Lengua extranjera.

Inglés C1
E.U. DE EDUCACIÓN DE SORIA

Modal and semi-modal verbs

GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
The nine main modals (will, would, can, could, may, might, shall, should and must) have only one form and
are followed by a simple or perfect/continuous bare infinitive, either in the active or in the passive.

Modal verbs don't take any auxiliary verb for questions and negative statements. The full negative form of
modal verbs is written as two words, with one exception: cannot.

Semi-modals (need, ought to, had better, be able to and have to) are verbs which have similar meanings to
modals. Some of them (had better, ought to) don't change tenser or person, while others (need, be able to,
have to) do.

Some semi-modals can be used in combination with modals, producing phrases such as might have to or
must be able to.

VERBS EXPRESSING ABILITY

Real ability
Current or general ability can, can't She can speak 4 languages.
Past ability could, couldn't I don't believe you could play the piano when
you were 3.
Decisions made now about can, can't, could, couldn't He can get us one next time he goes to that
future ability shop.
Future ability will/won't be able to I have work to do, so I don't know if I'll be able
to go to your party.

Tips
Can and could cannot be used as infinitives, so we'll use be able to instead.
I'd love to be able to fly.
We cannot use could for temporary or one-occasion past abilities; again, we'll use
was/were able to or managed to.
Luckily, we were able to finish the project in time.
We use can (can't, could, couldn't) with sense verbs.
I can see a lot of smoke over there; maybe we should call the fire brigade.

Hypothetical ability
Current or general could, couldn't She couldn't sing in public, she's too shy.
hypothetical ability
Future hypothetical ability could, couldn't We could go to the party tomorrow because we
got invited, but I don't really feel like going.
Past hypothetical ability could have, couldn't have They could have arrested him on different
charges; I wonder why they didn't.
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VERBS EXPRESSING PERMISSION

Asking for permission may, could, couldn't, can, Can I stay up a bit longer, mum?
can't
Giving/refusing permission may, may not, couldn't, You can't stay up longer, you have school
can, can't tomorrow.
Past permission was/were/wasn't/weren't When I was 6 I wasn't allowed to go out alone.
allowed to
Past permission in could Dad said we could stay up longer on Saturday.
reported speech

A question of politeness
May is more polite and formal than could, and could is more polite and formal than can:
May I come in, Mr. Smith?
Could I see your passport, sir?
Can I play outside, mum?

VERBS EXPRESSING ADVICE

Asking for and giving should, shouldn't, ought to, You should see a doctor if it keeps hurting.
advice oughtn't to, had better, shall I'm worried about Peter. What shall we do?
Making suggestions that may/might as well We may as well watch this as there's nothing
despite not being perfect, else on.
there is no better option

Tips
Although we can use both almost alike, should is more frequently used than ought
to. In questions, ought to sounds a bit more formal and in statements, it takes a
slight connotation of moral obligation.
The negative form of had better (hadn't better) can only be used in questions:
Hadn't you better check that this is actually correct?

VERBS EXPRESSING CRITICISM

Criticising general will He will slam the door every time he goes out.
behaviour
Criticising a specific would You would take the car just when I wanted to go
example of someone's out.
general behaviour
Suggesting criticism might as well I might as well be dead for all you care.
Criticising past behaviour should have, shouldn't You shouldn't have told her our secret.
have, ought to have,
oughtn't to have
Expressing annoyance at could have, might have You could have told me you were going to be
past behaviour late!
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VERBS EXPRESSING OBLIGATION

Current or general must, have to, need to You have to pay attention in class.
obligation
Prohibition mustn't, can't You mustn't smoke in public buildings.
Lack of current or general don't have to, needn't, You don't have to be rich to be my girl.
obligation don't need to
Future obligation will have to, must, will You'll have to do better in your next test to pass
need to this course.
Lack of future obligation don't/won't have to, If I pass, I won't have to take the test again.
needn't, don't/won't need
Past obligation had to, needed to We had to work a lot when we were at school.
Lack of past obligation didn't have to, didn't need In the past, politicians didn't have to deal with
to, needn't have being in a 24-hour media spotlight.

