MODAL VERBS

I. SOME COMMON MODAL VERBS

1. Must/ Have to
🌟 Must: phải → diễn tả sự cần thiết, bắt buộc (mang tính cá nhân)
chắc hẳn → diễn tả sự suy luận logic ở ht
🌟 Have to: phải → diễn tả sự bắt buộc không mang tính chất cá nhân, thường nói
về quy định, luật lệ, hoàn cảnh khách quan. Have to không phải là trợ động từ
nhưng có nghĩa giống như trợ động từ Must.
🔥 Mustn’t do St: không được (phép) làm gì
🔥 Don’t have to do St: không cần thiết phải làm điều đó (nhưng có thể
làm nếu bạn muốn).
2. Need (cần): được sử dụng như một động từ thường
🌟 Need to do St: nếu chủ ngữ là một vật thể sống → cần phải …
E.g. - He will need to drive home alone tonight.
🌟 Need doing St/ Need to be done: nếu chủ ngữ không phải là vật thể sống
(= Want/Require + V.ing => nhưng ít dùng)
E.g. - The grass needs cutting. (= The grass needs to be cut.)
🌟 Need được sử dụng như một trợ động từ trong thể phủ định, nghi vấn ở thời
hiện tại (không có s ở ngôi 3 số ít)
E.g. - We needn’t reserve seats – There will be plenty of rooms...
3. Can: Có thể → chỉ khả năng của con người, gợi ý, …
4. Could: Có thể (chỉ khả năng của con người trong quá khứ, hỏi đường, yêu cầu
lịch sự …)
E.g. - Could you tell me the way to the nearest post office, please?
- Could you close the windows, please?
5. May: Có thể → chỉ khả năng của sự việc, xin phép, cho phép, …
6. Might: Có thể → chỉ khả năng của sự việc, …
7. Should/Ought to/ Had better/ Be (ht) supposed to: nên → chỉ sự khuyên bảo
…
🌟 Ngoài ra, Should còn dùng để diễn tả điều gì đó ở hiện tại không như mong đợi.

E.g. - The price on this packet is wrong. It says 65 cents but It should be 50.*. 🌟
If… should: nếu mà … → ít chắc chắn
E.g. - If it should rain, can you bring in the washing from the garden?
8. May as well/Might as well: Thôi thì …: Diễn tả một việc gì đó nên làm vì
không còn gì khác tốt hơn thế
E.g. - You’ll have to wait an hour for the next bus, so you might as well walk.
9. Would like: muốn → diễn tả lời mời hoặc mong muốn

II. MODAL VERBS IN THE PAST

1. Must have + V(p2): chắc chắn là đã, chắc hẳn là đã, chắc chắn phải → suy luận
về quá khứ mà người nói biết chắc chắn 100%.
E.g. - It must have rained heavily last night. Everything is wet.
2. Should(n’t) / Ought(n’t) to + have + V(p2): Lẽ ra (không) nên → Diễn tả
điều gì đó nên làm trong qk nhưng đã không làm → thường thể hiện sự núi tiếc, ân
hận của người nói
E.g. - He failed his exams. He should have studied harder.
3. Can’t + have + V(p2): Chắc chắn không thể … →Diễn tả điều gì đó không
thể xảy ra vì người nói biết chắc chắn.
E.g. - It can’t have been John you saw yesterday. He came to Paris last week.
4. Couldn’t + have + V(p2): Lẽ ra có/không thể … → Diễn tả khả năng của sự
việc trong quá khứ nhưng không thực hiện được, hoặc sự việc có thể đã xảy ra
trong qk nhưng người nói không chắc chắn lắm.
E.g. - David could have won the race if he had tried.
- It could have been Sue, I suppose.
5. May/Might + have + V(p2): Có thể đã … → Diễn tả khả năng của sự việc
trong quá khứ nhưng không chắc chắn lắm.
E.g. - It may have rained last night, but I’m not sure.
6. Needn’t + have + V(p2): lẽ ra không cần … → Diễn tả điều gì đó không cần
phải làm trong quá khứ nhưng đã làm vì không biết trước. Bây giờ mới biết là điều
đó không cần thiết.
E.g. - It didn’t rain. He needn’t have brought the umbrella.
🌟 Needn’t have done St: lẽ ra không cần phải: vì không biết trước nên đã thực
hiện
🌟Didn’t need to do St: không cần thiết phải: biết trước sự việc ngay từ đầu và đã
không thực hiện…
E.g. - I didn’t get up early, so I didn’t.

