modal verbs: introduction can, must, should etc [con outa may, might shall, should will, would must | The modal verbs are a special group of auxillary verbs. They are different from most other verbs in four ways. + INFINITIVES WITHOUT TO ‘After modals, we use infinitives without fo. (After other verbs, we use infinitives with (0.) Can | use your phone? (NOT GanHteuse...) Joe can't swim, I may be out tonight. ut I want to use her phone. I'd like fo go home. joe seems to have a cold. @ Circle the correct answers. > Can you(lapy to play the guitar? 3. Could you pass / to pass the orange juice? > I don't want play /@ play)football today. 4 We hope get / to get a bigger flat soon. 1 Ann seems be / to be very tired. 5. Chris may be / to be here at the weekend. 2 Peter hasn't phoned. He must be / to be away. 6 I want speak / to speak to the manager. NO -5 Modal verbs have no -5 on the third person singular (he/she/it form). (Other verbs have -s.) John can speak Korean, (NOT fohr-cans...) Barbara may be late. _This must be your coat. Bur John knows my father. Ann seems to be ill, The cat wants to go out. @ add -s or nothing (-). > Ann play. tennis, > Bill can. swim. 1 Our cat like... fish. 2 It may... rain. 3 She must... pay now. 4 Harry work... in London. 5 Sue should... phone her mother. 6 The train seem... to be late. 7 Bill might... come and see us. 8 Joe want... to go home. No po ‘We make modal questions (KJ) and negatives (EJ) without do. (Other verbs have do.) Can you help me? (NOT Do-yerrear-help-me?) You must not tell Philip. Do you know my friend Jeremy? —_ Sally doesn’t cook very well. © Make questions (2) or negatives (Ey (Negatives in this exercise: cannot/can't; must not/mustn’t; may not) > Ann can’t speak Russian. (Chinese J) .can.sne. speak, Chinese? > Mary must wash her clothes. (do it now 1. Mike can’t swim. (ski I) 2 John can play football. (poker E 3. Maria must play the piano. (sing BB) 4 Robert may go to Italy. (go this week 5 Ann must work on Saturday. (Sunday I) NO INFINITIVES OR PARTICIPLES Modal verbs have no infinitives or participles: te-can, ‘moying, musted. Instead, we use other verbs: can» be able to (see page 79); must -» have to (see page 76). 72 MODAL VERBSmust You must be home by eleven. Must you go? a | Imust go you must go _he/she/it must go etc (NOT Hmust-to-ge, NOT he/she/it-musts-g0) Bi | must go? must you go? must he/she/it go? ete (NOT do-+must-go?) In affirmative (E3) sentences, we use must when we mean: ‘This is necessary.’ I must get up early tomorrow. You must fill in this form. (NOT You-must-to-Fit...) @ complete the sentences with must and verbs from the box. bey go hurry pay speak stop_— study — write > FATHER: You ...must b¢...... home by eleven. 4 TAX OFFICE: You ..... : the tax now. 1 TEACHER: You .. in ink, 5 TEACHER: Your daughter... + harder. 2 FRIEND: We .. -we'te late. 6 BOSS: You politely on the phone. 3 poctor: You vovean Smoking. 7 MOTHER: That child ........ to bed now. In affirmative (Eq) sentences, we also use must when we mean: ‘This is a very good idea.’ You must visit us while we're in Paris. Pat and Jan are so nice - we must see them again. @ Put the beginnings and ends together. Add must and verbs from the box. "go have phone read see 1 Smith’s latest book is her best, think. | A T..... her tonight. 2 [haven't heard from Annie for ages. B You t wan it, Shall Tend it to you? 2 | 3 The woods are full of flowers C My mother made it; you .. +a piece. ..° | 4 This cake is delicious. D it. It's a cinema classic. E we for a walk this weekend. 5. ‘Velocity’ is a wonderful film. In questions (J), we use must when we mean: ‘Is this really necessary?’ To make questions with must, we put must before the subject. ‘Must we tell the police when we change addresses? Must you talk so loud? — Must you go? @A new student is asking some questions about next week's exam. Complete the questions. Use Must /...? and verbs from the box. | answer bring¥ come pay sit _— stay .. any paper? 3 . any money? 4 tothisroom? 5 in my usual place? .. every question? f I finish early? 1 2 Have to (see pages 75-76) means the same as must. Must has no past (mwsted) or infinitive (te-mest). Instead, we use had to and (to) have to (see page 76). For another use of must, see page 82. MODAL VERBS 73mustn't and needn’t We mustn’t wake the baby. | I must not go you must not go _he/she/it must not go etc Bl | Ineed not go youneed not go _—he/she it need not go etc Contractions: mustn’t; needn't Must has two negatives (I): we use mustn’t when we mean ‘Don’t do this.’ we use needn't when we mean ‘This isn’t necessary.’ You mustn’t smoke here. You mustn't take pictures here. We mustn't wake the baby. You needn't pay now; you can pay when the work is finished. We needn't hurry — we're early. @ complete the sentences with mustn't and the verbs in the box. light / make smoke use wash @ Atacampsite: >.) ® On a plane: @ Put the beginnings and ends together. Add needn't and verbs from the box. .- fires. dishes in the showers, noise after 10 pm a mobile phone. in the toilets. Bene drive give make make — wake ¥ .. me up; A Ican walk. ... breakfast forme; | B_ I'll buy The Times at the station. lunch for me; C _T'lthave lunch in the canteen. me to the station; | D_ I'll just have coffee. ... me your newspaper; | E_ I’ve got an alarm clock. 4 .. hurry ~ we'll get too tired. hurry - we're early. stay up late - you've got school tomorrow morning. stay up late to wash the dishes - I'll wash them in the morning. leave the door open - the rain will come in. leave the door open - Peter has got a key. write to John about this - I've already written to him. write to John about this - if you do, he'll tell everybody. drive so fast - the police will stop you. . drive so fast - we've got a lot of time. . look in the cupboard again ~ I've looked in there twice. look in the cupboard - Ann has put my birthday present in there. Affirmative (Ei) need is not a modal verb. He needs to go now. (NOT He-need-ge-nom) Don't/doesn’t have to (see page 75) means the same as needn't. 74 MODAL VERBS