Modal Verbs and

Their Functions
 After going through this
module,
you are expected to:
•Recognize modals and their
functions.
•Use modal verbs correctly in
sentences.
•Compose sentences using
 What I Know
Directions: Complete the
sentences with the appropriate
modal. Write must, have to,
mustn’t, doesn’t/don't have to,
can, could, will, would, should on
1. The teacher announces a long
quiz tomorrow. I ______ study
tonight.
2. Betty has a 20-20 eye-vision.
She ______ wear eyeglasses.
3. My body aches so much. I ______
4. The chemical inside the bottle is
poisonous. I ______ drink it.
5. It’s already late at night. My
mom is alone at home. I ______ go
home now.
6. Yesterday was a holiday, we
7. Virgil is a licensed doctor, he
______ prescribe medicine to his
patients.
8. Cleo and Denise violated one of
the school's rules. They ______ see
the guidance designate.
9. _______ you marry me?

10. Stephanie belongs to a rich

family. She ______ to find a work.
Answers:
1. Must
2. Doesn’t have
to
3. Must
4. Mustn’t
 Answers:
5. Should
6. Didn’t have to
7. Can
8. Must
 Answers:

9. Will
10. Doesn’t have
to
 What’s In

Picture Perfect!
Directions: Match the
statement in column A with
its correct picture in column
B.
 Picture 1

Column A

A. People should
observe the IATF Picture 2
safety protocols.
B. He must stay
home.
 Picture 3

Column A

C. She must be
vaccinated according Picture 4
to her company.
D. You don’t have to
go out to buy food.
What’s In

•Read the dialogue

and answer the
following questions.
John and Anastasia meet on the way
home from work.
J: Hello, Anastasia. Are you going to
Uncle Ari’s party next Thursday?
A: I may go, but I’m still not sure.
J: Does that mean that you’re not
planning to go?
A: I didn’t say that. I said that there
is a possibility that I might not go.
I’m still doubtful.
J: Why don’t you know for sure?
A: Well, I can come only if I get the
night off from work.
J: I really think that you should try to
attend. We all have an obligation to be
there. After all, Uncle Ari is the head of
the family, and he will expect
everyone to come. Remember, he is
arriving from Athens and is bringing
our newly married cousins, Christine
and Theodore. There will be a large
dinner. Most of the food will come
A: That sounds great, but I’m having
trouble getting the evening off from
work. What would you do in my
place?
J: In that case, I would try to get
someone to replace me.
A: I never thought of doing that.
Perhaps I could convince my friend
J: Oh, you really should try. In fact,
you must be there. We won’t have
a good time without you.
A: Thanks, John. You’ve made me
realize that I must come.
Answer the following
questions:
1. What do the italicized words do in
the statements?
2. What do these words express?
3. When do we usually use them?
What are they called?
 What’s New
With the information you just
earned, I think you already have an
idea on modals, modal verbs, and
its uses in many of our daily
conversations. This time, you are to
have a good grasp on its meaning
and its proper usage. Are you
Modal verbs help when speaking about
ability, making requests and offers,
asking permission, and more. The
modal verbs in English differ from other
verbs because they are not used
separately, and do not indicate a
specific action or state, they just reflect
its modality, the attitude of the speaker
 Look at this example.

You must raise your hand before you

speak.
The modal verb ‘must’ is being used
to express the modality of `obligation
by impacting upon the verb ‘raise’.
The speaker is telling
somebody what they are
obliged to do, so must is
being used to show that
raising your hand is an
 What is It
A modal is a type of auxiliary (helping)
verb that is used to express: ability,
possibility, permission, or
obligation. Modal phrases (or semi-
modals) are used to express the same
things as modals but are a combination
of auxiliary verbs and the preposition
The modals and semi-
modals in English are:
1. CAN
Use Example
*ability to do in the
present I can speak
(substitute form: to English.
be able to)
 Use Example
*permission to do in
the present Can I go to the
(substitute form: to cinema?
be allowed
to)
 Use Example
*Request Can you wait for a
moment, please?
*Offer I can lend you my
car till tomorrow.
 Use Example
*Suggestion Can we visit
Grandma at the
*Possibility weekend?
It can get very hot
in Manila.
2. COULD
Use Example
*ability to do in the
past (substitute I could speak
form: to be able to) English.
 Use Example
*permission to do in
the past (substitute I could go to the
form: to be allowed cinema.
to)
 Use Example
*polite question Could I go to the
cinema, please?

*polite request Could you wait a

moment, please?
 Use Example
*polite offer I could lend you my
car till tomorrow.

*polite suggestion Could we visit

Grandma at the
weekend?
 Use Example

*possibility It could get very

hot in Montana.
3. MAY
Use Example
*Possibility It may rain today.

*polite suggestion May I help you?

 Use Example
*permission to do in May I go to the
the present cinema?
(substitute form: to
be allowed to)
4. MIGHT
Use Example
*possibility It might rain today.
(less possible than
may)
*suggestion You might visit the
botanical gardens
during your stay
5. MUST
Use Example
*force, necessity I must go to the
supermarket
today.
*possibility
You must be tired.
 Use Example
*advice, You must see the
recommendation new film with Brad
Pitt.
6. MUST NOT / MAY NOT
Use Example
*Prohibition (must You mustn't work
is little stronger) on dad's computer.
You may not work
on dad's computer.
7. OUGHT TO (Less Objective)

Use Example
*advice You ought to drive
carefully in bad
weather.
 Use Example
*obligation You ought to switch
off the light when
you leave the room.
8. SHALL
Use Example
*suggestion Shall I carry your
bag?

