9

Modal Verbs and Their Functions

Learner's Module in English 9
Quarter 1 ● Module 2

BRIGGIT A. CATBAGAN
Developer
Department of Education • Cordillera Administrative Region

NAME:________________________ GRADE AND SECTION ________________

TEACHER: ____________________ SCORE _____________________________
 Republic of the Philippines
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Cordillera Administrative Region
SCHOOLS DIVISION OF CAR
Wangal, La Trinidad, Benguet

Published by
Learning Resource Management and Development System

COPYRIGHT NOTICE
2020

Section 9 of Presidential Decree No. 49 provides:

“No copyright shall subsist in any work of the Government of the Philippines.
However, prior approval of the government agency of office wherein the work is
created shall be necessary for exploitation of such work for profit.”

This material has been developed for the implementation of K-12 Curriculum through
the DepEd Schools Division of Baguio City - Curriculum Implementation Division
(CID). It can be reproduced for educational purposes and the source must be
acknowledged. Derivatives of the work including creating an edited version, an
enhancement or a supplementary work are permitted provided all original work is
acknowledged and the copyright is attributed. No work may be derived from this
material for commercial purposes and profit.

ii
 What I Need to Know

Good day!

In this lesson, you will learn about modal verbs and how to use these verbs correctly
in different situations. We begin by looking at their function in English and exploring basic
properties. We then go on to look into more detail at the most common uses of the important
modal verbs like can, could, will and would. At the end of this lesson, you are expected to
use the modals appropriately in the given situation.

OBJECTIVES

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

a. identify the different types of modals and their functions; and

b. express permission, obligation, and prohibition using modals

GENERAL INSTRUCTION: Please DO NOT write anything on this module. Use another
sheet of paper for your answers.

What I Know
PRE-ASSESSMENT

Instruction: Before we start with the module, answer the exercise below. Read the following
sentences and fill in the blanks with suitable word from the ones given in the box below.

should might can could have to must

1.) Louie’s trip from the province took more than 10 hours. He ___________ be
exhausted after such a long trip. He ___________ prefer to stay in tonight
and get some rest.
2.) If you want to get a better feeling after a stressful day, you ___________ walk down town
and explore the riverside.
3.) You ___________ research the direction a little more before you set sail.
4.) When you have a small child in the house, you ___________not leave small
objects lying around.
5.) Nicolai: ___________ you hold your breath for more than a minute?
Jhon: No, I can’t.
6.) Maria’s engagement ring is enormous! It ___________ have cost a fortune.
7.) Please make sure to feed the fish while I am gone. If they don’t get enough
food, they ___________ die.
8.) I ___________ speak Kankana-ey fluently since I was a child.
9.) The teacher said we ___________ read the book if we needed extra credit.
10.) The spatula ___________ be in this cupboard but it’s not here.
11.) This is a school. You ___________ not chew betel nut.
12.) Do not forget to bring your umbrella because it ____________ rain this afternoon.

1
13.) I ___________ carry these books to the library before lunch.
14.) She ________________ speak Mandarin fluently.
15.) Drivers ___________ stop when the traffic lights are red.

How did you find the activity? If you got a high score it means that you have not forgotten
what you have learned in your lower years; meanwhile, if you have a low score don’t feel
bad because our lesson will help you figure out modals and their uses.

What’s In
LET’S REVIEW

What is a verb? How is it used in sentences? You might say, verbs are action
words and are used to describe what the subject in the sentence is doing, you are correct!
There are three kinds of verbs, we have the: action verb, linking verb and the auxiliary or
helping verb.

Examples:

The students visited their teacher after ten years. (action verb)

She is pretty. (linking verb)

The baby must have been crying since this morning. (helping/auxiliary verbs)

In this module, you will learn about modal verbs (auxiliary) which add meaning to
the main verb.

2
 What’s New

Let’s Read

Read the short conversation below and give your interpretation.

Sir, can I not attend the meeting this afternoon?

Yes, you can but you may not.

What can you understand from the conversation?

This shows us that can has different interpretations. The employee is asking for
permission, whereas the employer is talking about ability. Hence, we should take a look at
these modals for us to distinguish their different usages.

What is It?
MODALS

Modals are those helping verbs, which express the ‘mode’ or ‘manner’ of the
actions indicated by the main verbs. They express modes such as ability, possibility,
probability, permission, obligation, and others.

The most commonly used modals are shall, should, will, would,
can, could, may, might, must, ought to, used to, need.

Study the following sentences. What do the underlined words suggest?

She might come tomorrow afternoon.

All citizens shall observe the law.

In the first sentence, what does the word might suggest? Does it suggest possibility
of the subject coming tomorrow?

