MODAL VERBS

MODAL VERBS (can, could, must, should, ought to, may, might, will, would, shall) are modal auxiliary
verbs that express ability, necessity, obligation, duty, request, permission, advice, desire, probability,
possibility, etc. Modal verbs express the speaker's attitude to the action indicated by the main verb.
1- Modal verbs/ auxiliaries / helping verbs/ These Modal verbs lend different shades of meaning to the
main verb to which they are attached.
* One modal verb can express different meanings
2 - Modal verbs are: Can, May, Must, Shall, Will, Could, Might, Should, Would, ought to, need, be able
to, Have to……
3 – Modal verbs help express the mood or attitude of the speaker and convey ideas.

CHARACTERISTICS OF MODALS
1- Modal Verbs are not the main verbs and they do not form tenses. Modals are never used alone. A
Principal verb is either present or implied; as— I can sing. He will help you.
2- They help the main verb to express different functions such as (ability, possibility, prohibition, advice,
permission, necessity, request, obligation …)
3- Modal verbs are followed by bare infinitive (verb without to)
7- Modal verbs are defective: -They cannot take “s” in the 3rd.person singular. Modals do not change
according to the number or person of the subject; as— I can. We can. You can. We can. They can. etc.
I may. We may. You may. He may. They may. etc.
4- Two modal verbs cannot be together in the same sentence.
5- Modal verbs do not take "-s" in the third person. (Jamil can speaks French)
6- You use "not" to make modal verbs negative, even in Simple Present and Simple Past.
(We should not eat junk food)
7- Many modal verbs cannot be used in past or future tenses. (She will can run fast)

GENERAL FUNCTIONS OF MODALS

1. Modals express probability, logical necessity, possibility, future confirmation etc. These are not
conceptions of the mind. Modals are not used to state facts.
2. Modals are used in the main clause of conditional sentences. Since the condition is contrary to facts,
the main statement cannot be actual. Hence a modal is used; as— If I were you, I should help the old
beggar.
If it were fine, we might play a cricket match. If you had told me, I could have helped you.

RELATIONSHIP OF MODALS WITH TENSES

(i) May, can, shall, and will are in present forms while might, could, should, and would are their past
forms.
The two forms express different meanings, but usually, no difference of time, e.g. the difference between
may and might is often that of the degree of probability, as—
She may come today. (possibility / likely to happen)
She might come today. (remote possibility/less likely)
(ii) However, if the verb in the main clause is in the past tense, the forms might, could, should and
would serve as regular past tenses; as—
1. He said, “I can help you.”
He said that he could help her.
2. You said, “She will come back soon.”
You said that she would come back soon.
3. Sheetal said, “May I use this pen, madam?”
Sheetal asked her teacher if she might use that pen.
(iii) When we want to express the past time in verb phrases involving modals, we use the Present Perfect
Tense of the Principal Verb; as
She must have reached home by now. You ought to have told me all the facts.

THE FORMS OF MODALS

 BASIC MEANINGS OF MODALS
Modals can be categorized into three groups according to meaning:
• MODALS OF ABILITY, permission, and possibility. This group includes the modals can, could, may,
and might.
• MODALS OF ADVICE AND NECESSITY. This group includes must, should, dare, need, have to,
had better, had best, have got to, ought to, and be supposed to.
• MODALS FOR EXPRESSING FUTURE TIME. This group of modals includes shall, will, would,
and be going to. Extended Meanings of Modals

PHRASAL MODALS: be able to, be going to, be supposed to, have to, have got to, ought to, used to.
With these phrasal modals, the simple form of a verb follows to:
She is able to help us.
They are going to help us.
We are supposed to help them.
 MEANINGS OF MODALS

SINGLE CONCEPT MODAL: THEY HAVE ONE MEANING:

DOUBLE CONCEPT MODAL: THEY HAVE TWO MEANINGS:

 ABILITY
Ability can be expressed with:
• can
Mariam can play the piano. (She is able to play this kind of
instrument.) I can bring the money tomorrow morning. (I will
manage to do that tomorrow morning.)

