest. • Wouldyouismorecommonandisconsideredmorepolite a. Wouldyoupassthesalt (please)? (Do youwantto do thisplease?) b. Willyou (please) passthesalt? c. Couldyoupassthesalt? (Do youwantto do thisplease, andisitpossible for youto do this?) d. Canyoupassthesalt? (usedinformally, lesspolitethanwouldyou & couldyou)

9. Wouldyoumind • AskingPermission • Wouldyoumindif i closedthewindow? (refertopresentorfuture, not past) Meaning • May I closethewindow? • Isitallrightif I closethewindow? • willitcauseyouanytroubleordiscomfortif I closethewindow? • Askingsomeoneelseto do something • Wouldyoumindclosingthewindow? Meaning • I don’ttocauseyouanytrouble, butwouldyoupleaseclosethewindow? • Wouldthatcauseyouanyinconvinience?

10. ExpressingNecessity • Must, Haveto • All applicantsmusttakeanentranceexam. • All applicantshavetotakeanentranceexam. (a&bexpressnecessity, meaningtheexamisrequired, thereisnootherchoice) In everydaystatements of necessity, “Haveto”ismorecommonthan“must”. Mustindicatesurgencyorimportance. • I’mlooking for Sue. I havetotalktoheraboutourlunchtomorrow. • Where’sSue? I musttalktoherrightaway.

11. Haveto, Have got to • “Have got to” expresstheidea of necessity. • Itis informal andisusedinspokenEnglish. • “Haveto” isusedinboth formal and informal english • I have got togonow. I haveclassintenminutes. • I havetogonow. I haveclassintenminutes. *Note: have got tobecome ‘vegotta/ gotta – droppedhave The pastnecessityisexpressedby had to. (I had tostudylastnight) Nopastform for must(whenitmeansnecessity) andhavegot to

12. Lack of necessityandprohibition • Lack of necessity = don’thaveto • Tomorrow isholiday. I donthavetogotoschool. (meaning: it’s not necessarytotogobecausetomorrowisholiday) • Prohibition = must not • Youmust not tellanyonemysecret. (meaning: DO NOT DO THIS! I forbidit)

13. Advisability • Should, Oughtto • Youshouldstudyharder. • Yououghttostudyharder. (Thisis a goodidea) • Driversshouldobeythetrafficlights. • Driversoughttoobeythetrafficlights. (thisis a veryimportantthingto do) Statement of a suggestion Statementaboutresponsibilityorduty

14. Had better • Implies a warningor a threat of possiblebadconcequences • Has a presentorfuturemeaning. • The gas tank isalmostempty. We had better stop atthenextservicestation.  Ifwedon’t stop, there’llbe a badresult. Wewillrunout of gas.

15. Suggestion • Could • Wecouldgo on a picnic. • Youcouldtalktoyourteacher.

16. Probability • Itcanbeusedwhenwewanttosayhowsurewearethatsomethinghappened / ishappening / willhappen • Weoftencallthese 'modals of deduction' or 'speculation' or 'certainty' or'probability‘ • Wecanusethesewhenwewanttomake a guessaboutsomething. Wechoosetheverbdepending on howsureweare.

17. Degrees of certainty • Referstohowsureweare(whatwethinkthechancesare) thatsomethingistrue. • Must usedtoexpress a strongdegree of certainty (95%) • Hemustbesick.(I havetheevidencetomakemebelivethatheissick) • May, might, couldbe  express a weakdegree of certainty (lessthan 50%) • Hemaybesick. • Hemightbesick. • Hecouldbesick. Perhapsheissick. I amonlymaking a guess.

18. Probability – TalkingaboutPresent • must / might / could / may / can't • must+ infinitive • might/ might not + infinitive • could/ could not + infinitive • may/ may not + infinitive • can't+ infinitive *Note: theopposite of 'must' is 'can'tinthiscase. Example, I amwaiting for Julie withanotherfriend, David. I ask: 'Whereis Julie?'David guesses: • Shemustbe on the bus. (I'mfairlysurethisis a goodguess) • Shemightcomesoon. (maybe) • Shecouldbelost. (maybe) • Shemaybeinthewrongroom. (maybe) • Shecan'tbeathome. (I'mfairlysurethisisn'ttrue)

19. Will / won't • Weusewillandwon'twhenweareverysure • She’llbeatworknow. • Should / shouldn't • usedtomakeanassumptionaboutwhatisprobablytrue, ifeverythingis as weexpect • Theyshouldbetherebynow. • Itshouldn'ttakelongtodrivehere. • Note: • Thisuse of shouldisn'tusuallyused for negativeevents. Instead, it's a betterideatousewill: • The undergroundwillbeverybusynow (not: 'shouldbe').

