MAY & CAN av on Request (polite) Request (informal) May I borrow your book? Can I borrow your book? (something not certain) (general statement) It may snow tomorrow. Itcan snow a lot in winter. Prohibition Offer (no permission) Can I give youa hand? You may not smoke in my house. Ability = pn May all your dreams come true. NICOULD 4 Ab ity jim could play piano when he was 6. (past) could play tennis when I was a kid You could try exercising more. Request Could I please have the check? (more polite) Could you give me a hand? Permission | Could I take the exam tomorrow? (more polite) Could I take Friday off? He could have gotten lost. You could have called first. treo error, LI will be late to class tomorrow. He'll be ten years old next month. Will you give this to John, please? ill you call me when you get home?) I'll drive you to the train station. We will lend you the money. The bank won't give Sam a loan. He will not return my calls. If it rains, I will not go to the park. If Ben is late again, he'll get fired. AlEWILL |__ WOULD __ Request Request informal Win younetp me?) "Would you help me? Refusal (resative form) | Refusal (nesstive form) eset aes past le won't help me. He wouldn't help me. Offer Offer present/future past Cwould" + present perfect) T'll help you. Twould have helped you. Conditional Conditional first. third If he had asked me, Ifhe asks me, I'll help him. Twould have helped him. second If Thad a boat, would sail around the world. He will tutor me next month. [He promised he would tutor me. AlEsecond Request (polite) r ) Future in the past Habi the past If |had money, I would buy a car. If you had given me good directions, I wouldn't have gotten Lost. Would you pass the salt, please? I would like more coffee, please. ‘Would you like something to drink? ‘Would you care to join us? ‘We thought we would arrive at 12. He promised he would pick me up. ‘When | lived in the city, | would get takeout almost every night. FN (2MIGHT 4 If [had entered the contest, I might have won. If lenter the contest, | might win. She might have missed class because she was sick. She wasn't feeling well last week. She might be on her way to class now. She might not come to class on Friday. American English at State AJ E( wl’ MUST & SHOULD MUST SHOULD HAVE TO NOT a modal verb Obligation & Recommendation -official, written rule You must be 28 or older to vote in the U.S. -duty/strong moral obligation You must respect your parents, -very strong recommendation You must visit DC when you're in the U.S. -personal obligation / moral obligation (weaker than "must") Ishould save more money each month. I should call my brother more often. -recommendation She should wear a suit to the interview. -changes form I HAVE TO finish this report by 5:00. She HAS TO finish this report by 5:00. -often used in place of MUST when speaking -necessity I have to wear glasses to see. American English at State [ZN {>}present Certainty past Prohibition (negative) Necessity Personal Obligation You got a raise. You must be happy! They must have gotten home really late. They left here after midnight. You must not smoke in this building. You must not wear jeans to work. You must finish the exam in one hour. You must pay with cash or credit card. I must stop smoking! It's bad for me. You must visit us soon. We miss you. American English at State FQ {=}( "er MUST NOT & SHOULD NOT MUST NOT SHOULD NOT DO (DOES) NOT HAVE TO NOT a modal verb -certainty This must not be Jason's house. He said his door is red, and this door is white. -prohibition You must not smoke in this building. We must not talk while the teacher is teaching. -strong recommendation You shouldn't get married. You're too young. You shouldn't smoke so much. -no obligation You don't have to bring me home. Jim said he will drive me home. Jane doesn't have to finish her homework tonight. Her school is closed tomorrow. American English at state ENModal Verb Monday SHOULD present Youshould exercise more often. Advice You should have come to the party past last night. It was a Lot of fun! (should have « past participle) I should be at work by 9:00 a.m. Obligation ‘We should go to class every day. The train should be here soon. The ticket shouldn't cost a lot. ty/ Expectation The ticket shouldn't have cost so past much. Why was it so expensive? American English at State [J [5)CAN less polite WILL less polite Modal Verhs: Requests asking someone to do something or you/someone Would you help me clean the house? Would you bring me some more coffee? Could you bring me the bill, please? Could I get your phone number? Can you help me study for my exam? Can you lend me your textbook? Will you answer the phone, please? Will you carry this for me? American English at State [5Request May I have some more coffee? (polite) May I borrow your car? May I come in? Students may travel for free. P. b It may snow tomorrow. case He may have gotten stuck in traffic. May the New Year bring you joy. May the Force be with you. NGModal Verhs: Advice -used in the present (positive & negative) You should take a break and get some rest. SHOULD He shouldn't smoke so much. esas -also used in the past (positive & negative) You should have called me. | was worried! She shouldn't have dropped out of school. -sometimes implies moral obligation OUGHT TO | -usually not used in the negative semi-modal verb You ought to call your mother more often. -often implies some sort of consequence if action is not followed You'd