Modal verbs are used to answer two questions: How compulsory (obligatory)? How certain (probability)?
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May
Might
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Can
Could
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Will
Would
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Shall
Should
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Must
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Permission (formal)
You may go now.
Not : prohibition (formal)
Pupils may not smoke.
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Permission
You can go now.
Not: prohibition
Pupils cannot smoke.
Permission in
the past
We could stay out late.
Asking for
permission now
(I and We)
polite
Could I borrow your pen.
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Instruction (the power is with the speaker)
You will eat your soup.
Not: prohibition
You won’t go out tonight.
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Injunction (formal, rules, laws, God)
Payments shall be made at the end of the month.
Not: prohibition
You shall not kill.
Advice
You should tell him.
Not: advice
not to
You shouldn’t smoke
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Obligation
He must tell the truth.
Not: prohibition
We mustn’t drink too much.
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How Compulsary ?
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Practical possibility
It may be too late now.
Not: possible that not
I may not be on time.
Eventuality
It might be true.
Not:
eventuality that not
He might not know.
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Theoretical possibility
Children can be difficult.
Not : impossible
It can’t be true.
Weaker
possibility
There could be some room.
Not:
impossibility
He couldn’t have known.
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Prediction, reasonable deduction
It will rain tomorrow.
That’ll be my brother, he always calls at this hour.
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[prediction]
Polite suggestion
(1st person)
Shall we go?
Expectation
If I’m not mistaken, the vase should be in the
cupboard.
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Certainty
He must be there by now.
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How Certain ?
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Wishes
May the force be with you.
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Ability
I can read and write
Ability in the
past
My grandfather could play the violin.
Suggestion of
an ability
You could have tried harder.
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Willingness
He will sing in the shower.
Willingness
He would sing in the shower.
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Other
Meanings
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We have just learned about modal verbs: may, might, can, could, shall, should, will,
would and now we are going to put that
information into practice with the use of advice columns. Advice columns are a very important part of
English newspapers in both America
and England.
Read the following example of an advice column
from various sources. Try and find the
nuances of an advice column, what is the structure, how is it put together,
what is its purpose etc?
Do As We Do
I am a junior in college and have an amazing relationship with my
roommate. We hang out together all the
time, and I love him like a brother.
Trouble is, he’s really good looking, and as soon as girls see him, they
ditch me. I can be talking to a woman
all night (and getting along really well), but as soon as he appears, she loses
interest in me. I don’t think he’s doing
it intentionally, but it’s starting to get me down. What should I do?
Lost My Mojo, New Haven
Response:
Dear Lost My Mojo,
transfer! Or at least start socializing
on your own. Because when folks have
“Moves Like Jagger” as Maroon 5 has been bragging from the top of the charts,
there is little mere mortals can do to interfere with their Mick-like mojo.
You are probably right about
your pal’s good intentions. Not even the
ugliest facial-hair styles that Brad Pitt adopted over the years could mar his
sexual charisma. Some guys can’t help
it. Say: “Your appeal is putting a dent
in my love life.” He’ll understand. And even if he doesn’t, act anyway. Or your disappointment will soon turn to
resentment. You can be close without
being inseparable.
Now it’s your turn, in a group write a response
to this plea for help using the modal verbs that you have learned. Your advice can be funny or serious. At the end we will share and vote on the best
advice.
Public Speaking
I recently got great promotion at work. That's the
good news. The bad news is that I just found out that the job requires me to
deliver frequent presentations to large groups of potential clients. The idea
of speaking to a large group terrifies me. Had I known about the requirement to
speak, I might not have even tried for the job! My first major presentation is
coming up in about a month and I am already a wreck. I know that it is common
for people to have stage fright. Do you have any suggestions on how I can
overcome it?
Publically Terrified, New York
Modal Verb Exercises
Use the modal verbs
we just learned to fill in the blanks:
MAY/MIGHT CAN/COULD SHALL/SHOULD WILL/WOULD MUST
1. Ted’s flight from Amsterdam took more than
11 hours. He ___________ be exhausted
after such a long flight. He ____________prefer
to stay in tonight and get some rest.
2. Hiking the trail
to the peak ____________ be dangerous.
You ____________ research the route a little bit more before you attempt
the assent.
3. You ____________
clean up your room tonight!
4. Please make sure
to water the plants. If you don’t they
_____________ die.
5. Thou __________
not pass!
6. The event
____________ be cancelled because of the snow.
7. It is half past
seven, it _________ be too late now to go to the store.
8. He is always
studying, he ____________ get a 20/20 on the test!
9. Oh no! Frank’s wallet is on the table, he
___________ have left it here last night!
10.
In order to get a good grade you _________________
study.
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