MODAL VERBS

(Động từ tình thái)

Mr. Ánh
 WILL và SHALL
Người Anh dùng:
- Ngôi thứ nhất + SHALL + nguyên mẫu không TO
- Các ngôi khác + WILL + nguyên mẫu không TO
Người Mỹ dùng:
- Tất cả các ngôi + WILL + nguyên mẫu không TO
*Tương lai đơn giản có thể chỉ hành động thói quen
hiện tại:
Ví dụ: When the cat is away, the mouse will play.
*SHALL WE? có thể là lời đề nghị
Ví dụ: Shall we eat out? Shall we have a drink?
-Nếu đồng ý ta dùng: Yes, let's.
-Nếu không đồng ý ta dùng: No, let's not.
* WILL và SHALL được dùng trong câu hỏi đuôi như sau:
* Will you? Làm nhẹ bớt mệnh lệnh (lên giọng)
Ví dụ: Give me a hand, will you?
Send it to me, will you?
* Won't you? Chỉ sự mời mọc (xuống giọng)
Ví dụ: Close the window, won't you?
Do sit down, won't you?
* Cũng có thể dùng Can hoặc Can't để ra lệnh:
Ví dụ: Shut up, can't you?
Sau mệnh lệnh phủ định ta dùng will you?
Ví dụ: Don't forget, will you?
* Let's chỉ ngôi thứ nhất số nhiều; Let us chỉ ngôi thứ hai
số nhiều. Câu hỏi đuôi khác nhau.
Ví dụ: Let's do it by ourselves, shall we?
Let us watch the film, will you?
* SHALL I? đề nghị xin làm điều gì đó
Ví dụ: Shall I drive? - No, I'm OK. I'll drive.
Shall I serve you? - No,we can help ourselves.
Shall I check the oil and water? - Please.
+ WILL và SHALL dùng ngược lại cách dùng của
người Anh để chỉ các ý nghĩa sau đây.
* Sự đe dọa:
Ví dụ: I will kill you. He shall beat you.
* Sự hứa hẹn:
Ví dụ: I will buy you a present.
* Sự chắc chắn:
Ví dụ: He broke the glass. The boss shall punish
him.
 HAVE TO
HAVE TO (phải) chỉ sự bắt buộc của nguyên tắc, thói quen và
ngoại cảnh.
Ví dụ: We have to keep quiet at the pagodas and temples.
* Ở dạng phủ định và nghi vấn Have To được dùng như động
từ thường.
Ví dụ: I don't have to learn at weekends.
I didn't have to work when I was ill.
Does she have to get up at 5 o'clock?
* Có thể thêm Got để chỉ sự thân mật
Ví dụ: Have you got to do it?
I haven't got to do it.
I've got to walk to work tomorrow.
 MUST
Must cũng chỉ sự bắt buộc nhưng khác với Have to ở
những điểm sau đây.
* Must chỉ sự bắt buộc của luật pháp, nội quy hoặc kỷ
luật (không tuân theo sẽ bị phạt.
Ví dụ: People must drive on the right in Vietnam.
Students must go to school on time.
*Must chỉ sự chắc chắn về hành động.
Ví dụ: She wins the lottery. She must be happy.
Must chỉ sự ép buộc ai đó làm theo yêu cầu hoặc mệnh
lệnh.
Ví dụ: You must drink as much as you can today.
* Must chỉ lời khuyên rất mạnh.
Ví dụ: You must see Othello. It is marvellous.
* Trong câu hỏi với Must và trả lời No ta phải cẩn
thận.
- Nếu thuộc về những điều cấm ta dùng Mustn't:
Ví dụ: Must we trade heroin? - No, we Mustn't.
- Nếu có ý nghĩa "không cần thiết" ta dùng
Needn't:
Ví dụ: Must we wear new clothes every day?
- No, we needn't.
 NEED
Modal verb Main verb
+ Modal verb:
Ex: He need work hard (I need work hard)
Need he work hard? (He needn’t work hard)
+ Main verb:
Ex: He needs to work. (I need to work)
S V O
He doesn’t need to work.
 When subjects are things, NEED can only play
the role of main verbs.
Ex: The door needs painting.
The door needs to be painted.
The door needs being painted.
 MAY, MIGHT
* Chỉ sự phỏng đoán về hoàn cảnh.
Ví dụ: There may be snow over high ground. We may
have beautiful weather.
I rang him but got no answer; he may/might be away.
* MIGHT là quá khứ của MAY.
Ví dụ: He said we might have beautiful weather.
*MAY chỉ sự được phép
Ví dụ: May I see your ticket?
* May dùng trong lời cầu nguyện hoặc ước muốn
Ví dụ: May God bless you.
May he pass the exam.
 CAN, COULD
* Diễn tả khả năng, năng lực.
Ví dụ: I can play the piano.
He can make furniture.
He can speak French.
*Chỉ sự yêu cầu.
Ví dụ: Can you show me some cameras please?
Can I try them on?
Can I see your passport ?
* BE ABLE TO có thể thay cho CAN, nhưng ít được sử
dụng. Tuy nhiên, ta dùng BE ABLE TO trong những
trường hợp sau đây:
1. Chỉ khả năng kéo dài từ quá khứ đến hiện tại
và có thể đến tương lai.
Ví dụ: He has been able to play football for ten
years.
How long has he been able to drive?
2. Chỉ khả năng đặc biệt xảy ra trong tình huống
đặc biệt.
Ví dụ: When the boat sank five kilometers away
from the shore, he was able to swim ashore.
 WOULD
* Would chỉ thói quen trong quá khứ, nhưng chỉ
dùng với động từ hành động và không dùng với
động từ chỉ trạng thái.
Ví dụ: When he was a child he would cry all day.
* Would là dạng quá khứ của Will dùng trong
câu điều kiện và tương lai trong quá khứ.
Ví dụ: If he were a king, he would travel all over
the world.
He said he would buy me a present.
 WOULD RATHER
Would rather có nghĩa "thích hơn" mang
tính chất lựa chọn.
Ví dụ: Between English and Chinese, I would
rather learn English.
Would rather thường đi đôi với Than.
Ví dụ: He would rather stay at home than go out.
(Đọc Would Rather cùng tác giả để biết cách chia
động từ thích hợp trong câu phức).
 USED TO
USED TO chỉ thói quen trong quá khứ, hiện nay
không còn nữa
Ví dụ: When you were a baby, you used to cry all day
and all night.
He used to work in a small border town.
You used to be the best football in England.
Chú ý: USED TO + nguyên mẫu khác với
To be/get used to something/V-ing: quen với cái gì/ làm
chuyện gì
Ví dụ: He is used to hard work.
He is used to working hard.
 * USED TO = WOULD. Ta có thể phân biệt chúng
qua bảng minh họa sau:
Công thức Sử dụng

