ENG 102 (NEH)

Use of modals
Lecture 2
 How to make Requests, offers and invitations

1. We use could …..… and would … as polite ways of telling or asking someone to do
something:
Examples: Could you take a message, please?
Would you carry this for me, please?
Can and will are less polite:
Examples: Can you take a message, please?
Will you carry this for me, please?
2. We sometimes say can ... or could ... or will ... to make an offer:
Examples: I can do that for you if you like.
Can I help you?
3. We use would you like (to) ... for invitations/offer:
Would you like another glass of mango juice?
Would you like to come for a cup of coffee in my place?
Requests, offers and invitations -will/ can/ could/ would
Complete the following dialogues by using will/ can/ could/ would
a) Hey, ____can/could/would_____you pass me that plate, please?  Its too far away.
b) __Would___________you like some help? I am free now.
c) ___ _Could/would_________you do me a favor?
d) __Could_ _____ you say thanks to your mother on my behalf? I am grateful to her for her help.
e) __Would/could_ ____ ________you mind closing the window, please?
f) _ Would/could ____you tell me how to get to the town centre, please?
g) I _____can_________give you a lift to the station. Please don’t hesitate to ask for the ride.
h) ___ _Would__________you like to go out tonight? We can see full moon today.
i) __ Would/could _______ _______you tell me where the nearest bank is, please? I need to open a bank
account.
j) ___Would_ __________ you like to attend my sister’s wedding tomorrow? We will be very happy if you
attend.
 
Exercise:
Write short dialogues for the following situations using appropriate modals-
a) Mamun: It’s getting hot here. ___We cannot stay here any
longer_____________________________________ ?
Saddam: ___Yes, we can go outside for a
walk____________________________________________________.
Mamun: Thanks.
b) You: I have finished already. ___Can you bring the bill now?
______________________________________?
Waiter: _______Yes Sir I can do that. Do you want to try any dessert?
________________________________________________.
You: _No, thanks, I cannot eat anything now, I am
full.____________________________________________________________.
Waiter: Thank you, Sir. Please visit us again.
c) Father: I need to watch a very important news on television, son. But I couldn’t find the
remote ___Can you look for it?
____________________________________________________?
Son: ___Yes father I certainly can do that. But it seems it has been spoiled by
Rayhan.______________________________________________________.
Father: Oh no!
d) Sister: I am trying to study attentively. But your dog is
burking non-stop. ___Can your take your dog for a walk?
___________________________________________________
___ ?
Brother: No, I can’t. I am too tired now. __Can you study later ?
Sister: Don’t you know that my SSC exam is going to start from
tomorrow?
e) Brishti: Toru, I’m out of money. My parents couldn’t
manage to send it today. ______Can you lend me some
money?
___________________________________________________
_______ ?
Toru: ___Will 1000 taka be enough for you?
___________________________________________________
_____?
Brishti: I am afraid I cannot do with that. I need at least 3000
taka.
___________________________________________________
?
Toru: _________O.k. Can you give it back by 15 th of this
month?
__________________________________________________.
Suggestions, Advice& Obligations
There are two types of modal verbs of obligation:

 Those that primarily express a firm obligation or necessity - must and have to.
 Those that express a recommendation or moral obligation - should and ought to.

Chart of modals used for suggestion, advice and obligation:

Purpose Modals

Suggestion Should/ might/ could

Advice Should/ ought to/ had better(strong advice)

Obligation Must

Have/has/had to
The difference between must, have to, should, ought to
‘Must’ and ‘should’ are both modal verbs.
MUST is used when expressing obligation or an unavoidable requirement, whereas
SHOULD is more of a recommendation, or simply a desirable goal.

MUST is similar to ‘have to’ – strong obligation.

