Centro de Educación Integral CEDI 

Sábado marzo 28, 2020 
 
GOAL​: Identify the use of ​SOCIAL MODAL 
 
Social  Modals​:  Requests,  Permission,  Suggestions,  Advice,  Opinions,  Obligations,  Necessity, 
Lack of Necessity, and Prohibition 
 
Preview: 
Two students: 
Carlos: C
​ an​ I borrow your notes after class? 
Miguel:  Sure,  but  ​could  you  please  return  them  before  dinner?  I  think  I´ll  need  them  for  the 
homework assignment. 
 
Two strangers in an elevator: 
Woman: W ​ ould​ you please hold the door for me? 
Man: Certainly. 
 
Two friends: 
Johnny:  What  ​should  I  buy  my  father  for  his  birthday?  He  really  doesn't  need  anything.  But  I 
have to​ do something. 
Camila: Well, you ​could​ take him out to dinner or you could take him to the theater. 
 
Driver´s manual: 
Bicyclist  ​must  obey  the  rules  of  the road, just as vehicle drivers do. They ​must signal turns and 
stops with hand signals. 
Bicyclists ​may not​ carry a passenger unless the bicycle has a passenger seat. 
 
 
 
Modals  (also  called  modal  verbs,  modal  auxiliary  verbs,  modal  auxiliaries)  are  special  verbs  which 
behave  irregularly  in  English.  They  are  different  from  normal  verbs  like  "work,  play,  visit..."  They  give 
additional  information  about  the  function  of  the  main  verb  that  follows  it. They have a great variety of 
communicative functions. 
 
Here are some characteristics of modal verbs: 
 
They never change their form. You can't add "s", "ed", "ing"... 
They are always followed by an infinitive without "to" (e.i. the bare infinitive.) 

COMPLEMENTARY READING 
 

They  are  used  to  indicate  modality  allow  speakers  to  express  certainty,  possibility,  willingness, 
obligation, necessity, ability 
List of modal verbs 
can, could, may, might, will, would, shall, should, must 
The  verbs  or  expressions  ​dare,  ought  to,  had  better​,  and  ​need  not  behave  like  modal  auxiliaries  to  a 
large extent and may be added to the above list 
 
Modal verbs are used to express functions such as: 
1. Permission 
2. Ability 
3. Obligation 
4. Prohibition 
5. Lack of necessity 
6. Advice 
7. Possibility 
8. Probability 
MODAL VERB  EXPRESING  EXAMPLE 

Strong obligation  You must stop when the traffic lights turn red. 
Must  He must be very tired. He's been working all day 
logical conclusion / Certainty 
long. 
Must not  prohibition  You must not smoke in the hospital. 
ability  I can swim. 
Can  permission  Can I use your phone please? 
possibility  Smoking can cause cancer. 
Ability in the past  When I was younger I could run fast. 
Could  Polite permission  Excuse me, could I just say something? 
possibility  It could rain tomorrow! 
permission  May I use your phone please? 
May 
possibility, probability  It may rain tomorrow! 
polite permission  Might I suggest an idea? 
Might 
possibility, probability  I might go on holiday to Australia next year. 
lack of necessity/absence of  I need not buy tomatoes. There are plenty of 
Need not  obligation  tomatoes in the fridge. 
I should / ought to see a doctor. I have a terrible 
50 % obligation 
headache. 
should/ought to  advice  You should / ought to revise your lessons 
He should / ought to be very tired. He's been working 
logical conclusion 
all day long. 
Had better  advice  You'd better revise your lessons 

COMPLEMENTARY READING 
 

Form: 
Statements 

I  Should  buy a present for him 

-  ​Should,  can,  will,  would,  may,  might  are  modals 
You  Should  buy a present for him  auxiliaries. 
 
He   Should  buy a present for him  -  To  form  a  statement,  use  the  modals  +  the  simple 
She  Should  buy a present for him  form of the main verb. 
 
It  Should  buy a present for him  -  Modals  do  not  change  form  to  agree with the subject. 
There is no final –s or –es after a modal. 
We  Should  buy a present for him 

They  Should  buy a present for him 

 
Statements    Contractions 
-  To  negative  statement,  use  the  modals  +  ​not  or  –​n´t 
I  Should  Worry  I shouldn't  plus the simple form of the main verb. 
You  Should  Drink and drive  You mustn’t   
-C​ an + not​ is written as one word. 
He   Should  Borrow my car  He can’t   
They  Should  Borrow it either   
-M ​ ay not​ has no contracted form. 

 
Yes/no  Short Answer  Contractions  -  In  yes/no  questions. 
Can I go with you?  Yes, You c​ an  No, You c
​ an’t  Modals  come  before  the 
No, You c
​ annot  subject.  
       