• could
Mariam could play the piano when she was 6. (She was able to play this kind of instrument at the age of
6.) I could bring the money yesterday, so I did it. (I managed to do that yesterday.)

1. to express permission: You can go now. (= I give you permission to go)

You cannot touch the flowers. (= I do not permit you to touch the flowers)
2. to express ability: I can swim. (= I know how to swim)
He can speak Sanskrit. (= He is able to speak Sanskrit)
3. to express possibility: Anyone can make mistakes. Accidents can happen to anyone.
4. ‘Can’t help’ is an idiom. It means ‘Can’t avoid’; e.g. He has a bad cold. He can’t help
sneezing.
The boys can’t help laughing on seeing the clown.
5.COULD must be used
to express ability, permission and possibility when the main verb is in the past tense as— I could swim
well when I was younger. (ability)
Could you lend me some money, please? Could you tell me the time, please?
Could you wait for a few minutes?
 2- OBLIGATION (responsibility, duty, liability, accountability)
When we are obliged to do something, we can express it with:
• must
She must practice playing the piano every day. (It is her duty to practice that every day. Her piano
teacher told her to practice every day.)
We must leave early. (We have no time to stay longer. We have other duties to perform.)
• have (got) to
We have got to be at the station at 8.15a.m. (If we are not there till 8.15, we will miss the train)
She will have to retake the exam next year. (She failed in the exam, and it is required from her
to take it again next year. It can be an exam which she is obliged to take every year.)
• should / ought to
We should save water. (It is necessary to save water to protect environment and save natural
resources.)
We ought to participate in this training. (This training is useful. It will help us in our work.)

3-ABSENCE OF NECESSITY
When there is no need to do something, we can use:
• need not do
We need not do this exercise. (It is not necessary. Our teacher did not tell us to do it.)
• need not have done
We needn’t have booked the hotel. (It was not necessary, but we did it. Someone else had booked it for us
before or the hotel had plenty of rooms available so advance booking was not necessary.)

4- PROHIBITION
When we want somebody not to do sth or something is forbidden in general we can use the following
expressions:
• must not
You must not go outside after 9p.m. (It is forbidden for you because either you are too young to go
outside late either it is not safe for you to go outside, and safety precautions do not allow you to leave
your place.)
• cannot
You cannot speed up in this area. (It is forbidden by law to speed up. It could be dangerous for you and
the pedestrians. You must adhere to the speed limit there.)
 5- ASSUMPTIONS
When we assume something based on logic, we can express it with:
• must (in positive assumptions)
They are wearing wellingtons. It must be raining. (Otherwise, they
would not be wearing such boots.)
They knew every detail of our plan. We must have a mole (spy) in the
office. (There is no other possibility to get know about our secret.)
• cannot / could not (in negative assumptions)
They knew about our next move. They could not just guess it. (It is
impossible just to guess that. I am sure about that.)

6- PROBABILITY & POSSIBILITY

When something is likely to be true or likely to happen, we use:
• should / ought to
Sally was supposed to attend the meeting. She ought to be at the meeting now. (I saw her colleagues
going to the conference room where the meeting takes place – so it is probable.)
We have more options to express general possibility:
• can
The store can get overcrowded. (There is such a general possibility.)
• could / may / might (when sth is possible in a specific situation)
The store could/may/might get overcrowded tomorrow because it will be Sunday. (It usually gets
overcrowded that day. We can expect many customers to come for the sales we will have that day.)
Could/Might/may the store get overcrowded tomorrow? (We do not use may in questions when we want
to express possibility.)
• could / might have been (when something was possible to be done/to happen, but it
wasn’t done, didn’t happen)
I left my car unlocked yesterday. It might have been stolen, but luckily it was not.

