Modal verbs in English

1) do not take -s in the third person singular;

2) have no verbals (-ing, ed);
3) have (except for can and may) only one form and no past tense;
4) are followed by the infinitive without the particle to;
5) have no auxiliary verbs (do, does, did) for the interrogatives or
negatives.
Modal
Example Usage
Verb
They can play baseball.
You can take my umbrella. Умение (Ability)
Can you make a cup of coffee for Предложение
me? (Suggestion)
CAN
You can write her a letter, if you Просьба (Request)
want. Разрешение (Permission)
The enemy could have lost three Возможность (Possibility)
ships, if only…
BE ABLE
TO
They are able to play baseball. (Ability)
Уверенность в том, что
Jerry can't be in the library now – I
CAN'T что-либо невозможно
have just seen him on the street.
(Impossibility)
She could recite long poems when Умение (Ability)
she was younger. Предложение
COULD Could you make a cup of coffee for (Suggestion)
me? Просьба (Request)
You could take my umbrella. Сомнение (Doubt)
It may be good to meet her at the Вероятность
airport. (Predictability)
MAY
May I leave earlier today? Просьба (Request)
You may go Разрешение (Permission)
It might be good to meet her at the
Вероятность (Probability)
MIGHT airport.
Упрек (Reproach)
They might change their employer.
Обязательство
Children must read books every (Obligation)
day. Уверенность в
MUST Look at the clouds – it must start правдивости
raining in a minute. (Strong Probability)
Must we start this subject? Необходимость
(Necessity)
 Parents mustn't leave their kids
MUSTN'T Запрет (Prohibition)
home alone.
Children have to read books every Обязательство
HAVE TO
day. (Obligation)
DON'T Отсутствие обязательства
HAVE TO
I don't have to come to work today.
(Absence of Obligation)
These students need to take the Обязательство (Necessity)
NEED TO exam at the end of the month.
Need I tell her about that?
Отсутствие обязательства
NEEDN'T She needn't sign this form.
(Absence of Obligation)
Мнение/ Совет
SHOULD He should see a doctor. (Opinion/Advice)
Упрек (Reproach)
OUGHT Мнение/ Совет
TO
He ought to see a doctor.
(Opinion/Advice)
DARE I dare not ask them to come. Сметь, осмеливаться
Твердое намерение в
I will jump the stream! (Я
будущем
непременно перепрыгну этот
(Instant decisions)
WILL ручей)
Приказание,
You will take a dare! (Ты примешь
долженствование
(должен принять) вызов!)
(Command)
I would close the horse. I swear! (Я Твердое намерение в
бы запер лошадь, клянусь) прошлом
WOULD That would be his mother, I think. (Instant decisions)
(Это должно быть его мать, я Предположение
думаю.) (Supposition)
Необходимость в форме
We shall close this discussion! (Мы
обещания.
обещаем прекратить это
(Promise)
SHALL обсуждение)
Запрос на получение
Shall we close up the old well? (Нам
совета
нужно засыпать старый колодец?
(Asking what to do)
I. Choose the modal verb which best suits each sentence. Explain
your choice.
1. I wonder how you (can, may, must) exist without a piano. 2. I
suppose you (ought to, must, may) thank me for what I have done for
you. 3. I (can’t, shall, shouldn’t) bear to hear her speaking in this way
to you. 4. We (may not, can’t, must not) buy tomatoes in the market
without the entire town talking about it. 5. What (may, shall, will) I
do to make you consider my request? 6. We know nothing about the
exam; they (must, should, can) have told us about it. 7. You
(shouldn’t, mustn’t, needn’t) speak so loudly; I am not deaf. 8. As he
had missed the train, he (was, had) to wait for another. 9. Who (is, will
have) to buy tickets for the museum if he is absent? 10. It was always
understood that he (was, had) to go into business. 11. He (is, has) to
get up early as his friend will be waiting for him. 12. I felt somehow I
(was, had, ought) to warn her. 13. Why (must, should) I help him; is
he little? 14. He is in trouble; you (should, ought to) have warned him.
15. I pushed the door, but it (won’t, wouldn’t) open. 16. Boys (will,
would) be boys. 17. That (can, may, will) be the postman, I expect. 18.
For a full ten minutes he (couldn’t, dared not) look at Christine. 19.
You can’t go without permission; if you do, I (will have, am, must) to
punish you. 20. (Could, must, shall) I have another cup of tea? 21. Let
me guess. You (can, must, ought to) have come from the South; you
look sun burnt. 22. I (can, may, should) say your answer was quite up
to the mark. 23. It’s clear she (should, must, may) have been wounded
by his words.
II. Fill in with the appropriate modal verb.
1. After he eats his dinner he … (permission) go out. 2. … (advice) I
take the pills before or after meals?
3. They … (absence of obligation) apologize, they’ve done nothing
wrong. 4. He came too early, so he … (obligation) to wait. 5. She …
(unwillingness) not put on her jacket, even if it is cold. 6. They …
(reproach) to have shown more respect. 7. We are free tonight, so we
… (possibility) stay up late. 8. He didn’t come back; he … (strong
probability) have caught the last train. 9. She … (impossibility) have
spent so much money on trifles. 10. I asked if I … (permission) speak
on the phone in his presence. 11. That … (predictability) be Nick
knocking at the door. 12. … (suggestion) I make sure they will leave
soon? 13. She … (probability) be grateful for your help. 14. The
children … (reproach) have behaved themselves. 15. I think that …
(possibility) be a logical deduction. 16. She … (obligation) be aware
of the detriment she has caused you. 17. She … (doubt) have ever
thought of leaving the country again.
III. Fill in with a modal verb. Explain your choice.
1. I … sleep; there’s too much noise in the room. 2. We … boil the
water before we drink it. 3. It’s already midnight. They … be sleeping
now. 4. She … be your mother. She looks very young. 5. … you quiet
down the children? Father is sleeping. 6. They … get up early
tomorrow to catch the 6.30 bus. 7. He … solve the problem; it was
very difficult. 8. She looks so unhappy. She … have failed the exam.
9. … you always be happy and lucky! 10. They … have left without
saying Good-bye. 11. … you help me with the house chores? 12.
Something … have happened. He behaves quite differently to me. 13.
They are not children any more. You … not worry so much about
them. 14. You … have mended your bicycle long ago if you want to
go riding. 15. … you hold on for a while? I’ve got good news for you.
16. The book is rather thick; she … have read it in such a short time.
17. He was very bright; he … have passed all the exams. 18. Let’s
wait for him; he … arrive soon. 19. He … read this story if he doesn’t
like it. 20. Who knows, they … like the picture. 20. They … working
in the garden; it’s not as hot as it was yesterday. 21. You … pay more
attention to your spelling. You’ve made so many mistakes. 22. He is
never absent from school. He … come in any minute. 23. Their house
was quite new. They … have demolished it. 24. We … have waited
for them; they didn’t seem very eager to join us. 25. As her head came
to the surface she … catch her breath at all. 26. I felt I … ask you
pardon for the way we all behaved. 28. She … have come long ago.
What is keeping her so late? 29. This work … be praised; it’s
valuable. 30. You … get up so early; I can cook my breakfast myself.