The document discusses various English modal verbs and their uses:
1) Ability modal verbs such as can, could, be able to express ability, while permission modal verbs like may, can, could ask for permission.
2) Request modal verbs include will, would, can, could to make requests, while suggestions modal verbs are could, why don't, how about, etc.
3) Other modal verbs covered include should/ought to for advice, be supposed to for expectations, must/have to for necessity, and may/might for assumptions.
The document provides examples and guidelines for using these modal verbs in different tenses and contexts.
The document discusses various English modal verbs and their uses:
1) Ability modal verbs such as can, could, be able to express ability, while permission modal verbs like may, can, could ask for permission.
2) Request modal verbs include will, would, can, could to make requests, while suggestions modal verbs are could, why don't, how about, etc.
3) Other modal verbs covered include should/ought to for advice, be supposed to for expectations, must/have to for necessity, and may/might for assumptions.
The document provides examples and guidelines for using these modal verbs in different tenses and contexts.
The document discusses various English modal verbs and their uses:
1) Ability modal verbs such as can, could, be able to express ability, while permission modal verbs like may, can, could ask for permission.
2) Request modal verbs include will, would, can, could to make requests, while suggestions modal verbs are could, why don't, how about, etc.
3) Other modal verbs covered include should/ought to for advice, be supposed to for expectations, must/have to for necessity, and may/might for assumptions.
The document provides examples and guidelines for using these modal verbs in different tenses and contexts.
The main modal verbs to express ability permission are: may, can, could, Do you are: can, could and be able to. mind if...?, be allowed to and might. Use may/could/can to ask for Use can/be able to to express permission. ability in the present. But in Examples: May I leave the room, common speech, it’s more common teacher?/ Can I come in?/ Could you open to use can. the windows, please? Examples: She can do computer graphics. But, remember when we ask for She’s able to do computer graphics. permission, it’s always something about Use could or was/were able to the present or the future. (it’s not the To express ability (but not a specific past). achievement) in the past. But remember Use Do you mind if...? in order you can only use was/were able to with a to ask for permission because specific achievement or event. (He was your action might bother able to win the price. NOT He could win someone. the price. But you can use could/be able Example: Do you mind if I leave the to (past) in the negative form to talk room? Not at all. (The answer must be about past ability. negative if you can leave it). Examples: He couldn’t play the guitar. Use be allowed to to express He wasn’t able to play the violin. the permission that someone For all the other tenses, you must has given to you. use be able to in the suitable form. Example: I’m allowed to leave. (someone Example: I will be able speak English if I has given me the permission to leave). keep on practising. For the answers, you can only use can/may. Could is only for questions. Example: Could I borrow the pencil? Yes, you can. (NOT Yes, you could) REQUESTS Normally, when someone We often use: will, would, can, could and refuses to give permission, he would you mind/do you fancy...? to talk always gives an argument to about requests. explain it. But if the rules are Use will/can/could/would to ask clear, then the answer is clear. someone to do something. Example: Can you turn on the TV, please? Note that will/can are more informal, EXPECTATIONS whereas could/would are more polite. Use be supposed to for expectations. In questions, to make them more The main uses are: polite, you can add please. o Rules and usual ways to do Use would you mind.../do you sth. fancy... + GERUND to make polite o Predictions requests. (Note negative o Hearsay (what people say). statements as answer is positive). o Plans or arrangements. In these requests, you are expected This modal verb can only be used in to give a positive answer. If not, present or past. you must give an argument. Examples: This beach was supposed to be the best in Spain/ The groom is supposed to arrive soon at the ceremony (tradition) ADVICE PREFERENCES The main modals to talk about advice are: The main words to talk about are should/ought to and had better. prefer, would prefer and would Use ought to/should to say rather. something advisable. Use these modal verbs to talk about Examples: You should go to the dentist/ things that you like better than You ought to read the advert. others. But remember prefer is We use had better for an urgent used for general preference and advice -when you believe that would rather and would prefer something bad will happen if the for more particular situations. person doesn’t follow the advice. Prefer and would prefer may be Example: You’d better go to the doctor or followed by a noun, gerund or you’ll have serious problems. infinitive. Would rather can be Usually, we contract had better by followed by only the base of the just adding ´d better. And the negative verb. form of it is had better not. Use would rather not to refuse an Remember, had better is only to offer, suggestion or invitation. talk about the present or the future, not Examples: Would you like to have some the past. dessert? I’d rather not. I’ve eaten too For questions, only