Nuances
Must is more used to talk about a personal obligation while have to is more frequently
used to talk about external obligations:
We must hurry up if we don't want to miss the train.
You have to stop when the light is red.
Using must for questions is extremely formal; have to is normally used instead.
Do we have to come earlier tomorrow?
Be to is a formal way of saying must in instructions:
All students are to report at 9am.
We can use have got to instead of have to, but it's more informal:
We've got to be there at six, so hurry up.
The difference in meaning between needn't and don't need is very little, and yet it
exists. Needn't suggests that it is the speaker who decides the lack of necessity, while
don't need is preferred when external rules or other people's actions make something
unnecessary:
We needn't whisper, nobody can hear us.
Ben will lend you a sleeping bag, you don't need to take yours.
In questions, using need as an auxiliary verb is rather formal, so it is usually used as an
ordinary verb:
Do we need to bring our swimsuits?
We use didn't need to for things that we didn't actually do and needn't have for things
we did (being aware or unaware of the lack of obligation), even if we weren't obliged
to do:
Today it's a public holiday so I didn't need to set my alarm clock last night.
You needn't have brought anything, you are our guest!
I stayed up late last night to get my homework finished, but I needn't have
bothered - the teacher is off sick today.
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VERBS EXPRESSING POSSIBILITY AND CERTAINTY

Certainty about now, the will, would, must, can, That's not her car; she must have borrowed it
future or generally can't from her parents.
Certainty about the past will have, won't have, They must have heard about the news, surely.
would have, wouldn't
have, must have, can't
have, couldn't have
Probability about now, the should, shouldn't, ought The weather should be good tomorrow.
future or generally to, oughtn't to,
may/might well (not),
could well, might easily
Probability about the past should have, shouldn't She may well have finished her report, but I'm
have, ought to have, not sure.
oughtn't to have,
may/might well (not)
have, might easily (not)
have
Possibility about now, the could, may (not), might, I might have time to get to the shop before it
future or generally mightn't, closes.
may/might/could just
Possibility about the real could have, may (not) Jim might not have checked his e-mail yet.
past have, might have,
mightn't have
Future event which we're be bound to, be sure to, That's the kind of tattoo you are bound to
sure will happen be certain to regret later in life.

Let's practise!

1/ Circle the correct word or phrase. If both are correct, circle both.

a. You can't/ couldn't really talk when you were one year old, can/ could you?

b. We can/ could give you a lift home tonight, if you want.

c. I wish I can/ could speak Russian, then I'd be able to/ I could read Tolstoy in the
original.

d. Excuse me, could/ may you tell me how to get to the leisure centre from here?

e. I'm afraid we can't/ won't be able to come to the wedding after all.

f. Thankfully, we could/ managed to get to the airport just in time so we didn't miss the plane.

g. Dawn couldn't go/ have gone to the barbecue as she had to work.

h. Would you like to could/ be able to buy the flat you're renting?
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i. In a thousand years, can humans/ will humans be able to travel faster than the speed of light?

j. "Mum, can I watch TV and do my homework later?" -"No, you may/ might not!"

k. We could catch/ have caught the last train after all, but of course we didn't know that at the time.

l. Mayn't/ Can't I at least stay up till the end of the film?

m. Everyone could/ was able to tell that Julie was upset about something.

n. May/ Can I open the window, please? It's a little stuffy in here.

o. Because we had guests last Saturday, the kids could/ were allowed to stay up till midnight.

2/ Write a verb from the box in the correct form in each gap.

do eat feel go have invite provide recover sit speak stand work

a. It seems there's nothing anybody can ____________ to stop the conflict escalating further.

b. She couldn't _______________ anything in her left arm for about two hours. She said it was
completely numb.

c. I don't think the Prime Minister will ever manage _____________ from this scandal.

d. Can I _____________ Tracy round after tea? We want to play my new computer game.

e. Liz has had another ice cream so why can't I _____________ one? It's not fair!

f. When I was a child, my brothers and sisters and I weren't allowed _____________ with the grown-
ups except on special occasions.

g. Darren's allergic to wheat, so he can't ____________ bread under any circumstances.

h. Dominic had said he spoke German, but when we got there it turned out he couldn't
______________ a word!

i. I'd love to be able _______________ from home, but in my job it's just not possible.

j. James could _____________ for Parliament at the last election – he had enough support- but he
wasn't willing to sacrifice his privacy.

k. A small cot for babies can ________________ if you ask at reception.

l. We couldn't _______________ to the concert anyway as Jamie wasn't very well.

