VEERESH SAVADI

English Made Easy in 20 Minutes a Day!

Foundation English

DAY-17 : MODALS
Modal Verbs And Their Meaning
What are modal verbs?
Modals (also called modal verbs, modal auxiliary verbs, modal auxiliaries) are special verbs which behave irregularly in
English. They are different from normal verbs like "work, play, visit..." They are used to indicate modality. They give
additional information about thefunction of the main verb that follows it. They have a great variety of communicative
functions.
Use of modal verbs:
Modal verbs are used to express functions such as:
1. Permission
2. Ability
3. Obligation
4. Prohibition
5. Lack of necessity
6. Advice
7. possibility
8. probability
Remember
Modal verbs are followed by an infinitive without "to"
Examples:
You must stop when the traffic lights turn red
You should see to the doctor
There are a lot of tomatoes in the fridge. You need not buy any.
Exception:
You ought to go to the doctor
A list of modals
Here is a list of modals:
Modal Verb
Meaning
Expressing
Example
must
to have to
100 % obligation
I must stop when the traffic lights turn
red.
to be very probable
logical conclusion
He must be very tired after such
(deduction)
enormous work
must not
not to be allowed to
prohibition
You must not smoke in the hospital.
can
to be able to
ability
I can swim
to be allowed to
permission
Can I use your phone please?
it is possible
possibility
Smoking can cause cancer !
could
to be able to
ability in the past
When I was younger I could stay up all
night and not get tired..
to be allowed to
more polite permission
Excuse me, could I just say something?
it is possible
possibility
It could rain tomorrow!
may
to be allowed to
permission
May I use your phone please?
it is possible, probable
possibility, probability
It may rain tomorrow!
might
to be allowed to
more polite permission
Might I use your phone please?
it is possible, probable
weak possibility, probability
I might come and visit you in America
next year, if I can save enough money.
need
necessary
necessity
Need I say more?
need not
not necessary
lack of necessity/absence
I need not buy any tomatoes. There are
of obligation
plenty in the fridge.
should/ought
used to say or ask what is the
50 % obligation
I should / ought to see a doctor. I have
to
correct or best thing to do
a terrible headache.
to suggest an action or to
advice
You should / ought to revise your lessons
show that it is necessary
to be very probable
logical conclusion
He should / ought to be very tired after
(deduction)
such enormous work
had better
to suggest an action or to
advice
You 'd better revise your lessons
show that it is necessary

59
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 VEERESH SAVADI

English Made Easy in 20 Minutes a Day!

Foundation English

DAY-17 : MODALS
Modals in the present and past
Generally speaking modals in the past have the following form:
modal + have + past participle
Example:
Present:
You should see a doctor.
Past:
You should have seen a doctor
Except for modals that express obligation,ability and lack of necessity:
Obligation:
Present = I must / have to work hard. -- Past = I had to work hard.
Ability:
Present = I can run fast. -- Past = I could run fast when I was young.
Lack of necessity:
Present = You don't have to / needn't take your umbrella. -- Past = You didn't have to / didn't need to take your
umbrella.
Modals in the Present
Modals in the Past
You must / have to stop when the traffic lights are red. You had to stop.
Obligation
You should see a doctor.
You should have seen a doctor
Advice
You mustn't smoke here.
You mustn't have smoked there.
Prohibition
I can run fast.
I could run fast. now I am old.
Ability
He has a Rolls Royce. He must be very rich.
He must have been rich. He had a big house
Certainty
He can't be American. His English is terrible.
and an expensive car.
He can't have written that poem. He was
illiterate.
Can I go out?
She could drive her father's car when she was
Permission
only 15.
It may / can / could / might rain. It's cloudy.
I guess it may / can / could / might have
Possibility
been Lacy on the phone.
You don't have to / needn't buy any tomatoes. There
You didn't have to / didn't need to
Lack of
necessity
are plenty in the fridge.
buy tomatoes.

Modals Summary
Auxiliary
may

Uses

Present / future

1. polite request

May I borrow your pen?

2. formal permission

You may leave the room.

Where's Jon? He may be at the
library
where's John? He might be at the
library
Might I borrow your pen?
I should study tonight
She should do well on the test (future
only, not present)

3. Less than 50% certainty

might

1. less than 50% certainty

2. polite request (rare)
1. advisability

should

2. 90% certainty
1. advisability

ought to
had better
be supposed
to
be to
must

I ought to study tonight

Past

He may have been at the library

He Might have been at the library
I should have studied last night.
She should have donewell on the test.
I ought to have studiedlast night

1. advisability with threat

of bad result

She ought to do well on the test.

(future only, not present)
You had better be on time, or we will
leave without you.

1. expectation

Class is supposed to begin at 10.

Class was supposed to begin at 10.

1. strong expectation

You are to be here at 9:00.

You were to be here at 9:00

1. strong necessity

I must go to class today

I had to go to class yesterday

2. prohibition (negative)

You must not open that door.

2. 90% certainty

She ought to have studied last night.

(past form uncomon)

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 VEERESH SAVADI

English Made Easy in 20 Minutes a Day!

Foundation English

DAY-17 : MODALS

have to
have got to
will

3. 95% certainty

Mary isn't in class. She must besick (present

only)

Mary must have beensick yesterday.

1. necessity

I have to go to class today.

I had to go to class yesterday

2. lack of necessity (-ve) I don't have to go to class today.

I have got to go to class today.
1. necessity
He will be here at 6:00 ((future only)
1. 100% certainty
the phone's ringing. I'll get it.
2. willingness
3. polite request
1. 100% certainty

be going to
2. definite plan

can

1. ability / possibility

I can run fast.

2. informal permission

You can use my car tomorrow.

3. informal polite request

4. impossibility (negative
only)
1. past ability

Can I borrow your pen?

2. polite request
could

That can't be true!

1. ability

I was going to paint my room, but I

didn't have time.
I could run fast when I was a child but
now I can't.

That can't have beentrue!

I could run fast when I was a child.

Could I borrow your pen?

Could you help me/
I need help in math.

3. suggestion
4. less than 50% certainty
5. impossibility (negative
only).

be able to

Will you please pass the salt?

He is going to be here at 6:00 (future
only)
I'm going to paint my bedroom.
(future only)

I had to go to class yesterday.

I had to go to class yesterday.

You could talk to your teacher.

Where's John?He could be at home.
That couldn't be true!
I am able to help you. I will be able
to help you.
Would you please ass salt?

You could have talkedto your

teacher.
He could have been at home.
That couldn't have beentrue!
I was able to help him.

1. polite request
would

used to

shall

Wouldyou mind if I left early?

2. preference
3. repeated action in the
past
1. repeated action in the
past
1. polite question to
make a suggestions
2. future with "I" or "we" as
subject

I would rather go to the park than

stay home.

I would rather have gone to the park.

When I was a child, Iwould visit my
grandparents ever weekend
When I was a child, Iwould visit my
grandparents every weekend.

Shall I open the window?

I shall arrive at nine. (will = more
common)

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