EXPLORE DREAM DISCOVER: August 2013

Modal and Modal Phrases (Semi-Modals)

A modal is a type of auxiliary (helping) verb that is used to express: ability, possibility, permission or obligation. Modal phrases (or semi-modals) are used to express the same things as modals, but are a combination of auxiliary verbs and the preposition to. The modals and semi-modals in English are:

Can/could/be able to
May/might
Shall/should
Must/have to
Will/would

Can, Could, Be Able To

Can, could and be able to are used to express a variety of ideas in English:

Ability/Lack of Ability

Present and Future:

can/can’t + base form of the verb

Tom can write poetry very well.
I can help you with that next week.
Lisa can’t speak French.

am / is / are / will be + able to + base form of the verb
am not/ isn’t / aren’t/ won’t be + able to + base form of the verb

Mike is able to solve complicated math equations
The support team will be able to help you in about ten minutes.
I won’t be able to visit you next summer.

Past:

could / couldn’t + base form of the verb

When I was a child I could climb trees.

was / were + able to + base form of the verb
wasn’t / weren’t + able to + base form of the verb
hasn’t / haven’t + been able to + base form of the verb

I wasn’t able to visit her in the hospital.
He hasn’t been able to get in touch with the client yet.

Note: Can and could do not take an infinitive (to verb) and do not take the future auxiliary will.

Incorrect: I can to help you this afternoon.
Correct: I can help you this afternoon.
Correct: I will (I’ll) be able to help you this afternoon.

Possibility / Impossibility

can / can’t + base form of the verb

You can catch that train at 10:43.
He can’t see you right now. He’s in surgery.

could + base form of the verb

I could fly via Amsterdam if I leave the day before.

Ask Permission / Give Permission

Can + Subject + base form of the verb (informal)

Can you lend me ten dollars?

Can + base form of the verb (informal)

You can borrow my car.

Could + subject + base form of the verb (polite)

Could I have your number?
Could I talk to your supervisor please?

Make a suggestion – To make a suggestion use:

Could + base form of the verb (informal)

You could take the tour of the castle tomorrow.

Exercises: Can, Could, Be able to

Fill in the correct form of can, could or be able to as in the examples.

Ben could not help his little brother with his homework yesterday.
Can I call you later tonight?

_______ Tony run long distances when he was a boy?
______ you please call a tow truck for me? My car broke down. (polite)
The students _______ to buy their textbooks today. The bookstore is all out of them.
______ you teach me how to fix my computer? You’re so good at it.
______ you ______ reach the customer if you call him at 4:00 his time?

Answers:

Could
Could
aren’t able
Can
Will/be able to

May, Might

Formal Permission / Formal Prohibition

may / may not + base form of the verb

You may start your exam now.
You may not wear sandals to work.

Polite Request

May + subject + base form of the verb

May I help you?

Possibility / Negative Possibility

may/ might + base form of the verb

We may go out dinner tonight. Do you want to join us?
Our company might get the order if the client agrees to the price.

may not / might not + base form of the verb

Adam and Sue may not buy that house. It’s very expensive.
They might not buy a house at all.

To Make a Suggestion (when there is no better alternative)

may as well / might as well + base form of the verb

You may as well come inside. John will be home soon.
We might as well take Friday off. There’s no work to be done anyway.

Polite Suggestion

might + base form of the verb

You might like to try the salmon fillet. It’s our special today.

Exercises: May / Might

Fill in the correct form of may or might as in the example.

May I sit here?

They ______ finish the project on time. The main engineer is ill.
You _____ want to stop by the museum gift shop on your way out.
_____ I have your autograph?
He _______ visit the Louvre. He’s in Paris anyway.
You ______ park your car here. It’s reserved for guests of the hotel only.

Answers:

might not
might
May
may as well
may not

Shall, Should, Ought to

To Offer of Assistance or Polite Suggestion (When you are quite sure of a positive answer)

Shall + subject + base form of the verb

Shall we go for a walk?

Note: Shall is only used with I or we. It is used instead of will only in formal English.

To Offer of Assistance or Polite Suggestion (When you are not sure of a positive answer)

Should + subject + base form of the verb

Should I call a doctor?