3/ If the word in bold is correct, put a tick. If it is incorrect, rewrite it correctly.

a. Shouldn't you getting planning permission before you start building?

b. Gavin really ought not to be worn casual clothes to the interview last week.

c. She might have gave us a call to let us know she was all right.
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d. You should better get a second opinion before you do anything drastic like knock down a
supporting wall.

e. I don't think you must go to school today if you're not feeling well.

f. We definitely should not judge Karen until we know exactly what happened.

g. I probably won't get the job but I should as well apply for it, I suppose.

h. You could have told us you'd changed your mind about the holiday. How are we going to find a
fourth person at this late stage?

i. We had rather book the tickets now, hadn't we? They might have sold out on the day.

j. Terry would leave his bedroom in such a mess all the time. It's just not good enough.

k. Michael was late, but then again he will be.

l. You may have asked me if I wanted to come with you! You know I need to go to the bank!

4/ Write a word or short phrase in each gap so that the second sentence has a similar meaning to the
first sentence.
a. I would suggest seeing a doctor if it doesn't clear up.

You had ___________________________ a doctor if it doesn't clear up.

b. It was typical of Jerry to forget to feed the cat, wasn't it?

Jerry ________________ to feed the cat, ______________ he?

c. I'm annoyed Diana didn't invite us to her engagement party.

Diana _________________________ us to her engagement party.

d. Buying a yellow car was a mistake – everyone thinks I drive a taxi!

I ___________________________ a yellow car – everyone thinks I drive a taxi!

e. Teenagers are noisy, aren't they?

Teenagers _____________________ make so much noise, ____________ they?

f. It won't harm us to see what special offers are on at the moment.

We ____________________________ what special offers are on at the moment.

g. Don't you think you should type that essay, rather than write in pen?

___________________________________ better type that essay, rather than write it in pen?

h. It would probably have been a good idea if you'd asked Dad what he thought.

You _______________ to _______________ Dad what he thought.

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5/ Write a word from the box in each gap. You will need two of the words twice.

doesn't got had has have must needn't will

a. I _______________ have bothered preparing so much food; nobody ate anything anyway.

b. Do you _____________ to have that music on so loud? I can't concentrate!

c. You _______________ call before you come round, as we'll definitely be in.

d. It was difficult, but I knew I ______________ to apologise.

e. Trisha ______________ need to get a summer job as her parents are quite well-off.

f. _________________ you have to be there in court yourself, or can a lawyer represent you?

g. We didn't ______________ to wear a uniform to school today, so I went in jeans and a T-shirt.

h. I think Damien _______________ to stay in hospital for the next four or five weeks.

i. Children ______________ not be left unattended under any circumstances.

j. We haven't ______________ to move out for another six months, but we've started looking for a
new place anyway.

6/ Complete using must, have to, need or need to in the correct form and the correct form of the words
in brackets.

a. You _____________ (pay) me back now, but of course you can if you like!

b. Dogs _______________ (keep) on a leash at all times.

c. If Linda _________________ (pick up) from school tomorrow, maybe we could spend the afternoon
in town.

d. We _________________ (rely) on phone lines in the future as we'll all have mobile phones which
connect to the Internet.

e. The invitations _________________ (send off) soon otherwise they won't get there in time.

f. Sorry I'm late. I _____________ (get) a few things from the supermarket on my way here.

g. _________________ (you/make) a fuss to get your money back, or was the manager quite
reasonable?

h. You ____________ (believe) everything Graham tells you. He's lied to me before.

i. Thankfully we ______________ (put) Flossy in a cattery as our neighbours offered to feed her.

j. What time ________________ (farmers/ get up) every morning?

k. I'd hate ________________ (commute) to work every morning and evening, wouldn't you?
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l. Although we took CDs with us we actually _____________ (do) as there was no CD player to play
them on.

7/ Underline the correct form.

a. You mustn't/don't have to conduct any chemistry experiments unless you are wearing safety
glasses.

b. There are a lot of books which Anna did not have to read/need not have read as part of her
university course, but which she decided to read out of interest.

c. We don't have to/We'd better not talk for too long. These calls are expensive.

d. I went to see the dentist yesterday, but luckily I didn't need to have/I needn't have had any painful
treatment!

e. You didn't have to tell me/shouldn't have told me about the party. Now it's not a surprise!

f. Some people believe that the government does not have to/ should not allow genetically modified
crops to be grown on a large scale, as they could spread out of control.

g. These books are on the wrong shelf. They shouldn't/mustn't be here.

h. The report concluded that the rescuers should not have attempted/didn't have to attempt to move
the injured passengers before medical help arrived.

i. Please put the paper cups and plates in the bin. We mustn't/don't have to leave the room in a mess.

j. There is plenty of time. We mustn't be/don't have to be at the cinema until 8.00.

