Modal/Semimodal verbs

MODALS AND SEMI-MODALS

01

MODALS AND SEMI-MODALS DEFINITION

WHAT ARE MODAL VERBS?

They are auxiliary verbs that add meaning to the verb in a sentence by expressing possibility, necessity, obligation or permission. Modal verbs are followed by a bare infinitive (infinitive without "to") and never change their form to make different tenses (present, past or future).Ex. Mary can speak four languages.

WHAT ARE SEMI-MODAL VERBS?

Semi-modal verbs act like a modal verb but they don't follow all of the rules of modal verbs.

Most of them carry the 's in the 3rd person singular

Ex. He needs to go to the supermarket

Ex. They don't have to water the plants.

Some of them need an auxiliary verb to make negative/interrogative sentences.

Ex. We had to show our passports.

Some of them change form from present to past or future .

Some need to use "to" between the semi-modal verb and the infinitive.

Ex. She ought to go to the doctor.

MODAL VERBS

SEMI-MODAL VERBS

• CAN
• COULD
• MAY
• MIGHT
• MUST

• NEEDN'T
• WILL
• WOULD
• SHALL
• SHOULD

• TO BE ABLE TO
• HAVE TO
• NEED TO
• OUGHT TO

02

MODALS AND SEMI-MODALS USES

MODALS AND SEMI-MODALS USES OF MUST AND ITS NEGATIVE FORMS

03

MUSTN'T isn't always the negative form of MUST.MUSTN'T implies a prohibition, but MUST has other meanings apart from obligation. Here you have a summary of uses and negative forms.

04

MODALS AND SEMI-MODALS modal perfect

MODAL PERFECT

modal verb

Modal verbs don't have a past form, so in order to use them in a sentence related to the past, we need to use the MODAL PERFECTThe modal perfect form has a hypothetical meaning. Ex. He could have won the race, but he didn't run fast enough.

have

past participle

05

MODALS AND SEMI-MODALS PASSIVE VOICE

Modal verbs can also be used in the passive voice. To do it, we just need to add the verb TO BE and use the past participle of the action verb.

MODAL VERBS

The TV MIGHT BE FIXED today.

They might fix the TV today.

SEMI-MODAL VERBS

The project NEEDS TO BE FINISHED.

You need to finish the project.

MODAL PERFECT

The police COULD HAVE BEEN CALLED.

We could have called the police.

ANY QUESTIONS?

All the charts are taken from the Workbook (pages 109-111)

Gema Carretero