Understanding Modals

What are Modals?

Modals (also called modal verbs, modal auxiliary verbs, modal auxiliaries) are special words
which are always used with another verb.
Examples of modal verbs include can, can’t, could, couldn’t, may, may not, might, might
not, should, shouldn’t, must, mustn’t, would, wouldn’t, will and shall.
These words are usually placed before other verbs.
Example: It may rain tomorrow.

Functions of Modals
They give additional information and change the meaning of the sentence. Modals have a great
variety of communicative functions. We use them along with other verbs to express ability, possibility,
necessity, certainty, lack of necessity, impossibility, permission, prohibition, advice, obligation, and so on.
Look at these examples. What’s your Remark?
✓He is her brother. She told me.
✓He must be her brother. They look so much alike.
✓He may be her brother. I’m not sure.
✓He can’t be her brother.

Characteristics of Modal Verbs

Modal verbs are different from normal verbs like "work, play, visit..." Here are some characteristics of
modal verbs:
• We use them + infinitive without to (except for ought, have, and had):
✗ You can to use it anywhere. ✓ You can use it anywhere.
• They have the same form for all subjects; You can't add "s", "ed", "ing"...
✗ My brother cans swim. ✓ My brother can swim.
• We form negatives with not or n’t (not doesn’t or don’t):
✗ I don’t can speak Japanese. ✓ I can’t speak Japanese.
• We put the modal verb in front of the subject for questions. We don’t use do/does/did:
✗ Does she can play tennis? ✓ Can she play tennis?
• They don’t have infi nitive or -ing forms. If we need to use an infi nitive or -ing form,
we use a form with a similar meaning, e.g. for can we use be able to:
✗ I want to can play the guitar. ✓ I want to be able to play the guitar.
✗ I love can stay up late. ✓ I love being able to stay up late.
• They don’t have participle (-ed, -ing) forms, so we can’t make continuous or perfect tenses with them.
Instead we change the main verb:
They can’t be waiting for us. They can’t have used it yet.
• Most modal verbs can be used in some of their meanings with a perfect infinitive (modal+have + past
participle) to talk about the past.
 I may have seen him yesterday. You should have told me last week.
• How to Write Sentences Using Modals:
Subject + modal + second verb. (Never add -s, -es, -ed, or -ing to the second verb.)
• I + can + sleeping six hours tonight. • I + couldn't + worked last night.
MUST, MAY, CAN’T
A. Must for Certaintiy:
We use must to say that we are fairly sure/ certain that something is true (based on evidence within
the same sentence).
✓Look at all that snow; it must be cold outside.
✓She's been revising 10 hours a day for 3 weeks. She must be exhausted.

B. May for Possibility and Probability:

We use may to say that something is possible, but not certain.
✓It may rain tomorrow. (perhaps)
✓They may be away for the weekend but I'm not sure. (maybe)

C. Can’t for Impossibility:

When we are sure that something is NOT possible or Impossible, we use can’t
✓He can’t be from the USA. He doesn't speak English.
✓She can’t steal things from shops. She's rich and famous.

Practice
A. Complete these sentences using: must/ can’t / may.
1. The lights are on and I can hear the TV so he …………………… be at home.
2. She ………………be working now. She finishes at 15.00. It is 18.00 and she never works overtime.
3. I don’t know where my umbrella is. It……………… be in my car but I don’t remember seeing it there.
4. That house…………………… be so expensive. It is very old and it is in a very bad condition.
5. He is so boastful! His wife …………………… be tired of him.
6. You are so gorgeous and tall. You ……………………be a model in the future.
7. That blouse has really good quality. It ……………………be quite expensive.
8. After so many years without a holiday, Jane ……………be really happy with her next week holidays.
9. Maybe Susan isn’t working today. She…… be looking after her ill daughter or she……… be ill herself.

B. WRITE ‘must’ or ‘can’t’

1. - Where is your sister? She ……. be in her bedroom doing her homework.
2. - Tom’s life …… be easy. He earns little money in his job.
3. - This book isn’t mine. It …….. belong to one of your friends.
4. - The child has just eaten so he ……. be hungry again.
5. - Your dad …… smoke a lot of cigarettes because he coughs.
6. - That blonde girl ……. be Paul’s wife. She is too young.
7. - The food in this restaurant is really delicious. They ….. have a good chef.
8. - Look! This is Oussama’s new car. He …… have bought it.
9. - People carry umbrellas so it ……. be raining.
10. - My car doesn’t start. Something ……. be wrong.
11. - That man wears very old clothes. He …….. be a rich man.