8/ Complete the sentences using one word in each gap.

a. In the early years of motoring, drivers _______________ to take a driving test.

b. You ____________ sign the application form at the end of the page, or it will not be accepted.

c. Hurry up. We ____________ to get the airport by 9.30.

d. I think we had ____________ stop and ask someone the way.

e. This bus is going to take ages. We ______________ have taken a taxi.

f. Important notice. All new arrivals ____________ to report to the reception desk.

g. Thanks for coming. I'm glad you ___________ make it.

h. You look really tired. You ____________ take a few days off and have a holiday.

i. Sorry I'm a bit late. I _____________ to pick up the children from school.

j. You _____________ not decide immediately whether to join the class.

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9/ Write a new sentence with the same meaning, beginning as shown.

a. If I were you, I'd take an umbrella.

I think you'd _______________________________.

b. Is Saturday morning school compulsory in your country?

Do students ___________________________________________.

c. In the third week, students must hand in a typed copy of their first lab report.

In the third week, students are _____________________________________.

d. Sheila changed the battery in her camera, but it wasn't necessary.

Sheila ______________________________ the battery in her camera.

e. You look really ill. If I were you, I'd stay at home today.

You look really ill. I ______________________ to stay at home today.

f. It was a bad idea to leave the windows open while it was raining.

You _______________________________________.

g. The theatre tickets were free, so there was no need for us to pay.

The theatre tickets were free, so we __________________________________.

h. I can stay here until 10.00.

I __________________________________ leave until 10.00.

i. Helen managed to stop the car before it crashed into a wall.

Helen was__________________________________________________.

j. Steve's laptop had a wireless Internet connection, so there was no need for him to connect it to a
phone line.

Steve's laptop had a wireless connection, so he ______________________________.

10/ Choose the correct form, A, B or C, to complete the sentences.

a. Why don't you phone Katie now? She _____ yet.

A can't have left B must have left C might have left
b. Take some sun-block and wear a hat, as it ____ get very hot in the middle of the day.
A must B can C could have
c. There's no point waiting here any longer. We ____ go and have something to eat.
A can hardly B are bound to C might as well
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d. Lucky you managed to hang on to that tree. You ____ down the cliff.
A could have fallen B must have fallen C may have fallen

e. " What am I going to do about a present for Carol?" "You ___ some flowers."
A might have sent her B must have sent her C could always send her
f. I don't know what time I'll be home. I ___ be quite late, I'm afraid.
A must B can C may
g. Don't worry about your driving test. You ____ to pass.
A may B must C are bound
h. There's no sign of the dog anywhere. Someone ____ it out.
A is bound to have let B must have let C can let
i. Why don't you ask Nick about it? He ____ know the answer, I suppose.
A can B may as well C might
j. There must be some kind of technical problem. The film ____ by now.
A should have started B must have started C might have started

11/ Complete the text using one of the phrases 1-10 in each gap.

1 can't have set off 2 could easily be 3 could expect 4 must have been 5 can't have been
6 could easily sail 7 might have 8 must have made 9 should have reached 10 might involve
th
16 –century explorers

Imagine what it a _ like to have sailed around the world in a small wooden ship, as Drake and his men did
in 1577-1580. On a ship only some 35 metres long, it b ___ easy for the 80 or so crew to live comfortably.
Exploration was part of war and rivalry with other nations, so these voyages c ___ attacks on other ships
and towns, and had to make a profit. There were all the usual dangers too. A ship d ___ destroyed by a
storm or run out of food and water, and the captain e ___ little idea of where the ship was or where it was
going. Explorers f ___ many wrong decision in an age when there were only basic maps and navigation
equipment, and in unknown parts of ocean where a ship g ___ for weeks without reaching land. Very often
places they thought they h ___ turned out to be much further on, or in a different direction. However, they
i ___ on such long voyages without some general idea of the places they j ___ to reach along the way, and
as knowledge of navigation improved, voyages became more and more successful.

12/ Read the description of each situation, and write what you would say.

a. A friend comes to your house and brings you some flowers. Say something polite as you accept the
gift.

b. Your teacher is carrying a pile of heavy books. Offer to help.

c. A friend tells you that he/ she is thinking of running away from home and joining a circus as a clown.
You think this is a silly idea.

d. A friend boasts that they are taller than you, so they are better at basketball.
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e. It is hot in the classroom, and you ask your teacher for permission to open the window.

f. You are having an argument with a friend, and tell him/ her that you don't care what he/ she says.