7- PERMISSION
There are different modal verbs we can use to talk about permissions, but the usage of each differs
depending on the type of a sentence. When we ask for a permission (questions) we have the following
options to choose from:
• can / could / may / might
Can I borrow your pen?
May I see the manager, please?
Might we enter the conference room now? (very formal and rarely met)
 May is used:
1. to express or to seek permission: [in a formal way] You may go (= I permit you to go.)
May I come in, Sir? (= seeking permission)
Students may not bring any book or paper in the examination hall. (permission refused)
2. to express possibility: It may rain. He may come today.
3. to express a wish: May he live long! May she enjoy good health!
4. to express purpose: He works hard so that he may pass.

MIGHT:
Might is used for all persons of the past tense.

(i) to seek permission:

‘Might I’ can be used instead of ‘May I’ when asking for permission and ‘Might I’ is a more polite form.
The use of ‘might’ shows that the speaker is rather hesitant or doubtful about making the request; as—
(i) May I use your phone?
(ii) Might I use your phone?
Both express the same idea, but the second sentence is more polite.

(ii) to express possibility:

‘Might’ expresses greater doubt than ‘may’. ‘Might’ suggests remote/distant possibility; as—
It might rain. He might come today.

(iii) to put forward a suggestion:

‘Might’ is often used to put forward a suggestion or offer advice which you are a little hesitant about;
as—
You might try again. (= But I am not certain if you should) You might wait.
(iv) in conditional sentences:

‘May / Might’ can be used instead of ‘shall / will’ and ‘should / would’ in the conditional
sentences respectively to express a possible result; as—
If you work hard, you may pass, (possibility)
If she had left early, she might have reached by now.
Might must be used when the main verb of the sentence is in the past tense.

(i) to express permission:

He said that I might borrow his car. The teacher said that the boy might go.

(ii) to express possibility:

He thought that I might like it.
Sudha said that she might go abroad next year.

(iii) to express speculation (guess) about past actions. ‘Might have’ is used for past time.
He told me that she might have finished her work.
This medicine might have cured your cough.
Both ‘May’ and ‘might’ are used to suggest ‘there is a good reason’-, as— You may as well say so.
She might as well come by the next train. You might just as well go as not.
(There is just as much to be said in favour of going as against it)

• can / may (when giving permission)

You can borrow my pen. You may enter the room.
We do not use could and might when giving permission because it would mean something different then.
Could and might imply that there is some condition to meet before you are allowed to do something.
• cannot / must not / may not (when refusing permission)
I am sorry but you cannot use this phone. Customers may not enter this area. Could I stay outside a little
longer? No, you cannot.
In the examples above we do not use could not and might not for the same reason as before: they would
imply that on some condition it would be possible.
• can / be allowed to (when talking about permission)
All citizens over 18 can vote. I was allowed to smoke in the office.

8- REQUESTS
Modal verbs serve this purpose perfectly. Whenever we want to make a request, they are indispensable.
A simple please is always welcome, of course. The less formal requests can be expressed by:
• can/will
Can/will you get me a glass of water, please?
Will you clean up your room at last?

More formal (and more polite) requests are created with:

• could/would
Would/could you open the door for me, please?
In a typical situation in a shop or a restaurant, when we want to have/order something we use:
• could/would/may
Can/Could/May I have this dessert, please?

9- SUGGESTIONS
• Shall [I/we] do sth (used only with 1st person in Singular or Plural)
Shall we go to the cinema tomorrow? (Why do not we go to the cinema? How about going to the cinema?
Let us go to the cinema.)
Where shall I put these flowers? (Where do you want me to put these flowers? Where do you suggest I
put these flowers?)
• [subject] can/could
The assembly department can hire additional personnel. (It might help to mitigate the problem of
increased workload.) We could go to the theatre instead. (Why don’t we go to the theatre instead? Let’s
go to the theatre instead.)

10- ADVICE
• Should / ought to
You should go home as soon as possible. It is getting dark. (It is advisable to go home. Otherwise, you
will have to walk in darkness. You had better go home now.)

