896
As a director, you can spend too much time trying
to copy others' styles. But you m u stn 't try to make
your own versions of their films - you h ave to find
your own style. You should also realise you need
to experience failure. I m ust admit, my first films
were terrible, but making bad films teaches you
how to make better ones. Fortunately, that's what I
m anaged to do.
Don'tdictate-direct!
A director m u st understand people. You sh o u ld n 't be
a dictator - actors respond better to requests like: 'Do
you mind if we do that again?' or W ould you mind
standing there?'. In the past, I could h ave benefited
from listening to my actors, rather than always
doing things my way. My advice to young directors is
that they should BfMMN other people's experience
whenever possible.1
Permission
1 We use m ayor can when we ask for or give permission.
We use may not or can’t to refuse permission. May is
more formal.
A: M ay / Can we leave? B: No, you may not / can't.
We use be allowed to to talk about rules made by
someone else.
The teacher says we're not allowed to use a calculator.
We use Do you mind if ... + present tense to ask for
permission. Would you m in d if...+ past means the same
but is more polite.
Do you mind i f we do that again ? / Would you mind i f
we did that again?
Ifn n u r w ftn n tn c tn n
& When you're making a film, time is very expensive.
So you h ave to know when to stop filming one
scene and start the next one. I wasted a lot of
time re-doing scenes when I really n eed n 't have
worried. I ought to have just stuck with the first
version and moved on. Now I w o n 't waste time
trying to film a perfect scene - something I'll never
be able to do anyway.
1 W h at w e re jim m y Fantoni’s first film s like?
9 2 W h y is it im portant not to spend too long
film ing one scene?
Suggestions and expectations
2 W e use should or shouldn’t to make and ask for
suggestions.
You shouldn’t be a dictator.
They should try to learn from their mistakes.
Ought to means the same as should, but is less common.
You oughtn't to stay out too late. OR You shouldn't
stay out too late.
We use be supposed to to talk about someone else’s
expectations.
You're supposed to be directing, not dictating.
Criticism
3 We use should / ought to and should have / ought to
have to criticise.
You should try a bit harder.
I ought to have ju st stuck with the first version.
W e use statements or questions with be supposed to to
make mild criticisms.
You were supposed to be here an hour ago!
What's that supposed to mean?
We use could have and might have to criticise
someone for not doing something.
You could / might have told me you were having a
party! (= Why didn’t you?)
Obligations
4 We use must / m ustn't for strong obligations or
prohibitions.
A director must understand people.
You m ustn’t try to make your own versions o f their films.
W e use have to or need to to talk about obligation or
necessity. We use don't have to, needn't or don’t need
to when there is no obligation or necessity.
You have to find your own style.
You needn't wait if you don't want to.
Have got to means the same as have to and need
to, but is less formal. Gotta is very informal.
/ have to go -* I've got to go -¥ I've gotta go ->
Gotta go.
W e usually use must for personal obligations and have
to for rules made by someone else.
I'm tired. I really must go home soon.
You have to use seatbelts, even if you're only driving a
short way.
Questions with have to or should are more
common than questions with must.
What time should we / do we have to be here
tomorrow?
(Less common: What time m ust we be here?)
M ust and m ustn’t only refer to present obligations. For
past and future obligations, we use have to, need to or
not be allowed to.
I used to have to practise a lot.
I won't be allowed to go out until I've finished.
could have + Pii: criticise, : đáng nhẽ có thể làm gì
might have + Pii: criticise
must have + Pii: đáng nhẽ nên làm gì
needn’t have + Pii: đã không cần phải làm gì.
should have + Pii: đáng nhẽ nên làm gì
We use needn't have, not didn’t need to, to show that
an event or emotion was unnecessary.
I really needn't have worried. (= I worried unnecessarily.)
Ability
5 We use can and can't to talk about present abilities.
I can’t hear you. (at the moment)
You can spend too much time trying to copy others'
styles, (in general)
We use be (un)able to in more formal situations.
I regret to inform you that we are unable to offer you a
job.
To talk about future abilities, we usually use be able to.
We sometimes use can / can't when we make a decision
or plan now about a future action.
... something I'll never be able to do anyway.
I can’t go out tomorrow night - I'm too busy. OR / won't
be able to go out...
W e normally don’t use could to talk about solving
a specific problem in the past. Use a non-modal
verb such as managed to.
That's what I managed to do. NOT That's what I
could do.
► See Unit 11 for m a n a g e to .
W e use could and could have when talking about
hypothetical situations.
If I had more time I could write a book.
I could have benefited from listening to my actors.
W e use be able to after other modals (e.g. might) and in
infinitives.
I might be able to leave early.
I used to be able to swim 50 lengths.
Requests
6 We use modals and sim ilar verbs for polite requests. In
general, longer structures are more formal and polite.
Could you tell m e... ?
Would you mind standing over there?
Do you think you might be able t o ... ?
Offers and refusals
7 We use Shalt I / w e ...? or I’ll / We'll to make offers.
Shall I bring some sandwiches ? We'll pay for the meal.
We use will not or won’t to talk about refusal to do
something. This does not have a future meaning.
I won’t waste time trying to film a perfect scene.
(= I refuse to do this.)
Modal and non-modal verbs 2 43
P r a c tic e
A Match the sentence beginnings to the correct endings. C Read the rules for a drama club, then complete the
May a you to speak more quietly, please? email, using the correct forms o f have to, need to, be
1
2 1managed b sing beautifully as a child. supposed to or be allowed to.
3 1could c get a new phone. Yours is really old.
4 1used to be d 1phone you when 1arrive?
5 Do you mind e 1leave early, please?
6 Could 1ask f let you speak to me like that!
7 Shall g helping me to lift this box?
8 She's not h to stay out late. Her parents get
allowed worried.
9 You ought to i able to say the alphabet backwards.
10 1will not i to get tickets for tonight's match.
It’s going to be great.

