Modals
There are 13 Modals including the Semi Modals. Out of them shall, should, will, would, can, could, may, might, must, ought to and used to are always anomalous. Dare and need are anomalous when used as auxiliaries and not anomalous when they are used as principal verbs.
Auxiliary, or helping verbs, are
used before infinitives to add a different meaning. The following auxiliaries
are called Modal Auxiliaries or Modals.
|
Modal
Auxiliaries
|
Meanings
/ Functions
|
|
can
|
ability, permission, request,
possibility
|
|
could
|
ability, formal request,
possibility
|
|
shall
|
futurity, willingness, intention,
suggestion, insistence
|
|
should
|
obligation, necessity,
expectation, advisability
|
|
will
|
willingness, intention,
prediction, insistence
|
|
would
|
willingness, habitual action in
the past, probability, wish, desire
|
|
may
|
permission, possibility, wish,
purpose, concession
|
|
might
|
permission, possibility,
concession, reproach
|
|
must
|
necessity, prohibition,
compulsion, obligation, deduction, certainty, probability
|
|
Quasis
/ Semi Modals
|
Meanings
/ Functions
|
|
ought to
|
moral obligation, probability,
certainty, advice, necessity, duty, fitness
|
|
use to
|
discontinued habit
|
|
need
|
necessity, obligation (used in negative
and questions)
|
|
dare
|
defiance, challenge, boldness
(used in negatives and interrogatives)
|
Can
and Could :
Use can and could to say that
someone is able to do something or Can and could are also used for asking for
information or help for offering something, and for suggesting something.
- He can play the piano.
can + infinitive (can do / can play / can come) etc.
|
Positive
and Negative
|
||
|
I / we / you / they / he / she /
it
|
can
can not |
do
play come see |
|
Question
|
||
|
can
|
I / we / you / they / he / she /
it
|
do?
play? come? see? |
- I can play the piano. My brother can play the
piano too.
- Nancy can speak English but she can not speak
Latin
- Can you change
your dress?
- Johncy and Nancy can not come to the party next
week
- You can borrow my pen, if you like
- Can you ride
a bike?
- I ran as fast as I could
- Nancy could not come to the party because she
was ill
- Mom said I could have ice cream after my dinner
- I could lend you my cricket ball
May
and Might :
Use may to ask if you are
allowed to do something, or to give someone permission to do something.
- It may rain (Perhaps it will rain) - It might rain
(Perhaps it is raining or it will rain)
may or might + infinitive (may go/ might
go / may play / might play etc.)
|
I / we / you / they / he / she /
it
|
may (not)
might (not) |
be
go play come |
You can use may or might:
may/might = it is possible that something will happen.
may/might = it is possible that something will happen.
- I may go to the cinema this evening.
- I might go to the cinema this evening. (=
perhaps I will go)
- Please may I see your ticket?
may/might = ask if you are allowed to do something and to tell
someone that they are allowed to do something.
- May I borrow your pen?
- Please may I see your ticket?
- May I sit here?
- Put your purse away or it might get stolen
The negative is may not or might
not:
- I might not go to work tomorrow. (= perhaps I will not
go)
- She may not come to the party. (= perhaps she will not
come)
There are 13 Modals including the
Semi Modals. Out of them shall, should, will, would, can, could, may,
might, must, ought to and used to are always anomalous. Dare
and need are anomalous when used as auxiliaries and not anomalous
when they are used as principal verbs.
Auxiliary, or helping verbs, are
used before infinitives to add a different meaning. The following auxiliaries
are called Modal Auxiliaries or Modals.
|
Modal
Auxiliaries
|
Meanings
/ Functions
|
|
can
|
ability, permission, request,
possibility
|
|
could
|
ability, formal request,
possibility
|
|
shall
|
futurity, willingness, intention,
suggestion, insistence
|
|
should
|
obligation, necessity,
expectation, advisability
|
|
will
|
willingness, intention,
prediction, insistence
|
|
would
|
willingness, habitual action in
the past, probability, wish, desire
|
|
may
|
permission, possibility, wish,
purpose, concession
|
|
might
|
permission, possibility,
concession, reproach
|
|
must
|
necessity, prohibition,
compulsion, obligation, deduction, certainty, probability
|
|
Quasis
/ Semi Modals
|
Meanings
/ Functions
|
|
ought to
|
moral obligation, probability,
certainty, advice, necessity, duty, fitness
|
|
use to
|
discontinued habit
|
|
need
|
necessity, obligation (used in
negative and questions)
|
|
dare
|
defiance, challenge, boldness
(used in negatives and interrogatives)
|
Can
and Could :
Use can and could to say that
someone is able to do something or Can and could are also used for asking for
information or help for offering something, and for suggesting something.
