MODALS

Modal verbs:

- Can/could/may/might/must/will/would/shall/should/ought to/need
- Give information about ability/possibility/necessity
- Must be followed by a V (infinite)
VD:
I can speak French.

1. Ability

Present Can, can’t, is/am/are able to, manage to I can’t swim

Past Could, couldn’t, was/were able to, They weren’t able to find his
managed to name
Perfect Have been able to/ have managed to Have you managed to finish
the assignment yet?
Future Will/going to be able to, will/going to I won’t be able to meet you
manage to later?

- General ability: it is more common to use can/could in the present past than “be able
to”
VD:
Can you remember much about it? (Are you able to remember much about it?)
- To talk about ability on one specific occasion in the past: couldn’t,
was/wasn’t/were/weren’t able to (we DON’T use “could”)
VD:
The police were able to find his address
He couldn’t remember who he was
- To show that something is difficult to achieve: manage to
VD:
I have finally managed to quit smoking
- With Perfect or Future forms: use “be able to” or “manage to”
VD:
I will be able to talk to my mom
I have been able to finish my assignment

2. Other uses of “can”

- “sometimes”

VD:

People can do funny things when they have experienced something terrible

= People sometimes do funny thing when …..

- Ask for and give permission

 VD:
Can you borrow this book?
You can borrow this book but you have to give it back tomorrow.

3. Possibility
May (not)/might (not)/could (not)/must/can’t – we use these words when there is some
evidence, information or belief that something is probably or possibly true or not true

Very likely must

Possible Might/may/could/may not/might not
Very unlikely Can’t/couldn’t

- Could/may/might: same degree of possibility

VD:
He may/might/could remember some things already
- Can’t: possibility in present
Couldn’t: possibility in past
- PRESENT:
o May/ might/ could/must
VD:
He may remember his name already
o May /might/could/must + be + V-ing: happening at the time of speaking
VD:
She is using her phone. She might be talking to her boyfriend on the phone
- PAST:
o May/might/could/must/can’t + have + V2: possibility in the past
VD:
Susan is late. She must have missed the bus
o May/might/could/must/can’t + have been + V-ing: to talk about things
happening at a specific time in the past
VD:
She could have been sleeping at 9 p.m. last night
- FUTURE:
o May/might/could (not): talk about possibility in the future
VD:
He could become a millionaire one day.
o May/might/could/must/can’t + be + V-ing: talk about things possibly happening
at a specific time in the future:
VD:
I might be meeting John at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

4. Alternatives to modals:
- We use adverbs “certainly, definitely, probably, possibly, perhaps, maybe” to express
ideas to modal verbs
VD:
 He was probably/definitely (certainly) attacked and robbed

= He could/must have been attacked and robbed

- We can use: IT + be + certain/definite/probable/possible/impossible/likely” to express

ability/possibility
VD:
It is possible that the train will be late = The train will probably be late
It is certain that he will miss the buss = He will certainly miss the bus