Past Modals

1. How to form past with modal verbs? The first type is the easiest and usually requires only a
simple word change:

Vagyis használjuk az illető módbeli segédige létező múlt formáját, annak az elsődleges értelme
szerint. Ezek lehetnek:

❖ I ​can​ drive. → I ​could ​drive.

present ability → past ability

❖ I ​have to/ must​ do my homework.→ I ​had to​ do my homework.

present obligation→ past Obligation

❖ I ​have to​ buy more bread. → I ​had to​ buy more bread.- kellett vennem

→ I ​didn`t have to​ buy more bread.-nem kellett vennem

present necessity→ past necessity/ lack of necessity

❖ I ​can​ go to the party.→ I go to the party last Saturday.

present permission→ past permission

❖ He ​will​ wait for us at the station. → He said he ​would​ wait for us at the station.

future intention→ intention with future reference but in the past

2. Listen to the songs and look at the modals in the lyrics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARt9HV9T0w8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2C5TjS2sh4

“I just walked in to find you here with that sad look upon your face
I ​should have changed​ that stupid lock, I ​should have made​ you leave your key
If I'd known for just one second you'd be back to bother me”

“It ​must have been love

But it's over now
It​ must have been good
But I lost it somehow’

Some ​past modals​ can be formed by using ​have + the third form ​of the ​main verb​ i ​(should have,
could have, would have, may have, must have, might have,can`t have etc.)
However, since modals express ​possibility, intention, obligation,​ etc., they do not always indicate
a definite tense. Therefore, when using ​past modals with ​have,​ special meanings need to be
considered.

Vagyis figyelembe kell vennünk hogy a módbeli segédigéknek van ugye másodlagos értelmük.
Pl. a ​can ​nem csak képességet fejez ki, a ​must​ sem csak kötelezettséget.

Ilyen esetekben pedig ha szeretnénk kifejezni hogy valami megtörtént, befejeződött , kritizálunk a
múlttal kapcsolatban pld, következtetéseket vonunk le, akkor ezt a MODAL+HAVE+IGE3
formával tudjuk kifejezni.

!Itt a past- csak arra utal hogy megtörtént, nem köthető simple,continuous formákhoz.

a. I ​should go​ to the funeral. El kéne mennem a temetésre.

b. I s​ hould have gone​ to the funeral.- El kellett volna mennem a temetésre. ( nem mentem
és most sajnálom.
c. He ​would take​ you to the airport if he had time.- Elvinne a reptérre ha lenne ideje.
d. He ​would have taken​ you to the airport if he had had time.- Elvitt volna a reptérre ha lett
volna ideje. ( de nem volt és nem vitt)
e. John ​might come​ by train. - John lehet hogy vonattal jön, valószinű.
f. John ​might have come​ by train. - John vonattal jöhetett.
g. George ​must be​ very rich as he often travels to exotic places.- George biztos gazdag
hogy ilyen gyakran utazik exotikus tájakra.
h. George ​must have forgotten​ about the meeting. - George biztos elfelejtette a
megbeszélést.

So, we use the past modals with different meaning, just as the present forms.
Today we will focus a bit more on ​past modals expressing deduction/logical assumption.

must have+ verb 3- to express that we are sure about something that happened

can`t have+ verb 3- to express that we are almost sure that something didn`t happen

could/may/might have+ verb 3- to express that it is likely, possible, probable that

something happened

Practice:

A. Choose the most appropriate modal verb to replace the modal verb in capital letters.

1.You went to Moscow in February? It SHOULD have been cold!

must

could

can

2.We MIGHT have stayed home. That movie was terrible!

will

must

should

3.It MUST not have been the best cake you ever made, but it was still pretty good.

should

may

can
4.It was bad, but it OUGHT TO have been worse!

could

will

must

5.What a great day! I MAY not have asked for more.

must

could

may

6.The dog just got out, it MAY have gone far.

must

wouldn't have

can't have

7.You went to China? That WILL have been exciting!

may

must

should

8.You MUST have brought a jacket. It´s so cold tonight!

should

may

will

9. If he had been in the competition he MUST have been the winner.

will

might

ought to

B. Complete with must have/ can`t have/ could have/ might have/ may have/ couldn`t have
 1.She _​MUST HAVE​
__ misunderstood my directions. Why else is she late?

2. He __​CAN`T HAVE​
_ gone to the beach. He hates being in the sun.

3. I ___ written down the number incorrectly. I've just called a hospital not the restaurant.

4.They ___ been at the cafe but I didn't see them.

5. John ___ been very happy when he found out he was going to be a father. He's wanted this for a long
time.

6.He ___ gone to the city centre. He did say he wanted to go shopping.

C. PERFECT MODALS REPHRASING EXERCISES- for future individual practice :P

1. I’m sure​ that he ​has finished​ the exercise. HE MUST HAVE FINISHED THE EXERCISE.
2. I think​ that Ridley Scott ​didn’t direct​ this film. RIDLEY SCOTT COULDN`T HAVE DIRECTED THIS FILM.
3. You ​didn’t write​ as many words as ​possible. ​YOU MIGHT HAVE WRITTEN MORE WORDS.
4. We are certain that it wasn`t a disaster. IT CAN`T HAVE BEEN A DISASTER.
5. ​I can’t believe your boyfriend began smoking. YOUR BOYFRIEND COULDN`T HAVE BEGUN SMOKING.