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Modals Verbs

Modal verbs are auxiliary verbs that provide additional meaning to the main verb of a sentence. They express ideas like ability, permission, obligation, advice, certainty, possibility, criticism, and necessity. Modal verbs do not conjugate or take infinitives or "-ing" forms. They are followed by an infinitive without "to" and are sometimes referred to as modal auxiliary verbs.

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23 views

Modals Verbs

Modal verbs are auxiliary verbs that provide additional meaning to the main verb of a sentence. They express ideas like ability, permission, obligation, advice, certainty, possibility, criticism, and necessity. Modal verbs do not conjugate or take infinitives or "-ing" forms. They are followed by an infinitive without "to" and are sometimes referred to as modal auxiliary verbs.

Uploaded by

Hanna Zoe Rodríguez Guzmán
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Modals verbs

Advanced English Grammar

LPPE. David Herández García


What are modal verbs?
• Ought to
 They are:
• Can They are Auxiliary verbs that
• Could provide additional and specific
• May meaning to the main verb of the
• Might sentence
• Must
• Shall Modal verbs are sometimes
• Should referred to as
• Will Modal Auxiliary verbs because
• Would they help other verbs
LPPE. David Herández García
How do we use modals?

S M V
Subject Verb

Example: Mary could play the piano

They do not accept conjugation


They do not need other auxiliary verbs

LPPE. David Herández García


Form

There is no “s” in singular


There is no “do / does” in the question
There is no “don’t / doesn’t” in the negative

 He can ski He cans ski or He can skis


 Would you like to come with me?
Do you would like to come with me?
 They can’t be serious
They don’t can be serious
LPPE. David Herández García
Form

Modal verbs do not have infinitives or –ing forms

to can / caning to must /musting

Modal verbs are followed by an infinitive without to

She must study


We should have gone the other way
He could play football in his youth (general ability)

LPPE. David Herández García


Form

Modal verbs do not have all the tenses

Modal verbs use other verbs to complete the tenses


Can is completed with be able to
Must is completed with have to

They can play piano = They will be able to play the piano in the
future
LPPE. David Herández García
You must come early = You had to come early yesterday
What do they express?

They can have more than one meaning


depending on the situations

To understand it better we are going to divide them


into
3 categories
1. Single Concept Modal: they have one meaning
2. Double Concept Modal: they have two meanings
3. Modals in past:
past They are used to express a
situation in the past

LPPE. David Herández García


Categories

Single concept Double Concept Modals in Past


Modals Modals
Will May Would have
Might Must Could have
Should Would Might have
Ought to Shall Should have
Had better Could May have
Can Must have

LPPE. David Herández García


Single Concept Modal

Modal Concept Examples


Will Future Joe will travel to NY next week

Might Small probability I might move to Canada some day

Should Recommendation You should go to the doctor

Ought to Formal We ought to know about first aids


recommendation
Had better Warning I had better study or I will fail the test

LPPE. David Herández García


Double Concept Modal
Modal Concept Examples
May (1) Permission May I come in?

May (2) Good probability We may visit Mexico this summer

Must (1) Responsibility Everyone must pay taxes

Must (2) Assumption She didn’t arrive. She must be sick

Would (1) Past (used to) When I was young, I would play
soccer
Would (2) Present unreal I would buy the car but I can’t afford
LPPE. David Herández García it
Double Concept Modal
Modal Concept Examples
Shall (1) Educated expression Excuse me, I shall go now
Offer Shall I clean it?
Shall (2) Contractual obligation The company shall pay on January 1st

Could (1) Unreal Ability I could go if I had time

Could (2) Past Ability She could play the piano, not anymore

Can (1) Present Ability We can speak English

Can (2) Permission Can I have a sweet?

LPPE. David Herández García


Modals in the Past

 They are modals referred to actions that happened in the past

MODAL + HAVE + verb in past participle

It must have been a difficult decision


They should have invited her to their wedding

LPPE. David Herández García


MODALS: ABILITY

CAN: Expresses ability in the present or generally: I can run a kilometre in


four minutes.
It is used for decisions made about future ability: We can meet at the
gym tomorrow.
COULD: Expresses ability in the past.
In sentences (if only) it expresses ability in the present, future and in
general hypothetical situations: If only you could come
COULD HAVE+ PAST PTC: Expresses ability in past hypothetical
situations: I could have roasted the turkey.
For other tenses: BE ABLE TO+INFINITIVE

LPPE. David Herández García


MODALS- PERMISSION

MAY (more polite than 'could'): May I go out?


COULD(more polite than 'can'): Could you repeat, please?
CAN(informal use): Can I go to the toilet?
These modal verbs express giving permission now or for the future.
For the past we have 'could' or 'be allowed to': I could go out with my
friends/ I was allowed to go out with my friends.

LPPE. David Herández García


MODALS- ADVICE

SHOULD+ INFINITIVE / SHOULDN'T+ INFINITIVE


OUGHT TO
These verbs are used for giving advice now, for the future or generally:
You should go to the doctor now.
He ought to study for the exam.
They shouldn't buy things if they have little money.

LPPE. David Herández García


MODALS- DEGREES OF CERTAINTY

MUST/CAN'T/COULDN'T} Express certainty about now or the future: That


must be the new manager/ She can't be so old. She looks very young.

MUST/CAN'T/COULDN'T HAVE + PAST PTC} Express certainty about the


past: She must have been in a lot of pain/ They couldn't have been on
holiday for so long.

SHOULD/OUGHT TO} Express probability about now, the future or


generally: You ought to feel better in a few days.

SHOULD/OUGHT TO HAVE+ PAST PTC} Express probability about the


past: They bruises ought to have disappeared in a few days.

LPPE. David Herández García


MODALS- DEGREE OF CERTAINTY (CONT.)

COULD/MAY/MIGHT} Express possibility about now, the future or generally:


You should talk to your doctor because that diet might be dangerous.

COULD/MAY/MIGHT HAVE+ PAST PTC} Express possibility about the


past: That might have been the doctor who rang while we were out.

COULD/MIGHT HAVE+ PAST PTC} Express possibility about a hypothetical


past: If you didn't follow your doctor's advice, you could have become
quite ill.

LPPE. David Herández García


MODALS- CRITICISM

SHOULD HAVE+ PAST PTC.


OUGHT TO HAVE+ PAST PTC.
These forms express a criticism of past behaviour.
He ought to have made more effort.
He should have eaten more before going out.

LPPE. David Herández García


MODALS- OBLIGATION AND NECESSITY

MUST/ HAVE TO/ NEED TO} Express an obligation or necessity: I must


/have to/need to study for the exam.

NEEDN'T/DON'T HAVE TO/DON'T NEED TO} Express no obligation or


necessity: You needn't/don't have to/don't need to go to the shop. There
is a lot of food in the fridge.

HAD TO} Expresses a past obligation: He had to study hard for his exams.

NEEDN'T HAVE+ PAST PTC} Expresses a lack of past obligation (an action
that happened): They needn't have gone to the shop. There was plenty of
food in the fridge.

LPPE. David Herández García


Thank You

LPPE. David Herández García

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