4th YEAR UNIT 5 GRAMMAR
Modal verbs in the present
ADVICE
FOR ADVICE WE USE THE FOLLOWING MODAL VERBS:
SHOULD/ SHOULDN’T
OUGHT TO/OUGHT NOT TO
HAD BETTER/ HAD BETTER NOT
THEY ARE ALL FOLLOWED BY THE INFINITIVE
EXAMPLES:
You should study more.
He shouldn’t go out every night.
You had better start the exercise or you won’t have time to finish before the bell.
OBLIGATION
TO EXPRESS OBLIGATION WE USE MUST & HAVE TO + INFINITIVE
EXAMPLES:
We must do our homework.
We have to go to school until we are 16.
NO OBLIGATION
TO EXPRESS ABSENCE OF OBLIGATION WE USE NOT HAVE TO + INFINITIVE
I don’t have to go to school at the weekend.
She doesn’t have to go to school because she is 17.
PROHIBITION
TO EXPRESS PROHIBITION WE USE MUSTN’T AND CAN’T + INFINITIVE
We mustn’t speak during an exam.
We can’t learn to drive because we are too young.
NECESSITY/ ABSENCE OF NECESSITY/OBLIGATION
NEED TO + INFINITIVE
NEEDN’T + INFINITIVE
I need to get up early during the week.
I needn’t get up early on a Saturday.
PERMISSION
CAN + INFINITIVE
TO BE ALLOWED TO + INFINITIVE
Can I sharpen my pencil?
I’m not allowed to use my mobile phone in class.
Modal verbs in the PAST
ADVICE
FOR ADVICE WE USE THE FOLLOWING MODAL VERBS:
SHOULD/ SHOULDN’T + HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE
OUGHT TO/OUGHT NOT TO + HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE
EXAMPLES:
You should have studied for the exam.
He shouldn’t have gone out the night before the exam.
We ought to have told you we were going to arrive late
OBLIGATION/ NECESSITY
HAD TO + INFINITIVE, NEED TO + INFINITIVE
EXAMPLES:
We HAD TO ask for permission to go to the party.
We needed to ask for permission.
NO OBLIGATION
TO EXPRESS ABSENCE OF OBLIGATION WE USE DIDNT HAVE TO + INFINITIVE or
NEEDN’T HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE
I didn’t have to go to school last Monday because we had a holiday.
We needn’t have studied, because the exam was cancelled.
PROHIBITION
TO EXPRESS PROHIBITION WE USE COULDN’T + INFINITIVE
We COULDN’T speak during an exam.
We COULDN’T learn to drive until we were 17.
PERMISSION
WAS(N’T) /WERE(N’T) ALLOWED TO + INFINITIVE
We weren’t allowed to use our mobiles during the exam.
UNIT 5: MODAL VERBS FOR SPECULATION AND DEDUCTION
PRESENT PAST
SUBJECT + MODAL VERB + INFINITIVE SUBJECT + MODAL VERB + HAVE + PAST
PARTICIPLE
MAY/ MAY NOT MAY/ MAY NOT
TO EXPRESS POSSIBILITY IN THE TO EXPRESS POSSIBILITY IN THE PAST
PRESENT
HE FAILED HIS MATHS EXAM.
HE MAY NOT BE FRENCH (There is a HE MAY NOT HAVE STUDIED FOR THE EXAM.
possibility he is not French) (There’s a possibility he didn’t study for the exam.)
HE MAY BE GERMAN (There is a
possibility he is German)
COULD (only in the affirmative form) COULD (ONLY IN THE AFFIRMATIVE FORM)
TO EXPRESS POSSIBILITY IN THE TO EXPRESS POSSIBILITY IN THE PAST
PRESENT
HE DOESN’T HAVE A FRENCH ACCENT, SO HE
HE COULD BE GERMAN, BUT I’M NOT COULD HAVE BEEN BORN IN ANOTHER
SURE COUNTRY. (There’s a possibility he was born in
another country)
MIGHT/ MIGHT NOT MIGHT/ MIGHT NOT
TO EXPRESS POSSIBILITY IN THE TO EXPRESS POSSIBILITY IN THE PAST
PRESENT
HE DOESN’T HAVE A FRENCH ACCENT, SO HE
MIGHT HAVE BEEN BORN IN ANOTHER
I’M NOT SURE WHERE HE’S FROM. COUNTRY. (There’s a possibility he was born in
HE MIGHT NOT UNDERSTAND SPANISH another country)
MUST (only in the affirmative form) MUST (only in the affirmative form)
TO EXPRESS CERTAINTY IN THE TO EXPRESS CERTAINTY IN THE PAST
PRESENT
HE WAS BORN IN FRANCE, SO HE MUST HAVE
HE’S FRENCH, HE MUST KNOW THAT LEARNED FRENCH AT SCHOOL. (Everyone
PARIS IS THE CAPITAL. learns French at school in France)
CAN’T (only in the negative form) CAN’T / COULDN’T (only in the negative form)
TO EXPRESS CERTAINTY IN THE TO EXPRESS CERTAINTY IN THE PAST
PRESENT
HE CAN’T HAVE ARRIVED IN BURGOS. IT’S 10
HE CAN’T BE SCOTTISH, HE DOESN’T AM AND HIS TRAIN DOESN’T LEAVE UNTIL
SPEAK ENGLISH. (It’s impossible to be THIS AFTERNOON. (It’s impossible because his
Scottish and not speak English) train hasn’t left yet)
HE DIDN’T UNDERSTAND THE EXERCISE.
HE COULDN’T HAVE LISTENED TO THE
INSTRUCTIONS. (I’M SURE HE DIDN’T LISTEN
TO THE INSTRUCTIONS)