III. PRACTICE
A. IN THE PRESENT
1. I advise you to put your money in the bank.
=> You’d ___________________
2. Excuse me! I’d like some information about the English summer course, please.
=> Could you ___________________
3. John offered to carry Jane’s case for her.
=> “Would you like ___________________”
4. The motor in this machine needs cleaning once a week. (has)
=> The motor in this machine ___________________ once a week.
5. I’d like to invite you to luch.
=> Will you ___________________ ?
6. It’s possible Louise is waiting for us at the airport.
=> Louise may ___________________
7. It is not necessary for anyone to know who paid the ransom to the kidnappers.
=> No one need ___________________
8. It may be necessary for us to cancel our holiday because my mother is ill.
=> We may ___________________
9. He is very likely to come. (probability)
=>
__________________________________________________________________
____
10. It’d be a good idea for you to come with us next Sunday. ought
=> Next Sunday ___________________ with us.
11. Photography is not allowed in the museums. photographs
=> You ___________________ in the museum.
12. There’s no need for you to do any work if you don’t feel like it. have
=> If you don’t feel like it ___________________ do any work.
13. It isn’t always necessary to be a member of the club. need
=> You ___________________ be a member of the club.
14. She was not certain about the trip. decide
=> She ___________________ about the trip.
15. A heavy shower prevented them from finishing their game of tennis.
=> They were ___________________
16. He couldn't swim until he was in his twenties. ABLE
=> He ___________________ until he was in his twenties.
17. Perhaps he’s working late. may
=> He may be working late.
18. Mother told Tom that he had to go to bed early. must
=> ‘You to ___________________ bed early,’ Mother told Tom.
19. They will expect you to wear a suit for the interview. HAVE
=> You __________________________ a suit for the interview.
20. I'd see a doctor if I were you. OUGHT
=> You ___________________ a doctor.
21. Could you speak English when you were younger? ABLE
=> When you were younger, ___________________ speak English?
22. I think it’s time the children went to bed now. HAD
=> I think the children ___________________ to bed now.
23. I am sure Maria finds reading interesting because she has lots of books. MUST
=> Maria ___________________ reading because she has lots of books.
24.Do you happen to know the time of the next train to London? COULD
=> I wonder ___________________ me the time of the next train to London?
25. I think Roman needs to see a doctor. His cough is terrible. ought
=> With that terrible cough, Roman ___________________ a doctor.
26."Why don't you take a day off?" asked Magda. should
=> Magda suggested ___________________ a day off.
27. George knew how to ride a bicycle when he was five.
=> George was ________________
28. I wanted to go to the party, but it was snowing hard.
=> I couldn’t __________________
(Note: If it hadn’t been snowing hard, I could have gone to the party.)
29. If I were you, I wouldn’t tell anybody about the discovery.
=> You had ________________
30. Jerry had terrible problems with solving the riddle. (hardly)
=> Jerry could ___________
31. Isn’t it high time you greased the hinges? (need)
=> ___________________
32. You should take an umbrella with you. BETTER
=> You ___________________ an umbrella with you.
33. It’s forbidden to take pictures.  (not)
=> You _______________________________ pictures.
34. It isn’t necessary to feed the cats. I’ve already fed them. (have)
=> You ________________________________________ the cats.
35. It’s prohibited to take pets into the museum. (not)
=> You ____________________________________ into the museum.
36. It isn’t necessary to change the sheets. I’ll do it tomorrow. (need)
=> You _____________________________________________ the sheets.
37. Students aren’t allowed to leave the dormitory after 11 p.m. (not)
=> Students ____________________________________ after 11 p.m.
38. Kindergarden students needn’t wear school uniforms. (have)
=> Kindergarden students ______________________________ school uniforms.
B. IN THE PAST
1. I’m sure it was Tom who cleared everything up.
=> Tom must _____________________________________________________
2. I’m sure he didn’t know that his brother was seriously ill.
=> He couldn’t possibly _____________________________________________
3. It was careless of you to leave the windows open last night.
=> You should not _________________________________________________