11 CRITICISM / BLAME REGRET

Modal verbs in this function are usually used to express that something was advisable to do but it wasn’t
done, or something was not advisable to do but it was done. The Perfect form of the verb used after
modals suggests that the action/condition was already done, and we do not like it.
• should/ought to have done sth
You should have asked me before you took the whole pie. (but you did not ask me)
You should not have left the door unlocked. (but you did leave it unlocked)

1.- could have done = we had the ability to do something in the past but did not do it.
You could have told us about the new project! She could have called me when she arrived, but she forgot.
2. could / may / might have done = it is possible that something happened in the past, but we aren't
sure.
• Lalita has not arrived yet. She may/might/could have missed the bus.

3. needn't have done = it was not necessary to do something, but we did it.
• You need not have gone to the supermarket. I have already done the shopping.
• The weather was warm and sunny. I need not have taken an umbrella.

4. should have / ought to have done =

(a) it was the right thing to do but we did not do it.
(b) we expected something to happen, but it did not.
• You should have told him the truth.
• They ought to have received the cheque by now.

5. must have done = we are almost sure something happened in the past
• Jane was not feeling well yesterday. She must have caught a cold.
• Bill did not answer the phone when I called him. He must have fallen asleep.

cannot have done = we are almost sure something did not happen in the past
• She can't have forgotten to send you an invitation. I gave her your address.
• They can't have gone to bed late. They were very tired.

6.- may / might have done = we can guess something of the past.
• I didn't see Paul at work. He may/might/could have been ill.
7. would have done = we wanted to do something, but we didn't do it in the end.
• They would have emailed you, but the Internet was down yesterday.
• I would have bought that DVD, but I didn't have enough money.
NEED (TO)
Need
Note from the above examples that need can either act as a modal verb or as an ordinary verb.
When it acts as a modal auxiliary verb it is nearly always used in negative sentences, as the above
examples illustrate, although it is sometimes also used in questions as a modal verb:
Need you leave straightaway? Can't you stay longer? Need I say more? I would like you to stay.
When it is used as an ordinary verb with to before the following infinitive and with an s in the third
person singular, it appears in both affirmative and negative sentences and in questions:
She is almost dehydrated. She needs a drink. She needs to drink something before she has anything to
eat. She does not need to stay in bed, but she should have a good rest before she sets off (to start a
journey) again. ~ Do I need to stay with her? ~ Yes, I think you should.

Need not and do not need to

There is a difference in use when these verbs are used to describe present situations. We can use both
need not and do not need to give permission to someone not to do something in the immediate future.
We can also use need as a noun here:
You do not need to water the garden this evening. It is going to rain tonight. You need not water the
garden this evening. It is going to rain tonight.
There is no need to water the garden this evening. It is going to rain tonight.
You do not need to shout. It is a good line. I can hear you perfectly. You need not shout. It is a good line.
I can hear you perfectly.
There is no need to shout. I can hear you perfectly.
However, when we are talking about general necessity, we normally use do not need to: You don't need
to pay for medical care in National Health Service hospitals.
You do not need to be rich to get into this golf club. You just need a handicap.

Need not have and did not need to

Both forms are used to talk about past events, but there is sometimes a difference in use. When we say
that someone need not have done something, it means that they did it, but it was not necessary. Didn't
need to is also sometimes used in this way:
You need not have washed the dishes. I would have put them in the dishwasher. You did not need to
wash the dishes. I would have put them in the dishwasher.

But we also use did not need to to say that something was not necessary under circumstances where
it was not done:
The sun came out, so we did not need to take any raincoat on the trip.
 Shall: forms

Affirmative form

Shall comes first in the verb phrase (after the subject and before another verb). We use it mostly with I
and we:

I shall post it to you tomorrow.

Shall cannot be used with another modal verb:

I shall have to be at the airport by 5 pm.

Not: I shall must be … or I must shall be …

Shall can be followed by have to, need to and be able to:

We shall have to tell him what happened.