A Prediction or Expectation that Something Will Happen

should/shouldn’t + base form of the verb

The proposal should be finished on time.
I shouldn’t be late. The train usually arrives on time.

To Give Advice

should / ought to + base form of the verb

You should check that document before you send it out.
You ought to have your car serviced before the winter.

To Give Advice (about something you think wrong or unacceptable)

shouldn’t + base form of the verb

James shouldn’t teach him words like those.

Exercises: Should, Shouldn’t, Ought To

Fill in should, shouldn’t or ought in the following sentences as in the example.

He shouldn’t encourage such bad behavior.

You _____ get your teeth cleaned at least once a year.
The house ______ be ready to move into by next month. It’s almost finished.
Ron ________ to improve his attitude. If he doesn’t, he might get fired.
________ I get your jacket? It’s cold in here.
You ________ put your feet on the table. It’s not polite.

Answers:

should
should
ought
shall
shouldn’t

Must, Have to, Need to, Don’t have to, Needn’t

Necessity or Requirement

Present and Future:

must / have to / need to + base form of the verb

You must have a passport to cross the border.
Elisabeth has to apply for her visa by March 10th.
I need to drop by his room to pick up a book.

Past:

had to / needed to + base form of the verb

I had to work late last night.
I needed to drink a few cups of coffee in order to stay awake.

Note: have to and need to are often used in the same context, but many times, need to is used to express something that is less urgent, something in which you have a choice.

Almost 100% Certain

must + base form of the verb

Thomas has lived in Paris for years. His French must be very good.

To Persuade

must / have to + base form of the verb

You must try this wine. It’s excellent.
You have to visit us while you’re in town.

Prohibited or Forbidden

must not / mustn’t + base form of the verb

You must not drive over the speed limit.
You mustn’t leave medicines where children can get to them.

Lack of Necessity

don’t /doesn’t /didn’t + have to + base form of the verb

You don’t have to park the car. The hotel valet will do it for you.
Tim doesn’t have to go to school today. It’s a holiday.
You didn’t have to shout. Everyone could hear you.

needn’t + base form of the verb

You needn’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.

Exercises: Must, Have to, Need to, Don’t Have to, Needn’t

Fill in the blanks with one of these modals:
must, must not, have to, has to, don’t have to, doesn’t have to, needn’t as in the examples.
There may be more than one correct answer.

Shira doesn’t have to drive to the airport. She’s going by taxi.
You must speak politely to the customers.

You ______ tell Anna about the party tomorrow night. It’s a surprise! (must not, need to, doesn’t have to)
Tina _______ register for her classes on Monday, otherwise she won’t get a place in them. (doesn’t have to, mustn’t, has to)
You ________ send that fax. I’ve already sent it. (must, will have to, don’t have to)
A dog ______ get special training in order to be a guide dog. (must, need to, don’t have to)
Jeremy _______ get up early tomorrow. His class was cancelled. (mustn’t, doesn’t have to, don’t need to)

Answers:

must not
has to
don’t have to
must
doesn’t have to

Modals: Will / Would

will / won’t + base form of the verb

John will pick you up at 7:00am.
Beth won’t be happy with the results of the exam.

Polite Request or Statement

Will / Would + base form of the verb

Will you please take the trash out?
Would you mind if I sat here?
I’d (I would) like to sign up for your workshop.

Habitual Past Action

Would/Wouldn’t + base form of the verb

When I was a child, I would spend hours playing with my train set.
Peter wouldn’t eat broccoli when he was a kid. He loves it now.

Exercises: will, would

Fill in the blanks with one of the following words: will, won’t, would, wouldn’t.

Will you please help me lift this box?

I ______ like to order the onion soup please.
The manager _______ be pleased to hear that a customer slipped on the wet floor.
_______ it be okay if I slept here tonight?
When Igor lived in Russia, he ________ call his mother as often as he does now.
I can assure you sir, the order ______ be shipped out tonight.

Answers:

would
won’t
would
wouldn’t
will

Exercises – All Modals

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the following modals:
can, could, be able to, may, might, shall, should, must, have to, don’t have to, need to
– You may have to make the modals negative according to the context of the sentence.
– There may be more than one possibility.

