UNIT 7C LEARN A

LANGUAGE IN
MONTH:
GRAMMAR: THE MODAL VERB MUST AND ITS EQUIVALENTS (HAVE TO).
TRAINING GRAMMAR EXERCISES.
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 give
additional information about the function of the main verb that follows it. They
have a great variety of communicative functions.
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 allow speakers to express certainty, possibility,
willingness, obligation, necessity, ability
MODAL VERBS OF OBLIGATION

 The main verbs of obligation are:

 MUST HAVE TO SHOULD
+ You must stop here. (obligation)
+ I have to stop here. (obligation)
-They mustn’t smoke. (prohibition)
- He doesn’t have to work on Saturdays. (no obligation)
+ You should do more exercise. (weak {débil} obligation)
- She shouldn’t work so hard. (weak prohibition)
 MUST

 Remember these things about must:

 1. use the infinitive WITHOUT “to” after must
 I must to take the car to the mechanic.

 2. There is no 3rd person “s” with must

 He/she musts leave now.

 3. There is no past of must – use had to...

 Yesterday I must had to finish the report.

 4. The negative form is a prohibition

 You mustn’t take photographs here.
 HAVE TO
 Remember these things about HAVE TO:
 1. Use the infinitive after have to
 We have to wear long trousers.

 2. The negative means there is no obligation

 We don’t have to pay to enter. (it’s not necessary)

 3. There is a 3rd person form

 He has to work on Saturdays.

 4. You can refer to the past or the future by changing the verb tense.
 Yesterday, we had to walk, the car didn’t start. = the past
 Tomorrow, we will have to walk, the car isn’t working. = the future
SHOULD

 Remember these things about should:

 Should is used for weak (debil) obligation. It is used to say something is a good idea or a
bad idea e.g.
 I should do more exercise. (good idea)
 He shouldn’t smoke so much. (bad idea)
 We shouldn’t be late. (bad idea)
 Should we turn left or right?

 It is similar to must. There is no to after should and there is no 3rd person.

OTHER VERBS THAT YOU CAN USE

• Allowed to – this means to permit. It is often used with the verb to be and is
considered quite formal.
• Members of the public are not allowed in here.

• Can – Used mainly for ability but also for permission and prohibition.
• You can smoke in here. You can’t touch anything
CAN – COULD –BE ABLE TO

We use these modals to express:

• General ability/ disability
• possibility / impossibility
• opportunity
• Permission
• request
CAN COULD

In the past, can changes to could.

He could speak only Hebrew when

he was a kid. He couldn’t speak to
his neighbor who speaks only English.
(General ability)

Practice time-can/could
 MAY

• I may choose to wear the red dress to the party.

=I have two dresses. There is a chance that I will choose to wear the red dress and
not the blue one.

• Today, he may come on time.

=Although usually he comes late,
There is a possibility that today he will come on time.
 MAY

• May I come to visit you at 5 o’clock?

=I want to come to you but I’m not sure that you want me to come/that you will be
at home/that you will let me enter .

• You may take only one candy.

=Although there are more candies, I permit you to take only one of them!
• If you want to be a champion you should practice every day.
=You don’t have to practice but then, you will
not get better.

• When you make a cheese cake, you should first check that you have cheese.
-or else, it will not be a cheese cake
MUST - MUSTN’T

Must – very strong advice/ obligation

Mustn't – things you're not allowed to do.
• She is sick. She has high fever. She must take a pill.
= very strong advice/ obligation

• You mustn’t ride your bike without a helmet!

= you're not allowed to do.(‫)אסור‬