– You must abide by the law.
– You have to avoid mixing with bad guys.
– You must arrive on time; otherwise, we will leave without you.
Note: It is more common to use ‘have to’ instead of “must” in question.
Example: Do I have to fill up this form?
Wrong answer: Must I fill up this form?
SHOULD is similar to ‘ought to’ – a suggestion.
– You should try to get some sleep; it is very late.
– You shouldn’t be so mean to the poor.
- You should visit us more often, we hardly ever see you nowadays.
Exercise: Use appropriate modals in the blanks (should/ought to/must/have/has/had to)
a) Engineers ______should_______________ redesign engines to make them more fuel
efficient.
b) Government ____should_____________ ban the use of single use plastic as soon as
possible.
c) We _______should not__________________ drive recklessly. Life is precious.
d) You _must__close the door or else all the heat will go out.  
e) You _..must/have to show your passport in the airport.
f) None __should_________ leave their keys in the car.
g) When we were at school, we __had to_______stand up when a teacher came into the
room.
h) They ____must/have to__________________start getting ready to go because the bus
leaves exactly at 9 a.m.
i) Drivers should__avoid talking over cell phone while driving. Accident can occur at any
time.
Use should, must, have/has/had to, ought to and complete the sentences. Use negatives
wherever necessary.
i. I am feeling feverish. I __ have to……….go to the doctor.
ii. A driver __________should not_____________________________ violate the red signal.
iii. I’m sorry, but you __had to __come earlier. It’s already 10 p.m.
iv. People of young generation _should....... give up smoking. They __have to
__________understand that smoking is injurious to health.
v. Children _____should not_________________________ play with matches.
vi. You ________should_______________________ walk every day. There is no exercise better
than walking.
vii.You ______must_____________________________show your report card to your parents.
viii.Nupur –should---- go for the test because she is getting poor marks very often.
ix. I told my roommate that he ___has to_____pay for the groceries this week because I owe
him money.
x. You _should not/must not___use a pen in the IELTS exam. It is totally prohibited.
 Possibility– may, might and could
We use may, might and could to say that something is possible, but not certain. We use these
modals to describe a possible action.

 Koushikmay come by car.

 Abida might be at home.
 If we don't hurry, we could be late.

Because of the uncertainty, these modals are often used to talk about
the future, though sometimes we want to express possibility in
the present.
 I may go traveling next year. (future possibility)
 My keys might be in the car. (present possibility)

M a y V s M ight
We use can to make general
May and might can normally be statements about what is possible:
changed with significant
difference in meaning. However, -It can be very cold here in winter.
might often implies a smaller
We use couldto make general
chance of something happening
statements about the past:
(when expressing possibility).
-You could easily get lost in that town.
When expressing wishes or
giving permission only may is
used.
Let’s complete the following sentences with modals appropriate for the
contexts –(May, might, can, could)
a) You should ask Turin. He _____might_______________ know Riya’s phone
number.
b) We _may not/might _not_have time to meet Rezwan. Our schedule is very
hectic.
c) We __might___ have been on holiday when you rang.
d) I ____may not_____go out for dinner tonight. I'm not feeling very well.
e) It _may/might___rain later. So, take the umbrella with you.
f) Where are they? They __might have ____________ got lost.
g) Tabassum is not picking up the phone. She might_____have gone for
shopping.
h) Where is my English book? Hmmm…. Yeah! It ____may/might_______ be on
my desk.
Exercise - 3
Fill in the blanks in the following sentences with appropriate modals.
(Modals– Will / Shall, Would/ Should or Can/Could, May/Might)
Man 1………may …………live without food and water for some time, but he 2.…can………..not
live without air. We 3…should……………..inhale pure, oxygen-rich air. Breathing foul or polluted
air 4.…may/might…………….cause chest-related problems. Exposure to cold air 5.…
should…………..be avoided. When a person catches cold, he 6……should…………take simple,
light and easily digestible food. He 7 ……should……………. avoid going out in cold under all
circumstances. He 8. should…………… keep his body warm by putting on woolen clothes.
Exercise – 4
Seeing a crow eating a piece of bread, a fox thought how it (i)__could_______ trick that fellow.
It said, “(ii) __Could, may____ I talk to you Sir?” the crow even didn’t look at the fox. The fox
again said, “ (iii) ___Could________ you please pay a little attention to me? What a nice bird you
are! Your voice (iv) _might____ be very sweet. I am sure you (v) __can______ sing very well.” The
crow who (vi)_could_ …not be persuaded till then now looked at the fox. It (vii)___might______
have felt flattered. The crow said to itself,” I’ll show this fox how well I (viii) __can________
sing.” It opened its beak. The piece of bread fell down. And it was eaten away quickly by the fox.
The moral of the story is, you (ix) ___should not________ let yourself be taken over by flattery.