modal verbs
- can - could - may - must - will -
would - shall - should - ought to - need -
What are they?
Modal verbs are auxiliary verbs that give information about:
ABILITY POSSIBILITY NECESSITY OBLIGATION
To talk about ABILITY the most common are:
PAST
PRESENT could (not for
specific PERFECT FUTURE
can, can´t, occasion), be able to, be able to,
be able to, couldn´t, be manage to manage to
manage to able to,
manage to
we also use CAN to
mean SOMETIMES
or to ask for and give
PERMISSION.
“People can do funny things” - people sometimes do
funny things.
“Can I borrow the car today?”
To talk about POSSIBILITY we have on mind that:
The modal verb will depend on the strength of the evidence:
according on how the EVIDENCE, information or belief is probably true.
if it is very likely must
if it is just possible might, may, could, may not, might
not
very unlikely can´t, couldn´t
PAST
PRESENT modal aux + FUTURE
modal aux + have + modal aux +
infinitive or participle or infinitive or
be -ing have been + be + -ing
-ing
In written texts, modals “soften” the message to show an
opinion rather than proven facts. In this way, modals
express POSSIBILITY and OPINIONS.
Example: People is unkind about their colleagues but it is because they are feeling insecure at work.
People can be unkind about their colleagues but it may simply be because they are feeling insecure at work.
Some alternatives to modals are certainly, probably,
possibly, perhaps, maybe to express ability, probability and
possibility
Structure: it + be + alternative
Example: It is possible that the train will be late.
OBLIGATION AND NECESSITY
MUST (MUSTN´T) HAVE TO/ HAVE GOT TO NEED
When the obligation comes When there is an When there is an
from the speaker. institutional rule or law. institutional rule or law.
Usually used on signs, More common in spoken
notices and printed English than “must.”
information.
For obligation and necessity For obligation and necessity For obligation and necessity
in present tense. in present tense/Also with in present tense/Also with
past and future tenses. past and future tenses.
NO OBLIGATION
NOT HAVE TO NOT NEED TO NEEDN´T
past tense: didn´t have to past tense: didn´t need to past tense: needn´t have +
participle
Future Time: I hope I won´t have John picked me up from the
to work late tonight. station so I didn´t need to get a I needn´t have got a taxi
taxi home. because John´s flat wasn´t far
from the station.
It is more common for future Usually for future time but Usually for past tenses.
time. also for past tense.
SUGGESTIONS AND ADVICE
We can use should (n´t) and ought (not) to,
and for strong advice we use must
ADVERBS
Adverbs like also, always, never, sometimes, just and only come after modal verbs.
To add more emphasis we can use really before the verb.
FORMAL WRITTEN
Modal verbs of obligation, necessity and suggestion are common in formal and academic writing
when giving opinions.
