Modals

Characteristics
1) They do not have participle or infinitive forms
To shall to should

2) They do not take the ending -(e)s in the third-

person singular.
He coulds She mays
3) They do not have a past form: 
He/she canted.  He/she musted.
4) The negative is formed by the addition of
not / n’t:
• He cannot/ He can’t.
• NOT He don’t can.
5) Questions are formed by inversion with the
subject: 
• Can you?
• NOT Do you can?
modal verb uncontracted negative contracted negative

can cannot (usually written as can’t /kɑnt/

one word not two)

could could not couldn’t /ˈkʊdənt/

may may not

might might not mightn’t /ˈmaɪtənt/

will will not *won’t /wəʊnt/ or ’ll not

shall shall not *shan’t /ʃɑnt/ or ’ll not

would would not *wouldn’t /ˈwʊdənt/ or ’d

not

should should not shouldn’t /ˈʃʊdənt/

must must not mustn’t /ˈmʌsənt/

Can  Ability:  Julie can swim.
Permission: Can I come with you? ('May' is also
used.)
Offers: 
Can I help you?
Could Possibility: That story could be true - who knows!
Past ability: Charlie could swim when he was four years
old.
Permission:
Could I use your phone please?
Requests: 
Could you tell me the way to the station
please?

Simple
Present
tense
May Possibility: The President may come to our offices if
the
meeting finishes before 5 pm.
Permission:
May I borrow your dictionary?
Might Slight possibility : We might win a prize but I doubt
it.
Past form of 'may'
in reported The President said he might
speech: come.
Must Obligation: Dogs must be kept on a lead.
Logical You must be tired after your long
deduction: journey.

Mustn't Prohibition: You mustn't tell Alex. It's a surprise!

Should Advice: You should take an umbrella in case it
rains.
Logical
deduction: I've revised so I should be ready for the
test.
Ought to Advice: You ought to write to your
grandmother.
Logical
deduction: 30 € ought to be enough for the taxi.
Shall Future tense I shall be in London on Monday
auxiliary: (or I'll be ...).
Offers/suggestions  Shall I order a taxi?
with ''I' and 'we': Shall we begin the meeting now?
Will Future tense The ticket will cost about 50€.
auxiliary:
Will you join us for coffee? Won't
Invitations/offers:  you come in?
 Have to (semi modal)
• You have to try these cakes. They are so good.
• A: Does he have to do exams this year?
• B: Yes, he has to.
• Do we have to take our shoes off?

• Keeps 3rd person, respects simple present use

 Be
• We use the ‘be’ verb with …
1) Nouns: “It must be a spider.”
2) Verbs + ‘ing’: “She might be sleeping.”
3) Adjectives: “He could be sick.”
4) Prepositions: “It can’t be in the kitchen.”.
 With out be
• Here are some examples of modals of
probability WITHOUT ‘be’ verbs …

“She must study in the evening.”

“My plans can’t fail.”
“They might have enough money.”

Notice that each modal is followed by a

present simple verb
 Ability
• We use can to talk about someone’s skill or general
abilities:
• She can speak several languages.
He can swim like a fish.
They can’t dance very well.
• We use can to talk about the ability to do something
at a given time in the present or future:
• You can make a lot of money if you are lucky.
Help. I can’t breathe.
They can run but they can’t hide.
 Ability
• We use could to talk about past time:
She could speak several languages.
They couldn’t dance very well.
• We use could have to say that someone had the
ability/opportunity to do something, but
did not do it:
She could have learned Swahili, but she didn’t
have time.
I could have danced all night [but didn't].
 Possibility
• We use the modals could, might and may to
show that something is possible in the future,
but not certain:
They might come later. (= Perhaps/Maybe they
will come later.)
They may come by car. (= Perhaps/Maybe they
will come by car.)
If we don’t hurry we could be late. (=
Perhaps/Maybe we will be late)
 Possibility
• We use could have, might have and may
have to show that something was
possible now or at some time in the past:
• It’s ten o’clock. They might have arrived now.
They could have arrived hours ago.
 Possibility
• We use the modal can to make general
statements about what is possible:
It can be very cold in winter. (= It is sometimes
very cold in winter)
You can easily lose your way in the dark. (=
People often lose their way in the dark)
 Possibility
• We use the modal could as the past tense
of can:
It could be very cold in winter. (= Sometimes it
was very cold in winter.)
You could lose your way in the dark. (= People
often lost their way in the dark)
 Impossibility
• We use the negative can’t or cannot to show
that something is impossible:
That can’t be true.
You cannot be serious.
• We use couldn’t/could not to talk about
the past:
We knew it could not be true.
He was obviously joking. He could not be
serious.
 Permission: ask, give and have
• We use can to ask for permission to do something:
Can I ask a question, please?
Can we go home now?
• We use can to give permission:
You can go home now if you like.
You can borrow my pen if you like.
• We use can to say that someone has permission to
do something:
We can go out whenever we want.
Students can travel free.
 Permission
• could is more formal and polite than can:
Could I ask a question please?
Could we go home now?
 Permission
• may is another more formal and polite way of
asking for permission:
May I ask a question please?
May we go home now?
• may is a more formal and polite way
of giving permission:
You may go home now, if you like.
• may is a more formal and polite way of saying
that someone has permission:
Students may travel free.
 Instructions & request
• We use could you and would you as polite
ways of telling or asking someone to do
something:
Could you take a message please?
Would you carry this for me please?
Could I have my bill please?
 Instructions & request
• can and will are less polite:
Can you take a message please?
Will you carry this for me please?
 Suggestions and advice:
• We use should to make suggestions and give advice:
You should send an email.
We should go by train.
• We use could to make suggestions:
We could meet at the weekend.
You could eat out tonight.
• We use conditionals to give advice:
Dan will help you if you ask him.
• Past tenses are more polite:
Dan would help you if you asked him.
 Offers and invitations:
• We use can I… and to make offers:
Can I help you?
Can I do that for you?

• We can also use shall I …

Shall I help you with that?
Shall I call you on your mobile?
 Offers and invitations:
• We sometime say I can ... or I could ... or I’ll (I
will) ... to make an offer:
I can do that for you if you like.
I can give you a lift to the station.
I’ll do that for you if you like.
I’ll give you a lift to the station.
 Offers and invitations:
• We use would you like (to) ... for invitations:
Would you like to come round tomorrow?
Would you like another drink?

• We use you must or we must for a very polite

invitation:
You must come round and see us.
We must meet again soon.
 Obligation and necessity
• We use must to say that it is necessary to do
something:
You must stop at a red light.
Everyone must bring something to eat.
You can wear what you like, but you must
look neat and tidy.
I’m sorry, but you mustn’t make a noise in
here.
 Obligation and necessity
• We use had to for this if we are talking about
the past:
Everyone had to bring something to eat.
We could wear what we liked, but we had to
look neat and tidy.
 Further Ex.
• https://www.learn-english-today.com/lessons
/lesson_contents/exercises/modals_quiz1.htm
l
• http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/gra
mmar/intermediate-grammar/can-could-woul
d-invitations-offers-requests-permission?fbclid
=IwAR2v43w47PPdkim-s1FF1SJtEJZlbiJE3g90F
cu2qB6YEk1p5WuouZ35ZiM
• https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/engl
ish-grammar/ability-permission-requests-and-
advice?fbclid=IwAR1en7uXT47Eebm2zzRt_bxS
HoWvOWksDO2yb9aL82khqs3fp4u0KCsG6yI
• Will or would
• https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/engl
ish-grammar/will-or-would