-  Short  answers  have  a 
      subject + a modal. 

 
Information question  answers 
What should​ I buy for him?  Something unusual  -  The ​wh- word comes before 
the modal and the subject. 
Where could w
​ e go to celebrate?  To the theater 

 
Information question  answers  - If ​who or ​what is the subject 
Who may a
​ pply for the job?  Anyone 21 or older  of  the  question,  then  the 
word order is the same as for 
    affirmative statement. 
   

COMPLEMENTARY READING 
 

Request: 
 
1. The  modals  can,  will,  could  and  would  are  all  used  to  ask  someone  to  do  something.  The 
meaning is the same. 
Can you please do me a favor? 
Will you please do me a favor? 
Could you please do me a favor? 
Would you please do me a favor? 
 
2. Although  these  modals  all  have  the  same meaning, ​could ​and ​would are more formal than ​can 
and w
​ ill​. 
Less formal can, will 
More formal could, would 
 
3. Could  and  ​would  are  used  especially  with  strangers,  people  in  authority,  or  older  people.  ​Can 
and w
​ ill​ are used more often among friends. 
 
4. Please  can  be  used  with  any  of  these  modals.  However,  since  ​please  makes  a  request  more 
polite,  it  is  used  especially  in  request  with  ​could  or  ​would​.  Please  usually  comes  after  the 
subject or at the end of the sentence: 
Could you p
​ lease​ tell me the time? 
Would you open the door, p
​ lease​? 
 
 
Permission: 
1. The  modals  ​can​,  ​could​,  and  ​may  are  all  used  in  asking  for  permission.  The  meaning  is  the 
same: 
Can I take one of these forms, please? 
Could I take one of these forms, please? 
May I take one of these forms, please? 
 
2. The choice of modals does not affect meaning, but it does affect formality: 
Less formal Can 

COMPLEMENTARY READING 
 

Could 
More formal May 
 
3. Can  and  ​could  are  used  much  more  often  than  ​may​.  ​Can  is  especially  common  with  friends 
and  family.  ​Could  is  more  neutral.  It  sounds  softer  and more polite than ​can​. If you´re not sure 
which modal to use when you asking for permission, could is always appropriate. 
 
4. May​ is quite formal. It is used especially with strangers, people in authority, and older people. 
 
5. In  the  examples  below,  all  three  modals  are  acceptable,  but  the situation determines the most 
natural choice. 
A bank customer asks a teller: 
Can I take one of these forms, (please)? 
Could 
May 
 
After class, one student asks another: 
Can I (please) borrow your notes? 
Could 
May 
 
The  conversation  at  the  bank  is  more  formal  than  the  conversation  between  classmates,  so 
could  is  probably  the  most natural choice. Between classmates, the situation is less formal, so 
can​ and ​could​ are the most natural. 
 
6. Request  for  permission,  like  all  ​yes/no  questions,  can  be  answered  with  ​yes  or ​no plus a short 
answer.  The  modal  you  choose  to  give or deny permission usually depends on the modal used 
in  the  question.  However,  only  ​may  and  ​can  are  used  to  give  or  deny  permission;  could  is  not 
used. 
At the library: 
Woman May I​ renew this book? 
Librarian Yes, you m
​ ay​. OR No, you ​may not​. 
 

COMPLEMENTARY READING 
 

After class, one student asks another: 

Peter Could I​ borrow your book? 
Alejandra Yes, you c
​ an​. OR No, you c
​ an´t​. 
 
7. When  someone  asks  you  for  permission  you  can  give  many  other  answers  without  modals 
besides a simple yes or no. here are some of them: 
 

LESS FORMAL  MORE FORMAL 

Affirmative  Negative  Affirmative  Negative 

Uh huh  Uhh uh  Yes  No 

Yeah  Nope  Go right ahead  I’m sorry, but... 

Ok  No way  Certainly  Certainly not 

Sure  Surry, but...  Yes, certainly  Absolutely not 

 
8. Longer  statements  with  modals  are  also  used  to  give  or  deny  permission.  Again,  ​can  is  used 
more  often  than  ​may​.  However,  because  ​may  is  formal,  it  is  frequently  used  in  public 
announcements,  in  signs,  and  in  other  forms  of  written  English.  In  these  cases,  ​could  is  not 
used: 
Parent to child: 
You ​can't​ go out until you finish dinner. 
 
Flight attendant to passenger: 
You ​can​ only carry on two pieces of luggage. 
 
Sign: 
VISITORS M
​ AY​ PARK IN LOTS ‘A’ AND ‘B’. 

COMPLEMENTARY READING