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  • Modal Verbs (1) - Sgu Moodle

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    Luật Hoàng
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    This document summarizes the uses and meanings of common modal verbs in English: 1) Modal verbs like must, have to, can, may, could express ideas like obligation, permission, ability, and certainty. They are followed by a bare infinitive verb. 2) Modals have different meanings depending on whether they are used in the present/future or past tense. For example, must expresses strong obligation or prohibition in the present but certainty in the past. 3) Each modal verb has specific uses - may expresses polite permission or possibility, must expresses strong necessity or prohibition, can expresses ability or permission, and could expresses past ability or less than 50% certainty.

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    MODAL VERBS (1)_SGU MOODLE

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    This document summarizes the uses and meanings of common modal verbs in English: 1) Modal verbs like must, have to, can, may, could express ideas like obligation, permission, ability, and certainty. They are followed by a bare infinitive verb. 2) Modals have different meanings depending on whether they are used in the present/future or past tense. For example, must expresses strong obligation or prohibition in the present but certainty in the past. 3) Each modal verb has specific uses - may expresses polite permission or possibility, must expresses strong necessity or prohibition, can expresses ability or permission, and could expresses past ability or less than 50% certainty.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    20 views3 pages

    Modal Verbs (1) - Sgu Moodle

    Uploaded by

    Luật Hoàng
    This document summarizes the uses and meanings of common modal verbs in English: 1) Modal verbs like must, have to, can, may, could express ideas like obligation, permission, ability, and certainty. They are followed by a bare infinitive verb. 2) Modals have different meanings depending on whether they are used in the present/future or past tense. For example, must expresses strong obligation or prohibition in the present but certainty in the past. 3) Each modal verb has specific uses - may expresses polite permission or possibility, must expresses strong necessity or prohibition, can expresses ability or permission, and could expresses past ability or less than 50% certainty.

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    of 3

    MODAL VERBS (1)

     S+ MODAL + BARE INFINITIVE (V0)


     S+ MODAL + NOT + V0
     … MODAL + S + V0 …?
    MODAL + - ?

    MUST Obligation/strong Prohibition Obligation/strong


    necessity CAN NOT/ BE NOT necessity
    ALLOWED/ BE
    PROHIBITED
    HAVE TO Obligation/strong Lack of necessity Obligation/strong
    necessity No necessity necessity

    CAN = BE (NOT) Ability Ability Ability


    ALLOWED Permission Permission Permission
    Polite request Polite request

    MAY Ability Ability Ability


    Polite request Permission Polite request
    (Permission) (Permission)

    i.e.:
    - You cannot use your camera.
     You are not allowed to use your camera.
     Your camera cannot be used.
     Your camera mustn’t be used.
     You mustn’t use your camera.

    (UNIT 1: AUXILIARIES  STARTER TOEIC BOOK PDF/AUDIO FILES)


    AUXILIARY USES PRESENT/FUTURE PAST

    May (1) polite request (only


    May I borrow your pen?
    with I or We)

    (2) formal permission You may leave the room.

    (3) less than 50% - Where’s John? He may have been at the
    certainty He may be at the library. library.

    Must (1) strong (I had to go to class


    I must go to class today.
    necessity/obligation yesterday.)

    (2) prohibition You must not open that


    (negative) door.

    Mary isn’t in class. She


    Mary must have been sick
    (3) 95% certainty must be sick. (present
    yesterday.
    only)

    Have to I have to go to class


    (1) necessity I had to go to class yesterday.
    today.

    (2) lack of necessity I don’t have to go to I didn’t have to go to class


    (negative) class today. yesterday.

    Have got to I have got to go to class (I had to go to class


    (1) necessity
    today. yesterday.)

    Can I could run fast when I was a


    (1) ability/possibility I can run fast.
    child, but now I can’t.

    You can use my car


    (2) informal permission
    tomorrow.

    (3) informal polite


    Can I borrow your pen?
    request

    (4) impossibility/ That can’t be true!


    prohibition (negative That can’t have been true!
    only) - The camera can be
    allowed here.
    - permission

    Could I could run fast when I was a


    (1) pass ability
    child.

    Could I borrow your pen?


    (2) polite request
    Could you help me?

    - I need help in math.


    You could have talked to your
    (3) suggestion You could talk to your teacher.
    teacher.

    (4) less than 50% - Where’s John?


    He could have been at home.
    certainty He could be at home.

    (5) impossibility
    That couldn’t be true! That couldn’t have been true!
    (negative only)

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