The good news is I shall be able to join you at your meeting next week.

Negative form

The negative form of shall is shan’t. We don’t use don’t, doesn’t, didn’t with shall:

I shan’t be home tomorrow night.

We shan’t know the result of the tests till Tuesday.

We can use the full form shall not in formal contexts or when we want to emphasis something:

[a public notice in a restaurant]

The management shall not be responsible for damage to personal property.

We don’t often use the negative form.

Question form

The subject and shall change position to form questions.

Warning:

We don’t use do, does, did. The question form, with I and we, is the most common use of shall:

Shall I come round to the office?

Not: Do I shall come round to the office?

We use shall in question tags:

I’ll phone you later, shall I?

Shall: uses

Offers, suggestions and advice

We use shall I and shall we to make offers and suggestions, and to ask for advice.
 offer Shall I carry your bag?
suggestion Shall I call again on Thursday?
seeking advice What shall we do with this?

Predictions and intentions

We use shall instead of will with I and we in rather formal contexts to make predictions and to talk
about intentions or decisions. It is much less common than will.

Compare
formal less formal
We shall remember this day forever. We will remember this day forever.
Warning:
We use shall only with the first person pronouns I and we to make predictions or express intentions:
The new business cards will be ready at the end of the month.
Not: The new business cards shall be ready at the end of the month.

Commands
Warning:
In very formal contexts, we use shall to give commands:
[public notice]
This door shall be kept closed at all times.

Use of shall in Legal context

✓ To impose a duty (“The Company shall maintain quality standards…”)

✓ To grant a right (“The Buyer shall have the right to cancel the purchase transaction…”)
✓ To give a direction (“The shipment of the products from the port shall be deemed as
delivery of the products to the purchaser.”)
✓ To negate a duty or discretion (“The Company shall not be required to produce copy of
the specifications.”)
✓ To negate a right (“Such statement shall be deemed to be correct and shall be binding on
the Applicant.”)
✓ To express intention (“The manufacturing plant when established shall be deemed to be
part of the assets of the joint venture.”)
✓ To create a condition subsequent (“If the products shall not have been delivered on or
before December 31, 2020, then this purchase order shall stand cancelled.”)
✓ To state or declare a fact (“Company shall mean ABC Limited.”)
✓ To express the future (“This Agreement shall terminate on the sale of the warehouse.”)

The use of the modal verb “shall” in laws and contracts is a matter of much controversy in the
world of legal English. While it is generally recognized that “shall ” (to indicate the future, an
obligation or an intention)[1] has fallen into disuse in everyday language, it is still very
frequently employed in legal English. In its original sense, “shall” was used to imply an
obligation – and it is in this sense alone that legal linguists recommend that it be
used, and also advocate for its continued use.

1. The alternative is to employ other words or phrases in its stead, such as “MUST”,
“HAS A DUTY TO”, “HAS AN OBLIGATION TO”, “IS TO BE”, “IT IS THE
DUTY OF”, and the like.

Certain purists, led by Ken Adams,[2] argue that “shall” should be used only where it imposes
an obligation on the subject of the sentence and can thus only be used for persons (the defect
must be cured; the contractor shall cure the defect).

“Shall” is nevertheless also used in many other contexts, which has contributed to its
notoriety as a dangerous and ambiguous choice of words. There is a vast body of case
law on its possible interpretations.[3] Among the various senses in which it is employed, the
following are particularly noteworthy:

1. Expressing an assumption or a precondition: in such cases, “shall” can be replaced

by use of the past perfect or the present

For example: “If the tenant shall give the landlord six months previous notice and shall up to
the date of termination pay the rent…” can be replaced by: “If the tenant has given…and pays
the rent…”

2. Expressing permission: in which case, “shall” can be replaced by “has the right to” or
“may”.

For example: “… all lots uncleared within the time aforesaid shall be resold by public or
private sale…” may be replaced by “… all lots uncleared within the time aforesaid may be
resold by public or private sale …”[4]

3. Expressing intent: in which case, “shall” can be replaced by “intends to”.

For example: “… Motorplus Ltd shall refer a quantity of [specified type] claims to PM Law Ltd
Solicitors …” may be replaced by “… Motorplus Ltd intends to refer a quantity of [specified
type] claims to PM Law Ltd Solicitors . ..”[5]

4. Expressing a recommendation: in which case “shall” can be replaced by “should” or

“ought to”.