3
 In the second sentence, is the word shall used to suggest something to the subject?

MODALS AND ITS USES

1. Can, Could, and Be Able To

These modal verbs are usually used to show ability.

We use can to talk about things that we are able to do in the present or the immediate
future.

For example:

I can speak two languages.

She can help you with your homework later today.
They can dance all night long!

We use could to talk about what we were able to do in the past and to talk about ability
in conditionals. We also use it for polite requests.

For example:

When I was young, I could eat tons of ice cream!

Many years ago, people could travel without passports.
Could you pass me the salt, please?
If we have enough time, we could go to the park later.

We use be able to in formal sentences and with the perfect tenses and other modal verbs.

Perfect tenses- to have + past participle form of a verb

Example: have worked; has practiced; hasn’t called

For example:

She will be able to buy a cellphone soon.

The President is able to veto laws if he chooses to do so.
I have never been able to understand Math subject!

2. Must, Might, May, Need to, and Have To

These modal verbs are usually used to express obligation and possibility.

We use must to talk about obligations and when we are sure something is true (deduction).

For example:

The students must finish their modules by Friday.

You must eat your vegetables!
He is not home yet. He must be on his way.

We use might and may to say that something is possible, but not sure.

4
For example:

It may rain later.

The kids might like vegetables, but I'm not sure.

We also use may to talk about permission.

For example:

You may have a cookie after dinner.

We use need to and have to for obligations, especially with the perfect tenses and other
modal verbs.

For example:

Young people have always had to listen to their parents!

You will need to finish reading this book by tomorrow.

Need to usually talks about things that the speaker thinks are necessary.

For example:

All my clothes are dirty! I need to do some laundry.

I am so tired! I need to take a nap.

Have to usually talks about things that someone else tells the speaker are necessary.

For example:

My boss told me I have to work this weekend!

The doctor said I have to exercise more.

3. Should, Ought to, and Had Better

We use these verbs to talk about obligation.

Should and ought to talk about what is the best thing for us to do.

For example:

It's a beautiful day! We should go outside.

They ought to keep the dog on a leash!

Had better is stronger than should and ought to. It means that there will be negative
consequences if we do not do something.

For example:

You had better call your mother, or she will worry!

He had better be careful, or he will fall!

5
 4. Will, Shall, and Would
We use will and shall to talk about the future, especially for predictions and promises.
Remember that we only use shall for the first person (I or we).

For example:

I shall arrive home late this evening.

I will call you later.

We use would in conditionals and for polite requests.

For example:

Would you please help me?

If we had more money, we would go on vacation every month!
If it were not cold outside, I would be much happier!

What’s More
Activity 1

Write the correct modal verb to complete each sentence. can/ could/ be able to

1. I don't think I will have much work next week. I think I will ______________ take a day off.
2. Excuse me, ______________ you tell me where the bus station is?
3. They haven't ______________ solve the problem yet.
4. She ______________ play the flute and the guitar.
5. When we were younger, we ______________ watch movies all afternoon! Now we think
it's boring.

Activity 2

Complete the sentences with need to or have to.

1. Wow, my house is a mess! I really ______________ clean a bit!

2. Professor, do we ______________ finish all the exercises on the test?
3. The judge said that he will ______________ make a formal apology to the public on
television.
4. If you want to camp in the park, you _____________ pay for a permit first.
5. I have worked too long! I _____________ take a break!

6
 Activity 3

Choose the correct modal verb to complete the sentence under each picture. Sometimes
more than one answer is correct. Must/ Might/May

1.

Oh no, I think they _______________ be hurt! But I'm not sure.

2.

They look just the same! I am sure that boy ______________ be his son.

3.

That looks delicious, and I am so hungry! ______________ I have some?

4.

He is running very well! I think he ______________ win!

5.

7
 That looks like fun! ____________ we paint some eggs with you?

What I Have Learned

Activity 1

Read and understand the following questions. Write your answers on the blanks
provided.

1. ______________ are Auxiliary verbs that provide additional meaning to the main verb of
the sentence.

2. Can, Could, Able to are modal verbs used to express __________________.

3. _____________ and _____________ are modals used to talk about best things for us to
do (obligation).

4. The modal “would” is used for _________________.

5. The modals “might and may” express ________________.

6. Give three modal verbs which talk about the future.

____________________ ____________________ _____________________

7. Give the modal verbs which express obligation especially with perfect tenses.

____________________ ____________________

8. _____________ usually talks about things that the speaker thinks are compulsory.

9. _____________ usually talks about things that someone else tells the speaker are
required.
10. The modal “shall” is only used in the _________________ person.

