MODAL VERBS

REQUEST

ABILITY

DEGREES OF CERTAINTY

SUGGESTION

MODAL

VERBS

ADVICE

OBLIGATION

Eva Verdugo

PROHIBITION

LACK OF OBLIGATION

MODALS

ABILITY

1- I CAN CAN'T PLAY THE PIANO2- I COULD COULDN'T PLAY THE PIANO WHEN I WAS 8 3- I AM ABLE TO NOT ABLE TO PLAY THE PIANO

DEGREE OF CERTAINTY

• She MUST be home, the lights are on
• She WILL be home, she has no class on Monday!
• She SHOULD / OUGHT TO be home, she is not at work
• She CAN'T /SHAN'T / SHALL NOT be home, she is with me!

COLLOQUIAL! - You HAD BETTER study! You're failing everything!!!

HAD BETTER

You SHOULD study You OUGHT TO study

SHOULD /OUGHT TO

We use SHOULD / SHOULDN'T - Should I study? - Yes, you should.

Questions

PROHIBITION

• You MUSTN'T smoke in the proximity of the school. (forbidden by law)
• You CAN'T use your phones in class. (not allowed)
• When I was young, students COULDN'T speak Catalan. (It was forbidden)
• We are not allowed to bring our phones. (they don't let us do it)

LACK OF OBLIGATION

• You needn't give me anything in return!
• You don't need to be so nasty! (lack of necessity)
• You don't have to give me any money, it's on me! (lack of obligation)

I HAVE TO be there at 6, otherwise I will go to jail. External obligation, the judge told me to do it.

HAVE TO

We NEED TO win this game to get into the final! It is a necessity.

NEED TO

I MUST arrive at 6, I told him I would be there! Internat obligation (I made the commitment)

MUST

You could try stop smoking... maybe your lungs would get better!

POLITE SUGGESTION

I shall bring you your shoes Would you like a coffee?

OFFER

Shall we go to the cinema? We can go to the cinema.

SUGGESTION

You can go to the toilet. You may leave now.

GIVE PERMISSION

Can I go to the toilet?

INFORMAL

May I go to the toilet? Could you tell me where the toilet is, please?

FORMAL

Can you sing? Could you play the piano when you were 8? Are you able to sing like an opera singer?

They must / will be at home, they always are at night. I'm totally sure. They should / ought to be at home, they always are at this time. I'm very sure (90%) They may / might / can / could be at home. It's a possibility (50%) They can't be at home, they are working at this time. That's impossible!

You should go to the doctor if you are sick. You ought to go to the doctor if you are sick. You had better go to the doctor if you are sick, or you'll make ME sick!!

You mustn't bring a bomb to school - forbidden by lawYou can't use your phone in class- not allowed We are not allowed to wear sunglasses - not allowed

You needn't / don't need to give it to me back, it was a present! You don't have to do it for homework, it is optional.

I must give him the money, I prommised it! (internal obligation) I have to go to the hospital, the doctor told me (external) We need to go, it is a necessity!!

I shall give you my shoe, yours is broken. (Offer) Would you like to have it? (offer) Shall we go now? (suggestion) You could try stop being such a rude person! (polite suggestion)

Can you stop??? (informal) Could you please stop? (formal) Would you give me the papers? (formal) May I go? (very formal)

Modal verbs have some features in common: 1. + INF Modal verbs are followed by an INFINITIVE I can swim. I can swimming. I can swam. 2. NO "s" Modal verbs don’t add “S” to the 3rd person (he, she, it). It is invariable. I can swim. He cans swim. He can swim 3. NO AUX Modal verbs don’t need auxiliaries (can – can’t) 👍🏻 I can’t swim. 👎🏻 I don’t can swim. I didn’t can swim. 👍🏻 Can you swim? 👎🏻 Do you can swim? 4. NO "to" Modal verbs don’t have “TO” before the infinitive 👍🏻 I can swim. 👎🏻 I can to swim 5. NO TENSE Modal verbs don’t have infinitive, participle, past or future (there are exceptions) ‼️ You can use a Modal Perfect.