Because of the serious difficulties of interpretation that can result from its
multiple senses and the often inconsistent use of shall within the same document,
many legal stylists argue that use of the term should be gradually or even
immediately discontinued in favour of the circumlocutions suggested above.[6]
Unlike the European Union, which continues to use “shall” in its legislation in a
wide range of different senses,[7] the United States, Great Britain, Canada, and
Australia today avoid the use of the modal “shall” when drafting new statutes.[8]
The notion of obligation is consistently expressed through the verb “must” and archaic
phraseology has been simplified (“This Act shall cease to have effect” –> This Act ceases to
have effect”; “The Authority shall consist of 10 members” –> “The Authority consists of 10
members”). Legislators in the Anglo-Saxon countries have explained this change in practice by
taking reference to the “plain English” movement and the need to write laws in terms that are
accessible and comprehensible to all citizens.

The main arguments in support of continuing to use “shall” invoke long-standing

tradition and the desirability of preserving the solemn character of laws and legal
documents. In addition, some lawyers believe that their clients could be offended by
contractual clauses ordering that a party must do something, as being overly authoritarian in
tone. They thus prefer the traditional wording, which in their view sounds more respectful.

MODALS IN THE PAST

 MODAL EXAMPLE USES
S
He can find any street in London. Ability
CAN You can take a taxi.
Can you take me to Cantt Station? Suggestion
Request
BE ABLE TO He is able to find any street in Ability
London.

CANNOT That story can´t be true. Certainty that something is impossible

I could play tennis when I was Ability Request

COULD younger. Could you take me to Suggestion
Victoria Station? You could
take a taxi.

It may be quicker to travel by train. Possibility Formal

MAY May I come in?
request
MIGHT It might be quicker to travel by train. Possibility

You must be back at 10 o´clock. Obligation

MUST Look at the snow. It must be cold Certainty that something is true
outside.

HAVE TO You have to be back at 10 o´clock. Obligation

NEED TO You need to study a lot. Obligation

NEED NOT You need not have a university Lack of obligation

degree.

MUSTNOT You must not drive without a Prohibition

licence.

DO NOT You do not have to call a taxi. Lack of obligation

HAVE TO

SHOULD You should drive more carefully Opinion / Advice

OUGHT TO You ought to drive more carefully Opinion / Advice

 MODAL EXAMPLES USES

A certainty or logical
MUST HAVE The driver must have lost his conclusion about an
way. event in the past.

MIGHT / MAY She might / may have

A guess about something
which happened in the
HAVE bought a new car. past.

The ability to do
COULD HAVE You could have avoided that something in the past,
accident. but which in the end was
not done.

COULDN´T HAVE
He couldn´t have known A certainty that
about the problem. something did not
happen.

Advice which was not

He should have listened to followed in the past.
SHOULD HAVE me. Expectations which
They should have won the were not fulfilled in the
competition. past.

SHOULDN´T You shouldn´t have gone on

Criticism that was given
after an event.
HAVE foot.
Exercises
1.1 Fill in the column 2 by guessing the meaning of sentence.

Modal Usage /sense Example

verb
can I can do several things at the same time.
Miracles can happen.
You can go now.
Can you come for a minute?
She said she could pay for us as well.

could Could you move your bag, please?

It could be that he missed the train.

It may rain tomorrow.

may May I speak?

might He said he might change his mind.

This might fail.

