Predmet:

MATURSKI RAD IZ ENGLESKOG

JEZIKA
Tema:

MODALNI GLAGOLI

Maturant: Mentor:

Contents:

-Introductory notes..................................................................................3

-Ability or potential: Can,could,be able to............................................4,5

-Advice, obligation and prohibition.......................................................5,6

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-Possibility, speculation and deduction.............................................6,7,8

-Asking for and giving/ refusing permission..........................................8,9

-Obligation and necessity (absence of obligation and necessity)..9,10,11

-Prohibition and criticism..................................................................11,12

-Recommendation and advice...............................................................12

-Past modals......................................................................................12,13

-Reference books...................................................................................14

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Introductory notes:
There are twelve modal auxiliary verbs in English language. They are used to
express concepts relating to recommendation,obligation,necessity and
prohibition;permission and refusal; possibility,expectation,probability and
cerainty; promise and intention; ability and willingness.

They are given as four paired forms:

can,could;may,might;shall,should;will,would, and four single forms:
must,ought,need,dare. Need can also be a regular, non auxiliary, verb.

The main differences between modal and regular verbs are:

a) Negative sentences are formed by adding not after the modal

verb;
b) Interrogative sentences are formed by inverting the subject and
the modal verb;
c) There is no –s ending in the third person singular in the present
tense, as there is with regular verbs (he wants,likes,etc.);
d) The modal verbs are followed by the infinitive of a verb with-out
to (except in the case of ought).

Modal verbs are used when we are talking about thing that we expect to happen ,
or that events are possible. They also express events that we think are
improbable, impossible,necessary,or when we say that things did not happen, or
that we are not sure that they will happen.The modal verbs (including dare and
need) have no infinitive

form, and no participle form,so they need more or less synonymous expressions
that have a wider range of forms(be able to, or have to).

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Ability or potential: can,could, be able to:
The verbs can,could are the most common and most used in English language.
They are expressing ability or potential. They remain the same for all persons:

We can jump very high. I can jump very high.

Can is used to talk about posession of ability in general, or performing an activity:

I can speak English.

I can(could) give him the money tommorow.

The negative form can’t necessarily implies non-performance of an action, and

may always be used to refer past time:

He can’t speak German fluently.

In all examples so far we could substitute a form of be able to for can or could,
but we tend to use the latter (shorter) forms where possible.

Can may be used with a future time reference, but in this case the ability is more
or less taken for granted.in cases where ability will exist only eventually,or
where depeds on some other events, we use be able with will or shall.

e.g. By that time, he will be able to learn everything.

Since can and could lack infinitiveand participle forms, we use be able where an
infinitive or a perfect form is required (be able is not used in continuous form).

Ability in the past:

When we talk about general ability in the past we use could:

e.g. I could ride a bike when i was 3 years old.

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But when we tak about one occasion, we use other expressions, like managed to
do or succeded in doing. Was/were able to can be also used.

e.g. How did you manage to start your car yesterday?

I was able to finish the test on time.

But when we use the negative couldn’t, we use it in both cases, the general ability
and one occasion:

e.g. I couldn’t read until I was 6.

He couldn’t start his car yesterday.

Whit verbs of perception like see,smell,hear,taste,feel we use could, even if it is

only one occasion.

e.g. I could smell the food from outside the house.

Advice , obligation, prohibition:

We use should or shouldn't to suggest something, to express our opinion, or our
point of view. When we use should or shouldn't we are saying that we think
something is a good or a bad idea.

e.g. I should go to the doctor.

You shouldn’t laught at him.

We often use I think when we give advice with should:

e.g. I think you should try playing basketball.

Should and ought to can also be used for giving advice about what is the right
thing to do:

e.g. You ought to smoke ciggarettes less.

We can use must for giving strong advices for ourselves:

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e.g. I really must start going to the gym.

Must is also used for making strong recommendation to others:

e.g. You must try this pizza, it’s great.

We use have to when we talk about obligations, but when we use must we often
talk about things we feel we should do:

Spot the difference:

I have to start doing some excercises, my doctor said so.

I must start doing some excercises, i gained a lot of fat.