 Verbs of He used to play the guitar.

Used to+ actions
 Verbs of He used to feel scared.
states

Would + Verbs of He would play the guitar.

actions
* Used to có thể đóng vai trò trợ động từ hoặc
động từ thường ở dạng phủ định và nghi vấn.
Ví dụ: He used to play the guitar.
He usedn't to play the guitar.
He didn't use to play the guitar.
Used he to play the guitar?
Did he use to play the guitar?
 SHOULD
* Should có nghĩa "nên, phải" để chỉ lời khuyên:
Ví dụ: You should go on a died.
You shouldn't eat too much.
* Nguyên mẫu hoàn thành nói về quá khứ (một việc
đáng làm mà đã không làm hay ngược lại)
Ví dụ: You should have taken a holiday.
You shouldn't have gone to pubs.
* Should = ought to: Tuy nhiên ought to dùng trong
trường hợp trang trọng và có nghĩa mạnh hơn.
Ví dụ: The government ought to invest more in
education.
 BE SUPPOSED TO
Be supposed to diễn tả sự mong đợi về
hành vi. Thường nó diễn tả ý tưởng người ta
mong người cụ thể nào đó làm điều gì đó. Hoặc
người ta mong đợi chuyện gì đó sẽ xảy ra theo
sự ấn định nào đó.
Ví dụ: I am supposed to go to the meeting. My
teacher told me that he wants me to attend.
The football match is supposed to begin at
3:00.
 HAD BETTER
Về ý nghĩa Had better gần nghĩa với
Should/ought to, nhưng Had better co nghĩa
mạnh hơn. Thường Had better ngụ ý khuyến
cáo, đe dọa hoặc sự lựa chọn ( tốt hơn nên).
Ví dụ: Between English and Chinese, you had
better learn the former.
( A robber to his hostage): You had better keep
silent.
Had you better make noise?
 Exercises on modal verbs
1. During the Lunar New Year 2003, Ngoc got a lot of
lucky money. She ... have been very happy.
A. must B. should C. would D. could
2. The Cambodians were very angry. The Thai film ... not
have distorted the truth of the Angkor temple.
A. must B. should C. would D. could
3. Miss Quyen won a great deal of money in a
competition. She ... have bought a car, but she did not.
A. must B. should C. would D. could
4. If Tam had driven more carefully and slowly, he ...
have avoided that traffic accident.
A. must B. should C. would D.
could
5. Hang ... not have talked to that foreigner because she
did not know any other language than Vietnamese.
A. must B. should C. would D. can
6. Mr Dong ... have immigrated to the United States with
his family, but he stayed in Vietnam.
A. must B. should C. would D.
could
7. He regretted that he ... have bought the ticket which
won the lottery after that.
A. must B. should C. would D.
could
8. The spaceship with seven spacemen ... have had
problem in the fuel tank. The investigator has not
known the true cause.
A. must B. might C. would D.
could
9. At the party yesterday Tu Loi ... not have eaten
beefsteak because she is a vegetarian.
A. must B. should C. would D. can
10. Que is living in Bangladesh. She ... not attend the
wedding party yesterday in Soc Trang.
A. must B. should C. would D. can
11. Huynh Tram ... have studied in another college
because she was an excellent student at high school.
A. must B. should C. would D. could
12. Ngoc To ... have studied in Foreign Trade college
because he was good at English and Vietnamese.
A. must B. should C. would D. could
13. A man ... have been prosecuted by law if he had
joined the Vietnamese communist party under the Saigon
government.
A. must B. should C. would D.
could
14. Ninh ... have treated her students fairly. Several
parents complained about her prejudice in teaching.
A. must B. should C. would D.
could
15. The pot was too hot for him to touch. It ... have been
heated for a long time.
A. must B. should C. would D.
could
16. That man ... not have copied the long text
because his ten fingers had been cut.
A. must B. can C. would D.
could
17. You was drunk and made trouble. You ... have
kept sober.
A. must B. should C. would D.
could
18. Huan ... have eaten curry because his mouth