4. I’m sure she didn’t do it on purpose.
=> She can’t ______________________________________________________
5. Diane was supposed to write to her parents last week. (ought)
=> Diane _________________________________________________________
6. Maybe Mathew forgot all about it.
=> Mathew might __________________________________________________
7. I had the chance to do a parachute jump, but I was too scared.
=> I could ________________________________________________________
8. I’m absolutely sure that they weren’t playing in this weather.
=> They can’t _____________________________________________________
9. It wasn’t necessary for you to go to so much trouble on my behalf.
=> You needn’t ____________________________________________________
10. Jean’s boss was extremely kind to her.
=> Jean’s boss couldn’t ______________________________________________
11. Our worrying so much was a waste of time.
=> We needn’t _____________________________________________________
12. It is just not possible for the cat to have opened the fridge!
=> The cat ________________________________________________________
13. It would have been possible for Helen to give us a lift.
=> Helen _________________________________________________________
14. School uniform wasn’t compulsory at my school.
=> We ___________________________________________________________
15. His efforts to find a solution didn’t deserve such savage criticism.
=> He shouldn’t ___________________________________________________
16. Perhaps I didn't get a better job because I didn't study hard enough.
=> I might __________________________________________________
17. Martin needn’t have paid for all our tickets.
=> It ____________________________________________________________
18. It’s impossible for them to have found him in that jungle.
=> He ___________________________________________________________
19. It was wrong of you to scare your mother like that.
=> You oughtn’t ___________________________________________________
20. I’m afraid there may be something missing from your report.
(OVERLOOKED)
=> ______________________________________________________________
21. I think it was a mistake to lend your car to Joe. (SHOULD)
=> I don’t think _______________________________________ your car to Joe.
22. It was impossible to predict all the problems that we faced when we built our
own house. (PREDICTED)
=> Nobody could _________________ face so many problems when we built our
own house.
23. You couldn’t have seen Mary in the park.
=> It _____________________________________________________
24. He must have spent a small fortune renovating that told house.
=> It must _________________________________________________
25. It’s possible that the building was burgled after midnight. may
=> The building ________________________________ after midnight.
26. It wasn’t necessary to meet me at the airport yesterday. needn’t
=> You _____________________________ me at the airport yesterday.
27. It was unkind of you to talk to her like that. not
=> You _______________________________________ to her like that.
28. Perhaps he hasn’t received the doctor’s results yet. may
=> He __________________________________ the doctor’s results yet.
29. It is likely that they have already left. may
=> They ________________________________________________ left.
30. I’m sure he took the cheque-book with him. must
=> He ________________________________ the cheque-book with him.
31. It’s possible that she didn’t understand what I had said. might
=> She _______________________________________ what I had said.
32. She is certain to have heard about it on the news. must
=> She ___________________________________ about it on the news.
33. You can’t vote unless you are over eighteen. must
=> You ______________________________________________to vote.
34. I doubt very much that you saw Carla at the party as she’s in Scotland at the
moment. can’t
=> You ____________ Carla at the party as she’s in Scotland at the moment.
35. It was wrong of you to steal those apples from Mrs Brown’s garden. should
=> You ____________________________________ those apples from Mrs
Brown’s garden.
36 The thief ran right past you so I’m sure you saw his face. Must
=> The thief ran right past you so ________________________ his face.
37. It’s possible that they didn’t get the message in time. might
=> They ___________________________________ the message in time.
38. I went to the office then remembered it was my day off. HAVE
=> I _____________________________ to the office as it was my day off.