should can be much. used. When we want to compare, we Example: Should I apply for that job? must follow this structures: Normally, it’s impolite to advice a) Lani prefers comedies to action films. NOUN people if they hadn’t told you to advice them. That’s why when you b) I’d prefer visiting Lani to going there. want to advice somebody about c) I’d rather watch football than play it. something, you should use adverbs like maybe, perhaps, I think... NECESSITY SUGGESTIONS Use must and have (got) to to The main words to talk about express necessity. suggestions are: could, why Have to is the most common don’t...?, how about...? why not...? expression in everyday use. let’s... and so on. Have got to often expresses strong feelings. When we ask using why not and Must is used in writing (forms, why don’t/doesn’t to make a signs, notices) and in spoken suggestion, the speaker doesn’t English in: expect a complete answer. Just o The speaker has the power adverbs like: Ok, it’s a good idea, (You must clean it). right... o There’s urgent necessity. Let’s... always includes the REMEMBER! Mustn’t and don’t have to speaker. (It is a suggestion for both have very different meanings. the speaker and the listener.) Example: Let’s go to Pakistan (Both them) Have to can be used in all tenses and all forms. But must and have Note the form of these expressions! got to only for present or future. a) Let’s take the train. Use have to for questions. b) Why don’t we take the train? c) How about taking the train? d) Maybe we could take the train. ALSO REMEMBER TO ADD THE ? to the questions!! CHOICE/NO CHOICE ASSUMPTIONS Have to and must have very We often make assuptions or similar meanings. They both mean “best guesses” based on an something is necessary or required. information we have about a Must normally express an present situation. The modal we obligation and also something I say choose depends on how certain is I have 100 % to do. Have to is used to our assumption: say something that someone has can’t /couldn’t AFFIRMATIVE 100 % NEGATIVE told mustme to do. not Ex. Themay teacher not tells the students they must can’t /couldn’t MUST do a not might composition and when the have (got) to must not class finishes, the Ss say, we HAVE TO do AFFIRMATIVE may may not a composition. might/could might not Don’t/Doesn’t have to and must have very different meanings. 0 % Don’t/doesn’t have to indicates something that is not necessary When you are 100% sure that (lack of necessity) and so that, something is possible, use must, there’s choice (another possibility). have to and have got to. Mustn’t means that something is When you are less certain, use not allowed or it’s against rules, may, might and/or could. there’s no choice. When you are 100% certain that Must not is used to express something is impossible, use prohibition in writing. In informal can’t/couldn’t. English, it’s more common to say When you’re slightly less certain, use can’t. must not, and when you are less Not have to can be used with all certain, use may/might not. tenses and forms, but mustn’t can REMEMBER! have to/have got to can’t only be used in present or future. be used to make negative assuptions. Use could in questions. But also, (very rare) might/may can be FUTURE POSSIBILITY used. Use may, might, will, could or shall In short answers, use have (got) to to express future possibility. or a modal alone. Note: It’s not the same may be Use be in short answers with be- than maybe. May + be it’s a modal questions. and a verb and maybe it’s an adverb of possibility. Use may not/might not to ADVISABILITY IN THE PAST express the possibility that Use should have, ought to have, something will not happen. might have and could have to Use couldn’t to say that something talk about things that were is possible. advisable in the past. These modals Might not is rarely contracted and often express regret and/or blame. may not is never contracted. Example: “You might’ve told me” (You Use will/shall to talk about didn’t told me, that wasn’t OK). predictions based on an opinion or either a prediction about the future. Should not have/Ought not to Shall is more polite than will. have are the only forms used in Questions about possibility aren’t negative past advisability. formed by may, might or could. The most common in questions is They are formed with the future should have. tenses (will, be going to...) and the answer of these questions can be PRONUNTIATION: In informal english, these modal verbs. have is not stressed, that’s why you have Example: Will the office close early? It to pronounce like /a/. Example: may. You could have visited him (You coulda) SPECULATIONS ABOUT THE PAST 100 % ç We often “speculate” or make “best guesses”, about past situations based on the facts that we have. The modal we choose depends on how certain are we about our speculations. 100 % AFFIRMATIVE NEGATIVE
must have can’t have
had to have couldn’t have may have mustn’t have may have may not have could have might not have
0 %
When you are almost a 100%
certain that something was possible, use must have or had to have. Examples: -These stones are very big. SPECULATION: They must have been hard to move.
When we are less certain use:
may/might/could have. When we are a 100% sure that something is impossible, we use can’t/couldn’t have. When something is slightly less certain, use must not and when something is less certain: may/might not. We use could have in questions about possibility.
Learn the Main Modal Verbs to Express Ability, Requests, Permission, Expectations, Advice, Suggestions, Preferences, Necessity, Choice, Future Possibility, Assumptions, Speculations and more