stained yellow.
A. must B. should C. would D.
could
19. She knocked over the glass and stained the
carpet. She ... have been more careful.
A. must B. should C. would D.
could
20. His wife abandoned him and his children. He ...
have been very miserable.
A. must B. should C. would D.
could
21. Mr Tu Ech ... buy a house if he harvests a good
crop.
A. will B. would C. can D.
could
22. Trung regretted painting his house brown. It looks
dark. He ... a different colour.
A. must choose B. would rather
choose
C. will have chosen D. would rather have
chosen
23. Let us go to the canteen for a drink, ...?
A. will we B. Shall we C. will you D.
can you
24. You have just eaten many things . You ... angry.
A. can not feel B. will feel C. must feel D.
should feel
25. I left an apple on the table. I can’t see it now. What
happened to it?
- I don’t know. You ... it.
A. must have hidden B. might have hidden
C. should have hidden D. could have hidden
26. There ... be a test on mathematics this afternoon.
Why don’t you take some paper?
- Thank you for your reminding.
A. must B. can C. may D. will
27. Hoa has a new pair of sandals. She ... it for a very
good price.
A. was able to buy B. could buy
C. was supposed to buy D. might buy
28. We ... rather stay in the room and wait.
A. would B. had C. can
D. will
29. Since we have to travel ten kilometres in two
hours, we ... a taxi.
A. may take B. needn't take
C. are supposed to take D. had better take
30. I am very regretful now. I ... played tricks on my
teachers.
A. should not have B. could not have C. had
to D. might not have
31. He has been in London for five years. He ... move to New
York because he is working for a new company now.
A. can B. may C. has to D. could
32. Bac Lieu dandies ... extravagant. Their offspring are
broke now.
A. should not have been B. could not have
been
C. would not have been D. might not have
been
33. I ... be there at 7 P.M. for the meeting. I have arranged
everything.
A. am going to B. shall C. will D. should
34. How long have you taught English?
- I ... taught English for seventeen years so far.
A. can have B. will have C. must have D. have
35. Do you think that Thanh did not commit the crime?
- He ... that crime because he was a kind man.
A. may not have committedB. can not have
committed
C. must not have committed D. should not have
committed
36. Hoa Huong is sitting on the bench alone. She ... .
A. can study B. may be studying
C. must be studying D. should be studying.
37. Between ice-cream and candy, I think you ... eat ice-
cream.
A. would rather B. had better C. may
D. can
38. ... make me a cup of coffee?
- Not at all.
A. Why don’t you B. Must you
please
C. Would you mind D. Could you please
39. ... I pass you the soya sauce?
- Thank you.
A. Could B. Should C. May D. Can
40. Mr Ngo drove all the way from Bac Lieu to
Nha Trang. He was very tired by the time he
arrived. He ... taken a rest on the way.
A. may have B. must have
C. should have D. could have
41. Keep quiet here, ...?
A. will you B. would you C. can you
D. could you
42. Let' s stay overnight tonight, ...?
A. will you B. shall we C. will we
D. can we
43. Children ... drink chocolate than coke.
A. can B. should C. must D.
would rather
44. Have a drink, ...?
A. can you B. will you C. won’t
you D. can’t you
45. When she was a child, she ... kill a snake.
A. used to B. would C. could D.
Both A and B
46. We... not use dictionaries in the test.
A. can B. may C. must
D. shall
47. You look very fresh. You ... take a rest.
A. will B. should C.
mustn't D. can't
48. He ... be here now. The boss is waiting for
him.
A. will B. has to C. may
D. should
49. You ... take photographs in this area. They
will be very nice.
A. can B. must C. will
D. may
50. Frogs ... live in wet places.
A. used to B. are used to C. would rather
D. Both A and C
Good luck!