Modals

What Are Modal Verbs?

Modals (also called modal verbs, modal auxiliary verbs, modal auxiliaries) are special verbs that behave
irregularly in English. They are different from normal verbs like "work, play, visit..." They give additional
information about the function of the main verb that follows it. They have a great variety of communicative
functions.
Here are some characteristics of modal verbs:

 They never change their form. You can't add "s", "ed", "ing"...
 They are always followed by an infinitive without "to" (e.i. the bare infinitive.)
 They are used to indicate modality and allow speakers to express certainty, possibility, willingness,
obligation, necessity, ability

List Of Modal Verbs

Here is a list of modal verbs:

can, could, may, might, will, would, shall, should, must

The verbs or expressions dare, ought to, had better, and need not behave like modal auxiliaries to a large
extent and may be added to the above list

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

Examples Of Modal Verbs

Here is a list of modals with examples:

 Modal Verb Expressing Example

Strong obligation You must stop when the traffic lights turn red.
must
logical conclusion / Certainty He must be very tired. He's been working all day long.

must not prohibition You must not smoke in the hospital.

ability I can swim.

can permission Can I use your phone, please?

possibility Smoking can cause cancer.

ability in the past When I was younger I could run fast.

could polite permission Excuse me, could I just say something?

possibility It could rain tomorrow!

permission May I use your phone, please?

may
possibility, probability It may rain tomorrow!

polite permission Might I suggest an idea?

might
possibility, probability I might go on holiday to Australia next year.

lack of necessity/absence of I need not buy tomatoes. There are plenty of tomatoes
need not
obligation in the fridge.

50 % obligation I should / ought to see a doctor. I have a terrible

headache.

should/ought
advice You should / ought to revise your lessons
to

logical conclusion He should / ought to be very tired. He's been working

all day long.

had better advice You'd better revise your lessons

Remember

Modal verbs are followed by an infinitive without "to", also called the bare infinitive.
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.

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

Obligation You must / have to stop when the traffic lights You had to stop.

are red.

Advice You should see a doctor. You should have seen a doctor

Prohibition You mustn't smoke here. You mustn't have smoked there.

Ability I can run fast. I could run fast. now I am old.

Certainty He has a Rolls Royce. He must be very rich. He must have been rich. He had a big
He can't be American. His English is terrible. house and an expensive car.
He can't have written that poem. He was
illiterate.

Permission Can I go out? She could drive her father's car when she

was only 15.

Possibility It may / can / could / might rain. It's cloudy. I guess it may / can / could / might have
 been Lacy on the phone.

Lack of You don't have to / needn't buy any tomatoes. You didn't have to / didn't need to

necessity There are plenty in the fridge. buy tomatoes.

Put in 'can', 'can't', 'could' or 'couldn't'. If none of these is possible use 'be able to' in the correct tense.

1)  …………………….you swim when you were 10?

2) We …………………….get to the meeting on time yesterday, because the train was delayed by one hour.
3) He ……………………. arrive at the party on time, even after missing the train, so he was very pleased.
4) He's amazing, he……………………. speak five languages, including Chinese.

5) I……………………. drive a car until I was 34. Then I moved to the countryside, so I had to learn..

6) I looked everywhere for my glasses but I……………………. find them anywhere.

7) I searched for your house for ages. luckily I……………………. find it in the end.

8) She's seven years old, but she……………………. read yet. Her parents are getting her extra lessons.

9) I read the book three times, but I ……………………. understand it.

10) James ……………………. speak Japanese when he lived in Japan, but he's forgotten most of it now.

11) I……………………. understand the chapter we had to read for homework. It was so difficult.

12) I……………………. lift this box - it's too heavy! Would you help me?

13) Lucy……………………. make it to our meeting after all. She's stuck in traffic.

14) John……………………. play tennis really well. He's champion of his club.

15) Unfortunately, I really……………………. sing at all. No-one in my family is musical either..

Choose The Right Modal Verb

1. There are plenty of tomatoes in the fridge. You   buy any.

2. This is a hospital. You   smoke here.

3. He had been working for more than 11 hours. He   be tired after such hard work.

He   prefer to get some rest.

4. I   speak Arabic fluently when I was a child and we lived in Morocco. But after we moved
back to Canada, I had very little exposure to the language and forgot almost everything I knew as a

child. Now, I   just say a few things in the language.

5. The teacher said we   read this book for our own pleasure as it is optional. But

we   read it if we don't want to.

6.  you stand on your head for more than a minute? No, I   .

7. If you want to learn to speak English fluently, you   worry. We will help you become a
fluent speaker but you have to work hard.

8. Take an umbrella. It   rain later.

9. You   leave small objects lying around . Such objects   be swallowed by
children.

10. People   walk on the grass.

11. Drivers   stop when the traffic lights are red.

12.  I ask a question? Yes, of course.

13. You   take your umbrella. It is not raining.

14.  you speak Italian? No, I   .

15. May I use your mobile phone? Asking for permission

16. May I help you? Making an offer

17. You mustn't walk on grass. Expressing prohibition

18. What do you think I should do? Asking for advice

19. Can you help me with this exercise? Making a request

20. I can speak Arabic. Expressing ability

21. I think you should see a doctor. Giving advice

22. You must stop when the traffic lights are red. Expressing obligation

23. You needn't take your umbrella. It isn't raining. Expressing lack of necessity
24. You may pass the exam. It is not very difficult. You only have to work harder. Expressing possibility