He has to take his car to be serviced. The brakes are squeaking.
Would you please save me a seat at the dinner event.

If you are sick, you ________ go to work. You’ll infect everyone there.
Drivers _______ stop at red lights.
You _______ finish the proposal today. You can finish it tomorrow.
She ______ hear much better with her new hearing aids.
______ I order us a bottle of wine?
Sam ______ pick his daughter up from school. She’s taking the bus home.
You _____________ smoke here. It’s a smoke-free building.
You ________ eat so many sweets. They are bad for you.
_________ you mind walking a little faster? We’re going to be late.
I’m sorry. I _______ help you. I don’t know how to do it.

Answers:

shouldn’t
must
don’t have to
can
shall
needn’t
mustn’t
shouldn’t
would
can’t

Usage of specific verbs

Can and could

The modal verb can expresses possibility in eithera dynamic, deontic or epistemic sense, that is, in terms of innate ability, permissibility, or possible circumstance. For example:

I can speak English means "I am able to speak English" or "I know how to speak English".
You can smoke here means "you may (are permitted to) smoke here" (in formal English may or might is sometimes considered more correct than can or could in these senses).
There can be strong rivalry between siblings means that such rivalry is possible.

The preterite form could is used as the past tense or conditional form of can in the above meanings (see Past forms above). It is also used to express possible circumstance: We could be in trouble here. It is preferable to use could, may or might rather than can when expressing possible circumstance in a particular situation (as opposed to the general case, as in the "rivalry" example above, where can or may is used).
Both can and could can be used to make requests: Can/could you pass me the cheese? means "Please pass me the cheese" (where could indicates greater politeness).
It is common to use can with verbs of perception such as see, hear, etc., as in I can see a tree. distinctions can be made, such as I could see it (ongoing state) vs. I saw it (event). See can see.
The use of could with the perfect infinitive expresses past ability or possibility, either in some counterfactual circumstance (I could have told him if I had seen him), or in some real circumstance where the act in question was not in fact realized: I could have told him yesterday (but in fact I didn't). The use of can with the perfect infinitive, can have..., is a rarer alternative to may have... (for the negative see below).
The negation of can is the single word cannot, only occasionally written separately as can not.^[3] Though cannot is preferred (as can not is potentially ambiguous), its irregularity (all other uncontracted verbal negations use at least two words) sometimes causes those unfamiliar with the nuances of English spelling to use the separated form. Its contracted form is can't (pronounced /kɑːnt/ in RP and some other dialects). The negation of could is the regular could not, contracted to couldn't.
The negative forms reverse the meaning of the modal (to express inability, impermissibility or impossibliity). This differs from the case with may or might used to express possibility: it can't be true has a different meaning than it may not be true. Thus can't (or cannot) is often used to express disbelief in the possibility of something, as must expresses belief in the certainty of something. When the circumstance in question refers to the past, the form with the perfect infinitive is used: he can't (cannot) have done it means "I believe it impossible that he did it" (compare he must have done it).
Occasionally not is applied to the infinitive rather than to the modal (stress would then be applied to make the meaning clear): I could not do that, but I'm going to do it anyway.

May and might

The verb may expresses possibility in either an epistemic or deontic sense, that is, in terms of possible circumstance or permissibility. For example:

The mouse may be dead means that it is possible that the mouse is dead.
You may leave the room means that the listener is permitted to leave the room.

In expressing possible circumstance, may can have future as well as present reference (he may arrive means that it is possible that he will arrive; I may go to the mall means that I am considering going to the mall).
The preterite form might is used as a synonym for may when expressing possible circumstance (as can could – see above). It is sometimes said that might and could express a greater degree of doubt than may. For uses of might in conditional sentences, and as a past equivalent to may in such contexts as indirect speech, see Past forms above.
May (or might) can also express irrelevance in spite of certain or likely truth: He may be taller than I am, but he is certainly not stronger could mean "While it is (or may be) true that he is taller than I am, that does not make a difference, as he is certainly not stronger."
May can indicate presently given permission for present or future actions: You may go now. Might used in this way is milder: You might go now if you feel like it. Similarly May I use your phone? is a request for permission (might would be more hesitant or polite).P
A less common use of may is to express wishes, as in May you live long and happy (see also English subjunctive).
When used with the perfect infinitive, may have indicates uncertainty about a past circumstance, whereas might have can have that meaning, but it can also refer to possibilities that did not occur but could have in other circumstances (see also conditional sentences above).

