Grammar: Modals

The course of today is modals in English. in this course, we will see the definition of modals and their forms. Also, we will cover the main communicative functions they play in English. The course will be made clear through using extensive examples for each modal. At the end of the course, we will attach some exercises to test ourselves about what has been learned.





What are modals?

▪Modals are verbs of English with a different form that has auxiliary information with the main verb in a sentence to express a function. They give additional information to the function of the main verb.

▪They are also called auxiliary verbs. They express a verity of communicative functions. Those modals are:

▪Can, could, will, would, shall, should, must, may, might

Some expressions have the role of modals: dare, ought to, had better, need not.

What are the functions the modals express?

▪Functions expressed by modals:

▪Permission

▪Ability

▪Obligation

▪Prohibition

▪Lack of necessity

▪Advice

▪Possibility

▪probability

Modal Verb	Expressing	Example
must	Strong obligation	You must stop when the traffic lights turn red.
	logical conclusion / Certainty	He must be very tired. He's been working all day long.
must not	prohibition	You must not smoke in the hospital.
can	ability	I can swim.
	permission	Can I use your phone please?
	possibility	Smoking can cause cancer.
could	ability in the past	When I was younger I could run fast.
	polite permission	Excuse me, could I just say something?
	possibility	It could rain tomorrow!
may	permission	May I use your phone please?
	possibility, probability	It may rain tomorrow!
might	polite permission	Might I suggest an idea?
	possibility, probability	I might go on holiday to Australia next year.
need not	lack of necessity/absence of obligation	I need not buy tomatoes. There are plenty of tomatoes in the fridge.
should/ought to	50 % obligation	I should / ought to see a doctor. I have a terrible headache.
	advice	You should / ought to revise your lessons
	logical conclusion	He should / ought to be very tired. He's been working all day long.
had better	advice	You 'd better revise your lessons

Exercises on the meaning of the modals:

1. May I use your mobile phone?   Asking for advice Asking for permission Making a suggestion 
2. May I help you?   Asking for advice Asking for permission Making an offer 
3. You mustn't walk on grass.   Expressing prohibition Expressing obligation Expressing lack of necessity 
4. What do you think I should do?   Asking for advice Asking for permission Making an offer 
5. Can you help me with this exercise?   Asking for advice Asking for permission Making a request 
6. I can speak Arabic.   Expressing possibility Expressing obligation Expressing ability 
7. I think you should see a doctor.   Expressing probability Giving advice Making a request 
8. You must stop when the traffic lights are red.   Expressing prohibition Expressing obligation Expressing ability 
9. You needn't take your umbrella. It isn't raining.   Expressing prohibition Expressing obligation Expressing lack of necessity 
10. You may pass the exam. It is not very difficult. You only have to work harder.

Modals: Present and past forms:

▪Present and past of modals

▪Generally speaking, the past form of modals is

modal+ have + past participle

You should have revised your lessons before the exam.

N.B. pay attention to modals expressing

▪Obligation:
Present = I must / have to work hard. -- Past = I had to work hard.

▪Ability:
Present = I can run fast. -- Past = I could run fast when I was young.

▪Lack of necessity:
Present = You don't have to / needn't take your umbrella. -- Past = You didn't have to / didn't need to take your umbrella.

	Modals in the Present	Modals in the Past
Obligation	You must / have to stop when the traffic lights are red.	You had to stop.
Advice	You should see a doctor.	You should have seen a doctor
Prohibition	You mustn't smoke here.	You mustn't have smoked there.
Ability	I can run fast.	I could run fast. now I am old.
Certainty	He has a Rolls Royce. He must be very rich. He can't be American. His English is terrible.	He must have been rich. He had a big house and an expensive car. He can't have written that poem. He was illiterate.
Permission	Can I go out?	She could drive her father's car when she was only 15.
Possibility	It may / can / could / might rain. It's cloudy.	I guess it may / can / could / might have been Lacy on the phone.
Lack of necessity	You don't have to / needn't buy any tomatoes. There are plenty in the fridge.	You didn't have to / didn't need to buy tomatoes.

Exercise:

Choose the right modal verb

1. There are plenty of tomatoes in the fridge. You   mustn't needn't may not should not  buy any.
2. It's a hospital. You   mustn't needn't may not don't have to  smoke.
3. He had been working for more than 11 hours. He   must need had better mustn't  be tired after such hard work. He   may should must had better  prefer to get some rest.
4. I   could might can must  speak Arabic fluently when I was a child and we lived in Morocco. But after we moved back to Canada, I had very little exposure to the language and forgot almost everything I knew as a child. Now, I   may can must need  just say a few things in the language.
5. The teacher said we   can needn't must should  read this book for our own pleasure as it is optional. But we   could need needn't mustn't  read it if we don't want to.
6.   May Need Must Can  you stand on your head for more than a minute? No, I   may not needn't can't  .
7. If you want to learn to speak English fluently, you   could need needn't mustn't  to work hard.
8. Take an umbrella. It   need should mustn't might  rain later.
9. You   shouldn't need needn't may not  leave small objects lying around . Such objects   must need may mustn't  be swallowed by children.
10. People   couldn't needn't mustn't may not  walk on grass.
11. Drivers   could must may  stop when the traffic lights are red.
12.   May Must Should Will  I ask a question? Yes, of course.
13. You   couldn't needn't mustn't may not   take your umbrella. It is not raining.
14.   Can Need Should May  you speak Italian? No, I   shouldn't mustn't may not can't  .

I hope this was clear to you. And if you have any questions or feedback, please write to us.