Kornelia

Thiel

MODAL VERBS

SO-CALLED MODALS
INGREDIENTS OF THE PRESENTATION

What are modal verbs? 🧐

How can we group the modals? 🖇
When do we use them? 🤯
How do we create sentences with them? 😵
Kahoot 😃
DEFINITION OF MODAL VERBS

A modal verb is a kind of auxiliary verb

that is used to express modalities (the
states or ‘modes’ in which a thing
exists).

Note!
As auxilary verbs (help verb) they’re used
together with the main verb of the
sentence.
 Modals are different from normal verbs:
Here's a list of the modal verbs in English: 1: They don't use an 's' for the third person
can could may might singular.
2: They make questions by inversion ('she
will would must need
can go' becomes 'can she go?').
shall should ought to
3: They are followed directly by the
infinitive of another verb (without 'to').
MODAL VERBS’
TYPES
P E R M I S S I O N , R E Q U E S T, C O N F I R M AT I O N ,
P O S S I B I L I T Y, D E D U C T I O N , O F F E R , A B I L I T Y,
S U G G E S T I O N , C H O I C E , P R O H I B I T I O N , O B L I G AT I O N
• CAN - skill

– I can swim quite well.

• CAN - a request

– Can you help me?

• CAN - permission

CAN
– You can leave earlier today.

• CAN - a supposition of general events

– A trial can last for months.

• CAN’T - not allowed to

– You can’t smoke inside the building.

• CAN’T - a strong belief that something is not happening

– This can’t be the key I was looking for!

• CAN’T HAVE + III f.- a strong belief that something did not happen

– He can’t have paid so much. It’s impossible.

• COULD - skill in the past

– When I was ten I could sew, but I couldn't knit.

• COULD - supposition about a particular situation

– This could be the book I'm looking for.

• COULD - a polite request

COULD
– Could you do me a favour, please?

• COULDN'T - not allowed to in the past

– When I was a child, I couldn't stay out late.

• COULD HAVE + III f. - annoyed that someone didn't do something

– You could have informed me about the accident!

• COULD HAVE + IIIf. - assumption that something happened

– The boss could have put off the meeting.

• MAY - permission

– You may kiss the bride.

• MAY - presumption about a particular situation

– They may want to explain it again.

• MAY NOT - supposition that something is not happening

– She may not pass the exam.

MAY
• MAY HAVE + IIIf. - supposition that something has happened

– She may have left him.

• MIGHT - supposition about a particular situation

– You might be in trouble.

• MIGHT NOT - supposition that something is not happening

– Lucy might not pass her driving exam.

• MIGHT HAVE + IIIf. - annoyed that someone has not done

something MIGHT
– You might have told me about the accident.

• MIGHT HAVE + IIIf. - assumption that something happened

– He might have met her last night.

• Promise/willingness

– I'll be there for you if you need me.

• Decision

– I’ll have the chicken salad, please.

• Future certainty

– The plane will be late.

• Polite request

•
–

Prediction

–
Will you please follow me.

You will win the competition if you continue practicing.

WILL
• Ability

– The car won't start.

• Repetitive action

– He'll always stutter when he lies.

• Emphasis

– I'm trying to help you, but you won't listen!

• WOULD - typical behaviour in the past

– As a child, I would always watch Gumball.

WOULD
• MUST - an inner need

– I must exercise more. I must lose weight.

• MUST - a strong conviction that something has to happen

– John must be really hungry.

• MUSTN'T - not allowed

– You mustn't run here. MUST

• MUST HAVE + IIIf. – a strong belief that something has
happened

– He must have lived in France. His French is perfect.

• SHALL - an offer to help

– Shall I help you unpack?

SHALL
• SHOULD/OUGHT TO - an advice

– You should/ought to study harder.

• SHOULD HAVE + III f./ OUGHT TO HAVE + IIIf. - what would have
been right or sensible, but was not done

– I should have thanked her/ ought to have thanked her.

SHOULD
OUGHT TO
• NEEDN'T HAVE + IIIf. - done unnecessarily

– I needn't have watered the flowers. They were watered.

• HAVE TO - external compulsion

– You have to stop at red light.

• DIDN'T NEED TO- it wasn’t my responsibility and I didn’t do it

NEED
– I didn’t need to water the flowers because my mother did it.
HAVE TO
KAHOOT