She may have eaten the cake (the speaker does not know whether she ate cake).
She might have eaten cake (this means either the same as the above, or else means that she did not eat cake but that it was or would have been possible for her to eat cake).

Note that the above perfect forms refer to possibility, not permission (although the second sense of might have might sometimes imply permission).
The negated form of may is may not; this does not have a common contraction (mayn't is obsolete). The negation of might is might not; this is sometimes contracted to mightn't, mostly in tag questions and in other questions expressing doubt (Mightn't I come in if I took my boots off?).
The meaning of the negated form depends on the usage of the modal. When possibility is indicated, the negation effectively applies to the main verb rather than the modal: That may/might not be means "That may/might not-be", i.e. "That may fail to be true". But when permission is being expressed, the negation applies to the modal or entire verb phrase: You may not go now means "You are not permitted to go now" (except in rare cases where not and the main verb are both stressed to indicate that they go together: You may go or not go, whichever you wish).

Shall and should

Main article: Shall and will

The verb shall is used in some (particularly formal) varieties of English in place of will, indicating futurity, when the subject is first person (I shall, we shall).
With second- and third-person subjects, shall indicates an order, command or prophecy: Cinderella, you shall go to the ball! It is often used in writing laws and specifications: Those convicted of violating this law shall be imprisoned for a term of not less than three years; The electronics assembly shall be able to operate within a normal temperature range.
Shall is sometimes used in questions (in the first, or possibly third, person) to ask for advice or confirmation of a suggestion: Shall I read now?; What shall we wear?
Should is sometimes used as a first-person equivalent for would (in its conditional and "future-in-the-past" uses), in the same way that shall can replace will. Should is also used to form a replacement for the present subjunctive in some varieties of English, and also in some conditional sentences with hypothetical future reference – see English subjunctive and English conditional sentences.
Should is often used to describe an expected or recommended behavior or circumstance. It can be used to give advice or to describe normative behavior, though without such strong obligatory force as must or have to. Thus You should never lie describes a social or ethical norm. It can also express what will happen according to theory or expectations: This should work. In these uses it is equivalent to ought to.
Both shall and should can be used with the perfect infinitive (shall/should have (done)) in their role as first-person equivalents of will and would (thus to form future perfect or conditional perfect structures). Also shall have may express an order with perfect aspect (you shall have finished your duties by nine o'clock). When should is used in this way it usually expresses something which would have been expected, or normatively required, at some time in the past, but which did not in fact happen (or is not known to have happened): I should have done that yesterday ("it would have been expedient, or expected of me, to do that yesterday").
The negative forms are shall not and should not, contracted to shan't and shouldn't. The negation effectively applies to the main verb rather than the auxiliary: you should not do this implies not merely that there is no need to do it, but that there is a need not to do it.

Will and would

The modal will is often used to express futurity (The next meeting will be held on Thursday). Since this is an expression of time rather than modality, constructions with will (or sometimes shall; see above and at shall and will) are often referred to as the future tense of English, and forms like will do, will be doing, will have done and will have been doing are often called the simple future, future progressive (or future continuous), future perfect, and future perfect progressive (continuous). With first-person subjects (I, we), in varieties where shall is used for simple expression of futurity, the use of will indicates particular willingness or determination.
Future events are also sometimes referred to using the present tense (see Uses of English verb forms), or using the going to construction.
Will as a modal also has a number of different uses:^[4]^[5]

It can express habitual aspect; for example, he will make mistakes may mean that he frequently makes mistakes (here the word will is usually stressed somewhat, and often expresses annoyance).
It can express strong probability with present time reference, as in That will be John at the door.
It can be used to give an order, as in You will do it right now.