1 e 2 3 4 5 Rules
1 Members must attend all rehearsals.
6 7 8 9 10 2 Members may not leave rehearsals without
permission.
B Rewrite each sentence so that it has a sim ilar meaning, 3 Members must sell at least 10 tickets tor
using the verb forms from the box. each performance.
4 Members must not speak to any journalists
They weren’t able to You’re allowed to about future performances without
You're not allowed to You have to permission.
Do you mind if Do you mind... -ing 5 Members may request a meeting with the
club directors only on Thursday mornings.
You didn’t need to You were supposed to
6 Members should not bring food or drink to
They’re unable to Do you want me to
rehearsals.

1 You may bring one bag with you on the plane.

/cu re allowed to briaj one bay witk^jou on tke plane.
2 You can’t speak during the exam. Dear Gary,
I’m thinking of leaving the drama club - the rules
3 May I put my feet on this chair? are horrible. We kave te attend all rehearsals,
whether we're in those scenes or not. And we
4 You should have practised harder. without permission!
Not even to go to the toilet! We at
5 You must wear a helmet. least 10 tickets for every performance - last month
we had 8 performances so I 4 80
6 You needn’t have bought me a present. tickets! Can you believe it? To make matters worse,
we to any
7 They can’t sing! journalists about the shows. That’s crazy! How
sell tickets if there’s nothing
8 They couldn't find our house. in the newspapers? I wanted to speak to the directors
about it, but we
ask for a meeting only on Thursday mornings!
9 Can you speak more slowly, please?
Who's free at that time? Anyway, I guess they'll
make me leave the club soon. I w as eating a kebab
10 Shall I cook tonight?
at our last rehearsal, even though we
or drink
anything. The director w as so angry, but I don’t
really mind if they throw me out. Anyway, I
stop writing now - I
learn my lines tonight.
Tim

44
D Complete each sentence, using a modal or non-modal 4 Your friend says something you don’t understand or
form which is most similar to the underlined verb. don't like, (supposed)
mean?
1 Last year we only had to practise four times a week,
5 Your friend has heard some gossip about you.
but next year we wilt MW tC practise at least
(shouldn't)
six times a week.
2 I can usually eat a whole pizza, but last night I wasn’t
6 Your friend didn’t ask you to help, and
feeling good, so I eat only about
got a bad grade in a test, (ought to)
half o f it.
3 You really must go to bed earlier. When I was your age,
I used to go to bed at 9 pm.
7 Your friend promised to bring you something back
4 You may not leave the building during the lecture, but
from his holiday, but forgot, (supposed)
o f course you will leave at the end.
5 I didn't manage to complete the race last week. When
I was younger, I run much further
8 Your friend sometimes treats you like a child. (I won‘t)
every week.
6 You should always prepare for every performance, and
you really prepared for last week’s
9 You cooked a meal for your friend, but she didn’t tell
performance because they were filming it for TV.
you she had already eaten, (could)
7 You needn't worry about tomorrow’s show, just like
you worried about last night’s
show.
10 Your friend has painted a picture but you have
8 Your microphone is broken again. I can’t hear you now
no idea what it is. It looks horrible, (supposed)
and I hear you when you were
be?
singing.

E W rite or complete a criticism for each situation, using

the word in brackets.
1 Your friend invited you to a party but didn’t tell you to / c o m p le te the sentences to make them true fo r you,
bring a birthday present, (might) using verb forms from this unit.
/on my(it have toId, me to pruy a present!
2 Your friend arrives at your house completely When I was a child, I used to have to
wet because it’s been raining, (should) but now
You should have brought an an umbrella. I wasn’t able but I
3 Your friend offered to help you with some work, hope I’ll be able
but then didn’t reply to your emails, (supposed) I think teenagers should be allowed
but they shouldn't

I should have but I

didn’t because

I’iH iffl____________________________
I Circle the correct option. I
I 1 I don’t feel very well today, so do you mind at home? a that I stay b if I stay c I stay I
I 2 Alexei wanted to film the sunrise yesterday, so he get up at 3.00. a has to b had to c must I
I 3 You told us he was a famous d irecto r-w e’d have asked for his autograph! I
a could have b would have c had
* 4 We were going to go by bus but in the end we because Simon gave us a lift. *
I a needn’t b didn't need to c needn't have I
| 5 It took me three hours before I was finally fix my computer. a could b managed to c able to |
L __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ J
5S qt' n qz qi:s.u>MSuej}saiAw

Modal and non-modal verbs 2 45