- He can play the piano.
can + infinitive (can do / can play / can come) etc.
|
Positive
and Negative
|
||
|
I / we / you / they / he / she /
it
|
can
can not |
do
play come see |
|
Question
|
||
|
can
|
I / we / you / they / he / she /
it
|
do?
play? come? see? |
- I can play the piano. My brother can play the
piano too.
- Nancy can speak English but she can not speak
Latin
- Can you change
your dress?
- Johncy and Nancy can not come to the party next
week
- You can borrow my pen, if you like
- Can you ride
a bike?
- I ran as fast as I could
- Nancy could not come to the party because she
was ill
- Mom said I could have ice cream after my dinner
- I could lend you my cricket ball
May
and Might :
Use may to ask if you are
allowed to do something, or to give someone permission to do something.
- It may rain (Perhaps it will rain) - It might rain
(Perhaps it is raining or it will rain)
may or might + infinitive (may go/ might
go / may play / might play etc.)
|
I / we / you / they / he / she /
it
|
may (not)
might (not) |
be
go play come |
You can use may or might:
may/might = it is possible that something will happen.
may/might = it is possible that something will happen.
- I may go to the cinema this evening.
- I might go to the cinema this evening. (=
perhaps I will go)
- Please may I see your ticket?
may/might = ask if you are allowed to do something and to tell
someone that they are allowed to do something.
- May I borrow your pen?
- Please may I see your ticket?
- May I sit here?
- Put your purse away or it might get stolen
The negative is may not or might
not:
- I might not go to work tomorrow. (= perhaps I will not
go)
- She may not come to the party. (= perhaps she will not
come)
Must
:
Use must when you think
it is necessary or very important to
do something :
- The windows are very dirty. I must clean them.
- It is a fantastic film. You must see it.
- We must go to the bank today. We haven’t got any money.
- You must mail this letter today.
must + infinitive (must do/ must see etc.)
|
I / we / you / they / he / she /
it
|
must
|
do
go stop write |
must is present of future :
- We must go to the bank now.
- We must go to the bank tomorrow.
For the past (yesterday /
last week etc.), we use had to + infinitive (had to go
/ had to do / had to write etc.) :
I had to go to the bank yesterday. [= It was necessary for me to go the bank].
We had to walk home last night. There was no bus.
must not
I mustn’t do it = it is important not do it. it is a bad thing to do:
I had to go to the bank yesterday. [= It was necessary for me to go the bank].
We had to walk home last night. There was no bus.
must not
I mustn’t do it = it is important not do it. it is a bad thing to do:
- I must hurry. I must not be late.
- You must not walk on the grass.
Need not
I need not do it = it is not necessary to do it. I do not need to do it :
I need not do it = it is not necessary to do it. I do not need to do it :
- I need not clean the windows. They are not
dirty.
- You need not go to the bank. I can give you some
money.
We can also say do not need to
... => need not.
- I don’t need to clean the windows.
- You don’t need to go to the bank.
Should
:
(Someone) should do something = it
is a good thing to do or the right thing to do :
- Akbar should go to bed earlier. He usually goes
to bed very late and he’s always tired.
- It is good film. You should go and see it.
- When you play tennis, you should always watch
the ball.
should + infinitive (should do / should write etc.)
|
I / we / you / they / he / she /
it
|
should
shouldn’t |
do
go stop write |
Shoult not = It’s not a good thing to do or it’s not the right thing
to do:
- Lenin should not go to bed so late.
- You work all the time. You should not work so
hard.
Will
/ Would
Use will when you are order
or asking someone to do something.
- Will you please shutup.
- Will I carry the bag for you.
Use would when you are asking
or requesting someone to do something.
- Would you pass me that pen, please?.
- Would you like onemore drink?.
- Which pen would you like