*futurity I shall post it to

you tomorrow.
9. SHOULD
Use Example
*Advice You should drive
carefully in bad
weather.
 Use Example
*obligation You should switch
off the light when
you leave the room.
10. WILL
Use Example
*future action The marketing
director will be
replaced by
someone from the
New York office.
 Use Example
*prediction Fred will be there
by 8:00.

*volunteer I will take care of

everything for you.
 Use Example
*promise I will make the
travel
arrangements.
There's no need to
worry.
11. WOULD
Use Example
*used to show I would rather go
preference to the cinema
today.
*to show a wish
I would like to
 Use Example
*for advice If I were you, I
would study
economics.
What’s More

Activity 1: Understanding
Modals
Exercise A: Can, Could, or Will?
Directions: Choose the correct
modal verb to complete each
1. I don't think I will have much work
next week. I think I _____ able to take a
day off.
2. Excuse me, _____ you tell me where
the bus station is?
3. I _____ do a handstand when I was a
4. She ______ play the flute and the
guitar.
5. When we were younger, we
______watch movies all afternoon! Now
we think it's boring.
Answers:
1. Will
2. Could
3. Could
4. Can
5. Could
Exercise B: Must, Might, or May?
Directions: Choose the correct modal
verb to complete the sentence under
each picture. Sometimes more than
one answer is correct.
1. Oh no, I think they
_____ be hurt! But
I'm not sure.

2. They look just the

same! I am sure that
boy _____ be his son.
3. That looks delicious,
and I am so hungry!
_______ I have some?

4. He is running very
well! I think he ______
win!
5. That looks like fun!
________ we paint some
eggs with you?
Answers:
1. Might / May
2. Must
3. May
4. Might / May
5. May
Exercise C: Will, Shall, and Would
Directions: Here is a mistake in each of
the sentences below. Correct the
mistakes by adding the correct modal
verb.
1. Incorrect: They shall have a meeting
later.
Correct: They ______ have a meeting
later.
2. Incorrect: If it were not raining, we
will go for a walk.
Correct: If it were not raining, we ______
go for a walk.
3. Incorrect: I promise I would pay you
back soon!
Correct: I promise I ______ pay you
back!
4. Incorrect: I would probably go out
tonight.
Correct: I ______ probably go out
tonight.
5. Incorrect: Will we dance?.
Answers:
1. Will
2. Would
3. Will
4. Will
5. Shall
What I Have Learned
1. Direction: Complete the exercises to
take another step towards English
fluency.

2. Exercise 1- Underline the correct

modal from the two choices from an
article in a magazine about regrets.
 Regrets
As we get older and when we
think about our past, we sometimes
ponder the things that we (should/can)
have done. And we also (may/shall)
regret those things we did badly and the
mistakes we made. In reality, we (will
be able to/can) always learn from our
mistakes and hope to never make them
For example, if I failed a test because of
a lack of study, the next test I
(will/must) hope to pass because of
hard work. Remember too that some
regrets are not based in reality, and we
(must/may) waste time thinking that
they are. (Would/should) I have really
not have been involved in a car crash if I
had been driving more slowly?
After all, the other driver (ought
to/will) have been concentrating and
not playing with their radio. We (have
to/would) be honest with ourselves
and live in the now. The only things we
(used to/can) control are the things
happening now, in this moment.
Answers:
1. Should
2. May
3. Can
4. Will
5. May
Answers:
6. Would
7. Ought to
8. Have to
9. Can
Exercise 2 – Complete the
blanks with must, can’t, or
might.
1. Look at that guy's enormous
muscles. He ___________ work out a lot.
2. Michelle ________ want to
participate in the festival - it seems
like the type of thing she'd be
interested in. Why don’t you ask her?
3. She goes camping every
weekend. She _____ really love the
outdoors.
4. He worked hard on his report,
then accidentally deleted the file
from his computer. He _____ be
upset.
5. You _____ be right - but I'm going
6. We're not sure if this painting is
an original. It _____ be worth
thousands of dollars.
7. I _____ not be able to go to the
football game. It depends on
whether I can get the afternoon off
from work.
8. He's working full-time and studying
9. You just ate a huge dinner! You
______ be hungry again already!
10. Wow - look at that diamond
necklace. It _______ cost a fortune.
Answers:
1. Must
2. Might
3. Must
4. Must
5. Might
Answers:
6. Might
7. Might
8. Can’t
9. Can’t
10. Must
Exercise 3 – Now complete the
blanks with must, should,
shouldn’t, or couldn’t.
1. I'm so thankful for your help
with this project. I have ____ done
it without you!
2. The repairs I made ____ have
fixed the problem, but they didn't
- so I'll have to take another look.
3. It ____ have rained a lot last
night - there are puddles
everywhere.
4. I ____ have watched that horror
movie; it gave me nightmares.
5. We ____ have known about this;
6. If you’ve been trying to lose
weight, then you really _____ have
eaten all that ice cream.
7. He _____ have finished a 500-
page book in a single day!
8. She never showed up. She ____
have forgotten about our
appointment.
9. He broke two of the plates while
washing the dishes. He ____ have
been more careful.
10. They ate every bite of their
dinner – they _____ have enjoyed
Answers:
1. Couldn’t
2. Should
3. Must
4. Shouldn’t
5. Couldn’t
Answers:
6. Shouldn’t
7. Couldn’t
8. Must
9. Should
10 Must
What I Can Do
Write Me Up!
Directions: Write a dialogue
between a teacher and a
student. You could use the
modals inside the box below.
1. Can 7. May not
2. Could 8. Need to
3. May 9. Ought to
4. Might 10. Shall
5. Must 11. Should
6. Must not 12. Will