better pay your taxes on time. HAD BETTER semi-modal / compound verb You had better obey the rules. She'd better not cheat on her exam. American English at State [ZY [3meatl Modal Verbs: Permission a a aya Saying someone Asking for permission Giving permission hen parionasions more formal more formal may may may May Iuse your phone? You may take this Students may enter Friday off from work. for free. could Could my mother join |) You may turnin your Passengers may sit us tomorrow for homework late. anywhere. lunch? can can can CanIborrow your ff Youcanuse my phone || All children can use black coat? to call your father. the playground. Can Iuse this chair? [J Youcancome withus. |) Teachers can use our resources for free. fess formal (ess formal American English at State [|model Modal Verbs: Probability vel Positive How certain an (? Negative is the right place. 100%) 1007 That isn't our new teacher. can't That can't be our new teacher. That's a woman, and our new teacher is a man. must not must This must be the right place. We followed the directions, and it's the only Italian restaurant on this street He must not want to go to the . concert, I called him yesterday to might say Thad an extra ticket, and he hasn't called me back. I might work late Tonight. Thave an important meeting tomorrow, and. ht not Thavea lot to do before then. I might not go to the party tonight. may Thave a lot of work todo. It may rain today. There are clouds, and the sky is alittle dark. may not John may not join our meeting. He's in another meeting at the joment, and it may not end on time. could This could be the last time I travel for work. I'm hoping to get anew Job soon. (ess certain=Youcannot smoke in thisroom. if we had some oranges | could make you You can't go to the party some fresh juice. (= would be able to) Sri ee ©)... of Shall: Shall ‘Suggestions SHALL ~ Shall | get a pizza for dinner tonight? The modal verb Shall is not used much nowadays. It may still be found in formal speech ~That bag looks heavy. Shall I carry it for you?_| and some legal documents. The most common use of shall in everyday English is in -What shall I do with your mail when itarrives?. questions that offer or suggest. ~Shall|...? -Shallwe...? y Originally Shall was used You shall be the first person to know. Ree Wilinecen (with land We) when talking =I shall meet you there at 7. about the future, {Inala the examples above, shalcan be replaced by another modal verb, Suggestion/Instructions-Should Offers-Can/Could _Promises/Confirmation - Will Cre Mee ee) Te- May the New Year bring you happiness. ~ She is late. She may have missed her plane. Cr caePet Dottie BE CAREFUL: There is a difference in meaning between Mustn’t and Don’t have to. cs foruidden ta drnkthat, =You don't need to drink that but Don't drink that, itis not allowed. you can if you want to. You mustn't tell John. _ 3 Do NOT tell John. = You can tell John if you want to fou are not allowed to tell John. —_—_—but itis not necessary. COMA COT& May - Expressing Wishes (The Hunger Games) ~ May the odds be ever in yout favor Modal verbs Inces | Base form ofthe |= always || = to your toexpress of winning _ infinitive = td be advantage - your wish = } May the Force be with you. (starwars) More examples May - Modal Verb [Mlthe New Year Bi happiness, May isa modal verb that has eee een yeu NPP different uses. One of ts uses -(May you both Rave a happy life together. isto express your wishes -|May all your wishes come true. for someone. REMMI ee @ vim Must 4 | Obligation MUST vs. HAVE TO -You must wear a seatbelt when you drive. Must expresses obligation —..__._ imposed by the speaker while Have to expresses external -Look at all that snow. It must be cold outside. | obligations. mphasize Necessity (i‘“‘ié‘=é~*«*CR Chern You musst complete (Emphasize Necessity | this essay by Friday. -Plants must have light and water to grow. | Student: We have to complete ‘Strong Recommendation thisessay by Friday. | Itis more common to use oS *_| Have to instead of Must in | Mustn’t = Prohibition _ | questions. |= Does he have to do the test? -We must get together for dinner soon, -You mustn’t use your phone while driving, We use Had to instead of Must in the past tense. | See our chart about -|had to pay my speeding ticket yesterday. Mustn't vs. Don't have to. COUP Ce Or eeae Should — Uses of Should: fears e SHOULD vs. OUGHT TO Should can be replaced by ought to without a change in meaning, ~You ought to study more, = ~You should study more. Note: ought to sounds more formal than should and is ulc ve + | used less frequently, ‘Meaning: The subject did not fulfil their obligation in the past or did not act responsibly. -You should have given your boss the report yesterday when he asked for it. We use SHOULDN'T to advise not to do something, usually because itis bad or wrong. You shouldn't throw your ould + b b-ing litter onto the street. Meaning: The subject is not fulfilling their ~ He shouldn't play with those obligation now or is not acting sensibly. wires if he doesn't know -You should be wearing your seatbelt. what he is doing. -We should be studying for the test right now. ~ You shouldn't work so much. COE OIC ee(> May - Expressing Wishes ZZZzza (The Hunger Games) ‘odds be. your favor. s_ Base form of the infinitive = td be y -|May the New Year bring you happiness. ~(May you both have a happy life together. (May all your wishes come true. www.grammarcl —_www.woodwardenglish.com _www.vocabulary.cl