Activity 2

1. What do you think is the importance of using modal verbs in our daily conversation?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
____________

8
 What I Can Do

Activity 1

Instruction: Read the article, The Wall Street Crash and the Great Depression. What
do you think can be done to prevent this from happening again? Complete the sentences
below the article.

The Wall Street Crash and the Great Depression

After the stock market collapsed in the Wall Street Crash of 1929 millions of
Americans suffered poverty and unemployment during the economic Depression. When
the Wall Street stock market crashed in October 1929, the world economy was plunged
into the Great Depression. By the winter of 1932, America was in the depths of the
greatest economic depression in its history. The causes of depression:

1. As early as 1926, there were signs that the boom was under threat - this was seen in
the collapse of land prices in Florida.

2. Eventually, there were too many goods being made and not enough people to buy
them.

3. Farmers had produced too much food in the 1920s, so prices for their produce
became steadily lower.

4. There were too many small banks - these banks did not have enough funds to cope
with the sudden rush to take out savings, which happened in the autumn of 1929.

5. Too much speculation on the stock market - the middle class had a lot to lose and
they had spent a lot on what amounted to pieces of paper.

6. The Wall Street Crash of October 1929 was a massive psychological blow.

7. America had lent huge sums of money to European countries. When the stock
market collapsed, they suddenly recalled those loans. This had a devastating impact on
the European economy.

8. The collapse of European banks caused a general world financial crisis.

To be ready for an economic crisis, To win over an economic crisis,

9
 I can… I can’t…

We can… I mustn’t…

We can’t…

We mustn’t

Rubrics:
Category Unsatisfactory Good Outstanding

Content Student provided Student provided Student provided

almost nothing information but not appropriate
sufficient information

Grammar Many problems in Few problems in No problems in

grammar and grammar and grammar and
spelling spelling spelling

Task Completion Student did not Student completed Student completed

complete the activity the activity correctly the activity correctly
and creatively

10
 Activity 2

Read the article provided for you. Find out what the article is all about.

What exactly makes up a strong family that possesses good family values? A family that sustains its
members "" that supports and nourishes the members throughout the span of that family. A strong
family unit creates a safe, positive and supportive place for all members to thrive. They are able to
utilize resources and to live together in a fairly healthy manner.

The adults in a strong family set the tone. They are good role models that lead by example. They
reach out to friends and community and teach their children the importance of doing the same -- and
that becomes part of who the children are. They work together to solve problems, and they pass their
skills on to the next generation. Some important elements of a strong family system are family
cohesion, family flexibility and family communication.

Cohesion- In families cohesion would be defined as the feeling of being loved, of belonging to the
group and being nurtured by it. Although closeness is good in a family unit, there must be a balance
between being together and being separate. A person must be able to develop their individuality,
while being supported and confident within the family. A few things that bring a family together are the
commitment of other family members, and the spending of time together.

Flexibility- There must be a structure in a family or it will become chaotic and will not be a peaceful
setting for a family. Conversely, there must be flexibility or the family becomes rigid and the authority
figures become resented. We could compare a successful family to a democracy. There are leaders,
but the whole group is involved in the decision making process. Although the leaders are in charge all
members develop the ability to cope with stress, and at times lead. While the family works to avoid
stressful situations they work together to solve problems, without blaming, criticizing and finding fault
with each other. Families that tend to have a strong spiritual base seem to have a sense of well-being
that facilitates this working together in times of stress.

Communication- Ever hear the saying, "What we have here is a failure to communicate?" A lack of
communication can rip a family apart and destroy them. Things that facilitate communication are the
things mentioned so far -- family closeness, flexibility, time spent together, spirituality. All members
must feel a freedom within the group to express themselves freely.

Another very important factor is the relationship between the "head" couple. In a family that is
parented by a happily married couple, people are able to express themselves more freely. What they
might say isn't filtered through the problems of the "guardians." A happy marriage seems to set the
tone in the house. It spills over from the family to the community and a healthy family will be reaching
out to help others. They do not tend to isolate themselves from the rest of the world.

A very important thing for families to teach their children is how to make good decisions. If they have
watched their parents making well thought out decisions over the years, they will tend to be good
decision makers themselves.

A healthy, happy family benefits our whole society. Among the children of strong families their is less
crime, less divorce and less emotional problems. They tend to go on and have strong, healthy families
of their own, having learned from their folk's example.
Source: https://www.facebook.com/4AfricaBeautiescom/photos/a.236560126552984/251302721745391/?type=3

Answer the following questions.

1. Give two interesting things you have discovered from the text.

11
2. Pick five (5) sentences using modals from the article you have just read and answer the
following questions based on the sentences chosen.

a. What do the modals do in the statements?

b. What do they express?

POST ASSESSMENT

Instruction: Now that you have finished the module, we will check what you have
learned. Read the directions and questions carefully then write the correct answers on the
blanks provided.