You must obey the law

must They left so early; they must be home by now.

must not/ You must not smoke in here.
must not

I shall see him tomorrow.

shall Let's continue, shall we?

should She should call the police.

What should I do?

You should stop thinking about it.
We should be back by midnight.

will Prices will go up next summer.

It is alright, I'll pick it up.

would He told me he would come.

What would you do if you were him?
- Would you please sit down?
- Would you like some tea?
- We are meeting with Sarah next Saturday;
would you like to come along?

I would like a piece of cake.

ought to You ought to apologize.

 1.2 Write the word showing situation in column 1:
English Modal Verbs – Situations Table
Situation Modal Verb Example
Requests (formal) May I sit down?
Requests (informal) Can I sit down?

requests Could I sit down?

(polite)

requests Would you mind if I sit down?

(polite)

permission You may sit down.

(formal)
permission You can sit down.
(informal)
obligation You must tell the police the truth.
(full)

obligation You should tell your friends the truth.

(partial)
obligation (partial) (less You ought to tell your friends the truth.
common)
logical conclusions He left an hour ago, so he must be there
already.
(stronger than "should")
logical conclusions He left half an hour ago, I believe he should be
there already.
(weaker than "must")

possibility(general) It can rain sometimes.

possibility(weaker than It could rain, but it is not very common in this

"may" and "might") part of the country.

possibility It's not very cloudy yet, but it might rain.

(weaker than "may")
possibility It starts getting cloudy – it may rain soon.
(stronger than "might")
future Look at the sky! It will rain soon.
actions/states/intentions
 1.3 Write the concept word in column 2:
MODAL CONCEPT EXAMPLE
Can Julie can swim.

Can I come with you? ('May' is also used.)

Can I help you?

Could That story could be true - who knows!

Charlie could swim when he was four years old.

Could I use your phone please?

Could you tell me the way to the station please?

May The President may come to our offices if the
meeting finishes before 5 pm.

May I borrow your dictionary?

Might We might win a prize, but I doubt it.

The President said he might come.

Must Dogs must be kept on a lead.

You must be tired after your long journey.

Mustn't You mustn't tell Alex. It's a surprise!
Should You should take an umbrella in case it rains.

I've revised so I should be ready for the test.

Ought to You ought to write to your grandmother.

30 € ought to be enough for the taxi.

Shall I shall be in London on Monday (or I'll be ...).

Shall I order a taxi?

Shall we begin the meeting now?
Will The ticket will cost about 50€.

Will you join us for coffee? Won't you come in?

1.4 Activity Part I

Identify whether the sentence is describing logical possibility, ability, necessity, or permission.
Some sentences can be identified as more than one or have multiple uses.

1. You might win the lottery, but the chances are low.
2. Alona can start a fire in five minutes.
3. Hyunh should get braces.
4. Can I move out next week?
5. Navya could run a mile in 11 minutes.
6. May I get my grade tonight?
7. It could rain tomorrow.
8. I can eat this cotton candy in three seconds.
9. Yang should catch his flight tomorrow if he arrives at the airport early.
10. They must complete their parts of the assignment, or we will fail.
 1.5 Activity Part II
Fill in the blank with a modal based on the use and degree of strength.
11. Logical Possibility, Most Certain
The restaurant __________ have digital menus on the tables.
12. Logical Possibility, Least Certain
The bus __________ be on time today.
13. Necessity, Advice
Everyone __________ brush their teeth every day.
14. Permission, Most formal
__________ Inessa and I go to the nurse’s office?
15. Ability, Stronger
We __________ write so quickly.
16. Permission, somewhat formal
Darius, __________ I have another cookie after dinner?
17. Ability, Stronger or Somewhat Certain
I __________ finish my finish my writing test in one hour.
18. Logical Possibility, Less Certain
It __________ snow in Texas if the weather keeps changing.
19. Necessity, Obligation
You __________ not text while you drive!
20. Logical Possibility, Somewhat Certain
The kids __________ have cleaned the house before we get home.