The lack of obligations are expressed by don’t/doesn’t have to:

e.g. You don’t have to go on foot, you can take the bus.

When we are talking about neccesity we use need to. And when we are
expressing the lack of necessity we use don’t/doesn’t need to or needn’t to (often
both are possible).

e.g. You need to study more if you want better grades.-neccesity

You don’t need to go to that class tomorow.-lack of neccesity

(You needn’t go to that class tomorow.)

But when talking about general fact, we use don’t need to instead of needn’t:

e.g. You don’t need to have a lot of money, to have a happy life.

Possibility speculation and deduction:

Can is used to describe things that are generally possible.

e.g. Dogs can be dangerous.

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But in science English, may is used in the same meaning:

e.g. Lack of vitamins may lead to serious illness.

Can can not be used when we are talking about specific possibilities. For that we
use may, might and could ( it has the similar meaning as perhaps or maybe ).

e.g. That could be a reason why she got mad.

The same forms are used when we are making a deduction based on evidence or
our expirience:

e.g. I saw him yesterday driving a Ferrari. He could be a millionaire.

Well can be used after may,might and could, if we are talking about possibility
that is quite strong.

e.g. Don’t worry , he could well be the winner of the race. (he will
probably be the winner)

With wh- questions and with adverbs such as only and hardly, we use can or
could:

e.g. Who can/could that be at this timo of night?

It can/could only be Mark. He's the only one who knocks.

Can’t and couldn’t are used to express thing that are imposible and to make
negative deduction ( e.g. 1), it is also used to say that something is imposible
because we are unwilling to do it ( e.g. 2):

e.g. 1- You can’t blood out of a stone.

He couldn’t be a mechanic, he is wearing a suit at work.

e.g. 2- I couldn’t fly a plane, I am scared of height.

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When we think that something possibly can’t happen or is not the case
we use might not or may not:

e.g He may not/might not be working today, it’s his birthday.

Past:
When we talk about general possibility in the past we use could- e.g. 1 ( in
scientific English we use might-e.g.2 ):

e.g.1 In my old workplace, people could be grumpy.

e.g.2 Wealty Victorian families might keep as many as a dozen indoor

servants.

When we are talking about a specific past possibility we use could and might,it is
also used for a past ability that did not happen(e.g.2):

e.g.1-He might have stolen the purse, he needed the money.

e.g.2-I might have gone to army ,but i didn’t.

To express negative deduction about the past we use can’t/couldn’t have( e.g.1) ,
but when we aren’t sure about the situation we use may/might not have( e.g.2).

e.g.1 She can’t have killed the spider. It’s still here.

e.g.2 I must go to him. He might not feel good.

Asking for and giving/refusing permission:

Modal verbs can also be used for asking, giving or refusing permission. Modal
verbs that far being used for that purpose are can/could or may/might.

Can and can’t are used for permission that is granted (or refused ) by the person
being asked, or some kind of authority:

e.g. Can i borrow your car? Yes, you can. ( or No, you can’t. )

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When we are talking in a more formal way we us may or may not , in the same
meaning:

e.g. May i enter the class, teacher? You may not.

Could and might are used to ask for permission that is unsure:

e.g. Excuse me, could I park my car here?

For describing general ability in the past we use could /couldn’t (e.g.1) , but when
talking about a specific ability in the past we use was/were allowed to ( e.g.2 ):

e.g.1 Ten years ago you could buy breat for 15 dinars.

e.g.2 I was allowed to go early from work a few days ago.

Obligation and necessity:

In one theory we use must to give orders to others(e.g.1). In practise, it can be
used in different meanings,like a more politer forms( e.g.2 ).

e.g.1 You must do what i say, and that’s final !

e.g.2 You must try the dessert I made.

The difference in meaning between have to and must can be fine and often
depends on whether or not the speaker sees the obligation as one they are
imposing.

Must can’t be used to talk about obligation or necessity that existed before the
time of speaking ( for that we use have to).

e.g. I had to ran from him, because he was chasing me.

The negative form is must not ( mustn’t ). It is usualy used to give orders or
commands.

e.g. You mustn’t run in the house.

