Modal Verbs

Modal Verbs: Video and Functions

Functions

Say No to Bullying

Modals: some exercises

You can practise what you have learnt about modals with these exercises: Exercise 1 Exercise 2 Exercise 3 Exercise 4 Exercise 5 Exercise 6 Exercise 7 Exercise 8 Exercise 9 Exercise 10

Rules: Must - Mustn't

Click here to do the activities in the book

Class Rules

Should / Must

 

Should. Question and Answer Game 

Should. Quiz 

Must. Quiz 

Modal Verbs (Simple Forms)

Modal	Meaning	Example
Can Can’t	- to express ability - to request permission - to give and deny permission - to express an option - To express certainty (1%)	I can speak a little Russian. Can I open the window? Yes, you can. No, you can’t You can choose any of them. He can’t be his brother.
could	- to express ability in the past - To ask for permission (polite/formal) - To make a suggestion - To express little possibility	She could speak at the age of 2. Could I borrow your car? We could go to the cinema. He could be his brother…
May/might May	- to express possibility - to request permission (formal)	I may / might be home late. May I come in?
Will	- to express predictions (future) - to express decisions (made now) - to express offers - to make a request - to make a promise	I think you’ll be happy. Ok. I’ll phone him. Don’t worry! I’ll help you do it. Will you pay for this, please? I’ll go to the match!
Shall	- to express offers - to suggest something	Shall I help you? Shall we stay at home?
Must	- to express obligation (speaker’s orders) - to express strong recommendation - To express certainty   (99%)	I must go now. He must study it.  You must read it. It’s very good. He must live in this house.
Mustn’t	- to express prohibition	He mustn’t come to my house.
should	- to give advice	You should stop smoking.
Needn’t = Don’t/doesn’t have to	- To express no obligation, no necessity - to express an option	She needn’t write it. She doesn’t have to write it.  They don’t have to write it.
would	- to invite /offer	Would you like a cup of tea?

Modal verbs are unlike other verbs. They do not change their form (spelling) and they have no infinitive or participle. The modals must and can need substitute verbs to express obligation, ability or permission in the different tenses. Here are some examples:

                                                         MUST

Past simple	Sorry I'm late. I had to finish my math test.
Present perfect	She has had to return home at short notice.
Future	You'll have to work hard if you want to pass the exams.
Infinitive	I don't want to have to go.

                                                          CAN

Past simple	I couldn't/wasn't able to walk until I was 3 years old. (ability) They weren’t allowed to get into the club. (permission)
Present perfect	I haven't been able to solve this problem. Can you help me? (ability)) We haven’t been allowed to speak at the meeting.  (permission)
Future	I'm not sure if I will be able to come to your party. (ability) I’m not sure if I will be allowed to stay out late. (permission)
Infinitive	I would love to be able to play the piano. (ability) I don’t want to be allowed to smoke at home. (permission)

Exercises

Expressing Obligation/ No Obligation

OBLIGATION 
PRESENT  
Must and Have to: Generally, the difference between these depends on where the authority comes from:
You have to have a licence to own a gun ( an outside authority)   
You must come home at 10 o’clock ( the speaker’s authority)
I must study English (I’m telling myself)
I have to study English (It’s a duty)  
Should and Ought to: these suggest that the obligation is weaker, and may not be kept to:
I should talk to him (but I don’t have the courage) 
I ought to talk to him    
Is to/Are to: In formal and written language, they are used to express outside obligation, usually as a  part of a programme:   
Students are to arrrive by 9 o’clock 
Candidates are not to bring dictionaries into the examination. 
Had better: 
You’d better go home. 
She’d better not get up late again. 
 ***** MUSTN’T = prohibition.  You mustn’t smoke in the here.  
PAST 
had to (to express the Past tense of MUST and HAVE TO  
They had to pay at once  
Should have done/ Ought to have done: An event in the past did not take place, a mistake was made: 
You should have looked twice before turning left (you didn’t)  
He ought to have told her the truth (he didn’t)’
LACK OF OBLIGATION:  
PRESENT
Needn’t// don’t/doesn’t have to:
You needn’t bring your dictionaries
You don’t have to bring them
you don’t need to bring them
PAST
I didn’t have to go to school (it was unnecessary, I didn’t go)
I needn’t have gone to school (it was unnecessary, but I went) 
EXERCISE:
Rewrite the following sentences without changing the meaning of the original ones.Use the right modal.

1. It was silly of Barbara to be rude to her teacher.
2. It was a bad idea to ask him to do it. 
3. It wasn’t necessary to wait till midnight, so I went home.
4. It wasn’t necessary to wait till midnight, but I did it.
5. It’s a pity you didn’t write to her.
6. Come here!
7. Don't eat all the cake!
8. It isn't compulsory for her to work in the evening.
9. It was obligatory to write a poem.
10. It's compulsory to bring your books.(it's the rule)

Solutions:

Expressing Certainty and Uncertainty (Present and Past)

CERTAINTY AND UNCERTAINTY (POSSIBILITY) 
PRESENT TIME
 May/Might: There is little difference between them, although MIGHT seems less possible  
                       She might come tonight (Maybe she will come)
Questions: only MIGHT (formal)
Negatives: they must be written in full: He may /might not be at home
Could: 
He could still be at home
Could he still be at home?
He couldn’t be at home.     
Must and Can’t: They are opposites 
He must be at home. (He’s certain to be at home. It also implies a deduction)
He can’t be at home. (I don’t think he is at home. I’m sure he’s not at  home)
PAST TIME
May have and Might have: these both refer to events in the past which are uncertain:
You may have left it on the bus
He might not have gone there ( It  suggests a slight possibility)
Questions are not possible.
Could have: 
It could have been him I suppose.
Could it have been him?
Must have and Can’t have: These also express certainty, but as a deduction (an opinion of what it probably happened)
The butler must have done it (I think that’s what happened) 
You can’t have seen him yesterday, he’s in Australia  (this is my proof that it is impossible)

Exercise. Rewrite the sentences using a modal verb.
1.- Maybe Janet invited him here tonight. Janet...
2.- I’m sure she is quite angry. She...
3.- Perhaps he visited us, but we were away. He...
4.-He hasn’t contacted me. He clearly thought I was unsuitable for the job.  He...
5.- I'm sure she doesn't like onions. She...  

 Solutions