20. Can • used for somethingthatisgenerallypossible, somethingweknowsometimeshappens • Pricescanbehighin London. *Note • Canis not usedtotalkaboutspecificpossibilities: • Hecouldbe on the bus (not: 'canbe').

21. Probability – Pasttense • must / might / could / may / can't + have + pastparticiple • musthave + pastparticiple • might / might not have + pastparticiple • could / couldn'thave + pastparticiple • may / may not have + pastparticiple • can'thave + pastparticiple Example, You: Wherewas Julie lastnight?David: • Shemusthaveforgottenaboutourdate. • Shemighthaveworkedlate. • Shecouldhavetakenthewrong bus. • Shemayhavefeltill. • Shecan'thavestayedathome.

22. Will / won't + have + pastparticiple • used for pastcertainty • The parcelwillhavearrivedbeforenow. • Should+ have + pastparticiple • canbeusedtomakeanassumptionaboutsomethingthat has probablyhappened, ifeverythingis as weexpect • The trainshouldhaveleftbynow. • Could • usecould + infinitivetotalkabout a general possibilityinthepast • Pricescouldbehighinthesixteenthcentury. • Thisis not usedtotalkaboutspecificpossibilitesinthepast (insteadweusecould + have + pastparticiple): • Hecouldhavebeenworkinglate (not: 'couldbe'. As thisis a specificpossiblity, 'couldbe' ispresenttense)

23. Ability • Weuse 'can' and 'could' totalkabout a skillorability. • Whenwetalkaboutability, wemeantwothings. • General Ability • Thisissomethingthat once youhavelearnedyoucan do anytimeyouwant, likebeingabletoreadorswimorspeak a language. • SpecificAbility • Thismeansomethingthatyoucanorcan't do inoneparticularsituation. For example, beingableto lift somethingheavy, orfindsomewhereyouarelooking for.

24. Ability - Present • can / can't (for both general andspecificability) • I canplaythepiano. • ShecanspeakEnglish. • Hecan'tdrive – he'stootired. • Wecan'tcomenow.

25. Ability - Past • could / couldn't (for general ability) • I couldreadwhen I wasfour. • ShecouldspeakFrenchwhenshewas a child, butnowshe has forgottenit. • Hecouldn'tdanceatalluntilhetooklessons. • Mygrandfathercouldn'tswim. • wasableto / couldn't (for specificability) • Whenthecomputercrashedyesterday, I wasabletofixit.(not 'I couldfixit') • Shewasabletopasstheexam, eventhoughshehadn'tstudiedmuch.(not 'shecouldpass') • could + have + pastparticiple (anabilitysomeone had inthepast, butdidn'tuse) • I couldhaveplayedthe piano wellbut I didn'tpractiseenough. • Shecouldhavestudiedlaw, butshepreferredtobecome a secretary.

26. Ability - Future • will / won'tbeableto (general ability) • Attheend of thecourse, youwillbeabletomakeyourownwebsite. • Hewon'tbeabletospeakJapanesein a week! Itwilltakemonths. • can / can't (specificability) • I canhelpyoutomorrow. • I can'tcometotheparty.

27. Habits • use 'will' and 'would' totalkabouthabitsorthingsweusually do, ordidinthepast. Examples, • When I livedinItaly, wewouldofteneatintherestaurantnexttomy flat. • John willalwaysbelate!

28. HabitualPast • Usedto • Express a habit, activity, orsituationthatexistedinthepastbutwhichnolongerexists. • I usedtolivein Semarang. • Beusedto • has thesamemeaningwithaccustomedto • Mary isusedtocoolweather.

29. Preference • Wouldrather a. I wouldrathergoto a movietonightthanstudygrammar. b. I’dratherstudyhistorythan(study)biology. note: iftheverbisthesame, itdoesn’thavetoberepeatedagain.

30. Modals chart 1 • Modals chart 2