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Sometimes mustn’t and needn’t can be confused. Mustn’t means that it is
neccesary to do something and needn’t means that it isn’t neccesary to do
something.

e.g. We must go and visit him.

We needn’t go right now. We can go later.

Have or have got to are usualy used to talk about the commands that had already
been given. They can be confused with must, but ther are not the same.

e.g. I have to be home at 6 p.m.

How often do you have to do your home work.

Absence of obligation or necessity:

When we use need as a modal verb, it has no –s in the third person fom singular.
It also doesn’t have infinitives or particples , and no past tense. It is followed by
bare infinitive.

The opposite form is needn’t.

e.g. You needn’t come if you don’t want to.

When we use a modal form that refers to necessity, they are often used to ask
permission ( a permission not to do something ).

e.g. We needn’t get up early – we’re not working tommorow.

The difference between needn’t and mustn’t is that in needn’t there is no

obligation , and mustn’t expresses an obligation not to do something.

e.g. You needn’t look for that.- it is already found

You mustn’t look for that. – i don’t want you to look for it.

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The simple present tenses of don’t have to and don’t need to express an other
type of obligation. They express that which is habitual, or planned for the future.

e.g. I don’t have to go to your place tommorow untill ten.

Prohibition and criticism:

Must not cannot Other forms Should
not/ought not to
present Mustn’t (have) Can’t May not Shouldn’t
Is/are not allowed to Oughtn’t to
past Couldn’t Was/were not allowed Shouldn’t have
to Oughtn’t to have
future Mustn’t cannot May not Shouldn’t
Will not be allowed to Oughtn’t to

We use mustn’t to express prohibition (= an obligation not to do something):

e.g. You mustn’t brake that table. It’s very expensive.

If the prohibition is weaker, we use shouldn’t or oughtn’t to ( shouldn’t is more

likely to be used ):

e.g. You really shouldn’t/oughtn’t to act like that in public.

When we express prohibition by some kind of authority we often use different

modal verbs because mustn’t may appear too strong in these situations:

e.g. Pets aren’t allowed in this room.

To talk about a prohibition in the past we use couldn’t or wasn’t/weren’t allowed

to ( e.g.1 ) and for criticizing a past action we use shouldn’t/ought not to+ past
participle ( e.g.2 ):

e.g.1 We couldn’t get into the disco because we were too young.

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e.g.2 You shouldn’h have drank that milk. It was sour.

We use won’t be allowed or can’t to talk about a prohibition in future:

e.g. I won’t be able to keep my dog when we move to the apartment.

Recommendation and advice:

must Should Ought to Had better
present Must (not) Shoud (not) Ought(not to) Had better(not)
future Must (not) Shoud (not) Ought(not to) Had better(not

From this table we see that the present and future forms are the same.

We use must for giving strong advices and recommendations:

e.g. You really must try this cake. It’s great.

For advices that are not so strong we often use should and ought to:

e.g. They should do their homework as early as possible.

With passive sentences we use should and ought to :

e.g. The book should be read by tommorow afternoon.

When talking about a particular situation, had better ( not ) expresses the best
thing to do. It often means that something is urgent, it may be triggered by some
threat or warning.

e.g. You had better not forget your homework again.

Past modals:
We use ought to have or should have + past participle to express the thing that
was probably the right thing to do at the moment:

e.g. I got 1+ on my exam. I should have studied more.

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Might have or could have + past participle is used to complain on
somebody(e.g.1),but the negative form of this meaning is shouldn’t (e.g.2):

e.g.1 You might have helped me, when you knew i need help.

e.g.2 You shouldn’t have told him your secret.

We use needn’t have + past participle to talk about something unnecessary

happened:

e.g. It only took you half of your strenght. Why did you pull that hard?

But when we talk about something that didn’t happen and it was not necessary
we use didn’t need to+ past participle:

e.g. I didn’t go to the office because the called the meating off.

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Reference books:
B.D. Grever: Advanced English Practise, Second edition.

George Mikes: How to be an alien. Penguin Books, Middlesex, 1966.

Mark Foley/ Diana hall: Advanced Learners’ grammar, Longman, Pearson

Education, 2003.

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