Hi!

These are our class rules for homeschooling

 No pyjamas

 No cellphone

 Comfy chair, no sofa

 Full attention

 No noisy mates
CLASS 3

MODAL VERBS
Modal Verbs

Modal verbs are used when we say that we expect things to happen, or that events
are possible, necessary,improbable,or impossible. We also use them when we say
that things did not happen, or that we are not sure whether they happened.
Modal verbs:
 have no –s on the third person singular
 do not take do in questions and negatives
 are followed by the infinitive without to of other verbs (except for ought)
Modal verbs are:

can could
may might
must
shall should
will would
Ability

 We use can and can't to talk about someone's skill or general abilities:
She can speak several languages.
They can't dance very well.

 We use can and can't to talk about the ability to do something at a specific
time in the present or future:
I can see you.
Help! I can't breathe.
 We use could and couldn't to talk about the past:
She could speak several languages.
I couldn't see you.

 We use could have to say that someone had the ability or opportunity to do
something, but did not do it:
She could have learned Swahili, but she didn't want to.
I could have danced all night. [but I didn’t]
Permission
 We use can to ask for permission to do something:
Can I ask a question, please?
Can we go home now?

 Could is more formal and polite than can:

Could I ask a question, please?

Could we go home now?

 May is another more formal and polite way of asking for permission:

May I ask a question, please?

May we go home now?
 We use can to give permission:
You can go home now.

 May is a more formal and polite way of giving permission:

You may go home now.

 We use can't and may not to refuse permission or say that someone does not
have permission:
You can't go home yet.
Advice

 We use should and shouldn't to make suggestions and give advice:

You should send an email.
You shouldn’t go by train.

 We also use could to make positive suggestions:

We could meet at the weekend.

 We can use conditionals to give advice:

Dan will help you if you ask him.

 Past tenses are more polite:

Dan would help you if you asked him.
Obligation

 We use must and mustn't to say that it is necessary (or not) to do something:

You must stop at a red light.

Everyone must bring something to eat.
I’m sorry, but you mustn't make a noise in here.

 We use had to (positive) and couldn't (negative) if we are talking about the past:

Everyone had to bring something to eat.

You couldn't make a noise in the library.
Affirmative / Negative

Present Positive Negative

have to / •strong obligation •no obligation
don't have to (possibly from I don't have to work on
outside)Children have Sundays.
to go to school. You don't have to eat
(sometimes 'have got anything you don't like.
to')

must / mustn't strong obligation negative obligation

(possibly based on the You mustn't smoke
speaker's opinion) here.
I must study today.
Probability

We can use these modal verbs when we want to make a guess about something. We
choose the verb depending on how sure we are.
POSSIBILITY

 We use may, might and could to say that something is possible, but not certain:
They may come by car. (= Maybe they will come by car.)
They might be at home. (= Maybe they are at home.)
If we don't hurry, we could be late. (= Maybe we will be late.)

 We use can to make general statements about what is possible:

It can be very cold here in winter. (= It is sometimes very cold here in winter.)
 We use may have, might have or could have to make guesses about the past:
I haven't received your letter. It may have got lost in the post.
It's ten o'clock. They might have arrived by now.
Where are they? They could have got lost.

 We use could to make general statements about the past:

It could be very cold there in winter. (= It was sometimes very cold there in winter.)
IMPOSSIBILITY

 We use can't or cannot to say that something is impossible:

That can't be true.
You cannot be serious.

 We use can't have or couldn't have to say that a past event was impossible:
They know the way here. They can't have got lost!
If Jones was at work until six, he couldn't have done the murder.
CERTAINTY

 We use must to show we are sure something is true and we have reasons for our
belief:
It's getting dark. It must be quite late.

 We use should to suggest something is true and we have reasons for our
suggestion:
Ask Miranda. She should know.
It's nearly six o'clock. They should arrive soon.

 We use must have and should have for the past:

They hadn't eaten all day. They must have been hungry.
It's nearly eleven o'clock. They should have arrived by now.
SEE YOU NEXT WEEK!