MODAL

VERBS
 What is a modal verb?

* It’s a kind of verb that gives an extra meaning to the main verb of a sentence.
- You shouldn’t smoke.
- You mustn’t smoke at school.
Characteristics of Modal Verbs
◦ They are followed by an infinitive without to
◦ You should visit your grandma tomorrow.
◦ They can read the Arabic alphabet.

◦ They don’t take –s in the third person singular of the present.

◦ I can speak Chinese.
◦ She can speak Chinese.

◦ They don’t use the auxiliaries do/does in negative or interrogative forms and can use
contractions in the negative forms.
◦ I can’t drive cars. He shouldn’t smoke in front of his grandpa.
 Curiosities
◦ There are some verbs that are called semi modals because they have some of the
characteristics of modals, but not all of them: ought to, be able to, manage to

◦ There are verbs treated as modals, with similar functions, but that don’t share their
characteristics: have to, don’t have to
 Types of Modal Verbs

◦ ABILITY AND REQUEST 🡪 CAN, COULD, MAY,

MIGHT,
*BE ABLE TO
◦ POSSIBILITY AND CERTAINTY 🡪 CAN, COULD,
MAY,
MIGHT, MUST
◦ OBLIGATION, PROHIBITION 🡪MUST, MUSTN’T,
*HAVE
TO, DON’T HAVE TO
◦ ADVICE 🡪 SHOULD, *OUGHT TO
 ABILITY AND REQUESTS
◦ CAN – CAN’T * MANAGE(D) TO
◦ Present tenses. Also in requests Ability. Present or past
◦ I can swim. tenses.
◦ She can’t read or write. Even without the key, he
managed to open the door.
◦ Can I open the
window?

◦ COULD – COULDN’T
◦ Past tenses. Also in polite requests
◦ I could climb mountains when I was 15 BE ABLE TO can be used
◦ MAY: polite requests in PRESENT and PAST
tenses only for ABILITY.
◦ BE ABLE TO*
◦ It expresses ability.
◦ Future and other tenses where we can’t use “can” or
“could”.
◦ When I finish school, I’ll be able to go to university.
 POSSIBILITY AND
CERTAINTY
◦ When something is POSSIBLE we use: may, may not, might, might not, could
◦ She may not go to the concert tonight because she’s not feeling very well.
◦ That boy who is waiting outside could be Jenny’s cousin.

◦ When we make LOGICAL DEDUCTIONS we use can’t, must

◦ MUST: we are certain about something: She must be very tired after the trip.
◦ CAN’T: we are certain that something is impossible: This can’t be true, it’s impossible that I have won the
lottery!
OBLIGATION, PROHIBITION,
ADVICE
◦ OBLIGATION:
◦ MUST /HAVE TO* (PRESENT) // HAD TO* (PAST):
◦ Students must answer 50% of the questions to be able to pass.
◦ You have to stop smoking.
◦ Women had to askf or permission to their husbands to visit other countries during the
dictatorship.

◦ PROHIBITION:
◦ MUSTN’T:
◦ You mustn’t smoke in bars.
◦ DON’T HAVE TO (NO OBLIGATION – “NOT NECESSARY”):
◦ You don’t have to come with us if you’re not feeling well.

◦ ADVICE:
◦ SHOULD / OUGHT TO*:
◦ You should visit the doctor if you still feel sick. You ought to visit the doctor if you still feel sick.
 MODAL PERFECTS
• MODAL + HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE
• They are used to talk about past events.

• Must have + past participle 🡪 certainty or logical deductions about the past
• She must have left the keys at home, that’s why she called me.
• Can’t have + past participle 🡪 impossibility in the past
• He can’t have killed all these people.
• Might /may / could + have + past participle 🡪 possibility in the past
• They might / may / could have gone to the cinema
• Could + have + past participle 🡪 alternative past action (but now it’s too late)
• The police could have arrested the suspect, but he ran away.
• Should + have + past participle 🡪 when we wish something had happened but it didn’t.
• We should have gone cycling while it was sunny.
PARAPHRASING WITH MODAL
VERBS
◦It’s against the rules, it’s banned, it’s
forbidden, prohibited : mustn’t
◦I advise you, I recommend you: should /
ought to
◦ It’s necessary, it’s an obligation: must / have to
/ need to
◦ It’s not necessary: don’t have to / needn’t
PARAPHRASING WITH MODAL
VERBS
◦I’m sure, I’m certain, I’m positive that the doctor
earns a lot of money: he must earn a lot of money
◦It’s possible that / Perhaps / Maybe /
There’s a chance she wins the match: She
could / might / may win the match.
◦It’s impossible / there’s no way that this is true:
it can’t be true