The following passage has not been edited. There is one error in each line.

Write the incorrect word and the correct modal ON THE BLANK provided.

The label can be removed before cooking. 1) _________ __________Then the

cookware could be rinsed in 2) _________ __________ warm soapy water. It is advisable to
keep

to low heat. The cookware would never 3) _________ __________ be used on high heat.

Very high temperatures would cause sticking. The 4) _________ __________handles used

to also loosen. However, 5) _________ __________ one cannot worry about the

6)_________ __________maintenance as it is quite easy. The vessel might be cleaned with

liquid detergent. 7) _________ __________ One cannot use sharp detergent for cleaning.8)

_________ __________ Strong cleanser must damage the cookware. 9) ____________

___________Hence, it could be given extra care.10) ______________ _____________

Fill in the blanks with appropriate modals.

1.) __________ you please tell me the facts about this corona virus?

2.) You __________ pay in cash. They do not accept credit cards.

3.) I __________ send the remittance today. My sister needs to pay her tuition fee tomorrow.

4.) __________ I help you?

5.) You __________ clean your room.

12
 ADDITIONAL ACTIVITY

Activity 1

Instruction: Underline the correct modal to be used.

Regrets

As we get older and when we think about our past, we sometimes ponder the things that
we should/can have done. And we also may/shall regret those things we did badly and the
mistakes we made. In reality, we may/can always learn from our mistakes and hope to
never make them again. For example, if I failed a test because of a lack of study, the next
test I can/will hope to pass because of hard work. Remember too that some regrets are not
based in reality and we must/may waste time thinking that they are. Would/should I have
really not have been involved in a car crash if I had been driving more slowly? After all, the
other driver ought to/will have been concentrating and not playing with their radio. We
have to/would be honest with ourselves and live in the now. We can/should leave the past.
The only things we shall/can control are the things happening now, in this moment.

Source: https://www.bellenglish.com/blog/story-modal-verbs/

13
2
 Activity 2

Below is a blank comic strip, draw your characters then make a conversation using at
least 10 modals.

Scenario: On your way home with your best friend, you witnessed a shooting incident
and had a clear sight of who the killer was but it turned out that he is your best friend’s
brother. Your best friend stopped you from reporting it to the police. Convince him to do the
right thing.

https://medialoot.com/blog/free-printable-comic-strip-templates/

14
Rubrics

CATEGORY 10 8 6 5

Clarity and Comic is easy to Comic is easy to Comic is hard to Comic is hard to
Neatness read clearly labeled read, clearly read with few read and
with no erasures labeled with illustrations and understand
minimal erasures label

Spelling and No grammatical Two grammatical Four grammatical More than 5

Grammar and spelling error errors and errors and grammatical and
misspelled word misspelled words spelling errors

Content (Modals Used 10 modals Used 8 modals Used 6 modals Used 5 modals
used) correctly correctly correctly correctly

15
 16
ANSWER KEY
What I know?
1. must, might 6. must 11. must
2.should 7. Might 12. might
3. should 8. Can 13. have to
4. must 9. Should 14. could
5. Can 10. Must 15. must
What’s More
Activity 1 Activity 2 Activity 3
1. need to 1. be able to 1. Might/may
2. have to 2. Could 2. must
3. have to 3. been able to 3. may
4. have to 4. Can 4. Might/may
5. need to 5. could 5. may
What I Have Learned
1. modal 6. Will; shall; would
2. ability 7. Need to; have to
3. should/ought to 8. Need to
4. polite requests 9. Have to
5. possibility 10. First person
Post Assessment
1. can, must 6. Can, should
2. could, should 7. Might, can
3. would, should 8. Cannot, should not
4. would, can 9. Must, can
5. to, may/might 10. Could, should
1. can
2. must
3. must
4. may/can
5. should
Additional Activity
1. should 6. would
2. may 7. Ought to
3. can 8. Have to
4. will 9. should
5. may 10. can
REFERENCES

Almonte,R.,Flandez,N.,Langutan,H.,Maayo,D.,Mangaluz,L.,Miranda,E.,Palomar,L.,
Soliaban,A.,&Soriano A.A Journey Through Anglo-American Literature 9 (First Ed.).Vibal
Group Inc.,2014.

Bell. “Regrets”. Retrieved July 31,2020.

https://www.bellenglish.com/blog/story-modal-verbs/

PEARSON Longman. “Modals”. Retrieved July 15,2020.

https://wps.pearsoned.com/wps/media/objects/6524/6681325/Modals.pdf

Really Learn English. “Modal Verbs Worksheet”. Retrieved July 31,2020.

https://store.really-learn-english.com/pages/modal-verbs-worksheets

17