The preterite form would is used in some conditional sentences, and as a past form of future will as described above under Past forms. (It is sometimes replaced by should in the first person in the same way that will is replaced by shall.) Other uses of would include:

Expression of politeness, as in I would like... (for "I want") and Would you (be so kind as to) do this? (for "Please do this").
Expression of habitual aspect in past time, as in Back then, I would eat early and would walk to school.^[6]^[7]

Both will and would can be used with the perfect infinitive (will have, would have), either to form the future perfect and conditional perfect forms already referred to, or to express perfect aspect in their other meanings (e.g. there will have been an arrest order, expressing strong probability).
The negated forms are will not (contracted to won't) and would not (contracted to wouldn't). In the modal meanings of will the negation is effectively applied to the main verb phrase and not to the modality (e.g. when expressing an order, you will not do it expresses an order not to do it, rather than just the absence of an order to do it). For contracted forms of will and would themselves, see Contractions and reduced pronunciation above.

Must

The modal must expresses obligation or necessity: You must use this form; We must try to escape. It can also express a confident assumption (the epistemic rather than deontic use), such as in It must be here somewhere.
An alternative to must is the expression have to (in the present tense sometimes have got to), which is often more idiomatic in informal English when referring to obligation. This also provides other forms in which must is defective (see Replacements for defective forms above) and enables simple negation (see below).
When used with the perfect infinitive (i.e. with have and the past participle), must expresses only assumption: Sue must have left means that the speaker confidently assumes that Sue has left. To express obligation or necessity in the past, had to or some other synonym must be used.
The formal negation of must is must not (contracted to mustn't). However the negation effectively applies to the main verb, not the modality: You must not do this means that you are required not to do it, not just that you are not required to do it. To express the lack of requirement or obligation, the negative of have to or need (see below) can be used: You don't have to do it; You needn't do it.
The above negative forms are not usually used in the sense of confident assumption; here it is common to use can't to express confidence that something is not the case (as in It can't be here or, with the perfect, Sue can't have left).
Mustn't can nonetheless be used as a simple negative of must in tag questions and other questions expressing doubt: We must do it, mustn't we? Mustn't he be in the operating room by this stage?

Ought to and had better

Ought is used with meanings similar to those of should expressing expectation or requirement. The principal grammatical difference is that ought is used with the to-infinitive rather than the bare infinitive, hence we should go is equivalent to we ought to go. Because of this difference of syntax, ought is sometimes excluded from the class of modal verbs, or is classed as a semimodal.
The reduced pronunciation of ought to (see Contractions and reduced pronunciation above) is sometimes given the eye dialect spelling oughta.
Ought can be used with perfect infinitives in the same way as should (but again with the insertion of to): you ought to have done that earlier.
The negated form is ought not or oughtn't, equivalent in meaning to shouldn't (but again used with to).
The expression had better has similar meaning to should and ought when expressing recommended or expedient behavior: I had better get down to work (it can also be used to give instructions with the implication of a threat: you had better give me the money or else). The had of this expression is similar to a modal: it governs the bare infinitive, it is defective in that it is not replaceable by any other form of the verb have, and it behaves syntactically as an auxiliary verb. For this reason the expression had better, considered as a kind of compound verb, is sometimes classed along with the modals or as a semimodal.
The had of had better can be contracted to 'd, or in some informal usage (especially American) can be omitted. The expression can be used with a perfect infinitive: you'd better have finished that report by tomorrow. There is a negative form hadn't better, used mainly in questions: Hadn't we better start now? It is more common for the infinitive to be negated by means of not after better: You'd better not do that (meaning that you are strongly advised not to do that).

Dare and need

The verbs dare and need can be used both as modals and as ordinary conjugated (non-modal) verbs. As non-modal verbs they can take a to-infinitive as their complement (I dared to answer her; He needs to clean that), although dare may also take a bare infinitive (He didn't dare go). In their uses as modals they govern a bare infinitive, and are usually restricted to questions and negative sentences.
Examples of the modal use of dare, followed by equivalents using non-modal dare where appropriate:

Dare he do it? ("Does he dare to do it?")
I daren't (or dare not) try ("I don't dare to try")
How dare you!; How dare he! (idiomatic expressions of outrage)
I dare say (another idiomatic expression, here exceptionally without negation or question syntax)

The modal use of need is close in meaning to must expressing necessity or obligation. The negated form need not (needn't) differs in meaning from must not, however; it expresses lack of necessity, whereas must not expresses prohibition. Examples:

Need I continue? ("Do I need to continue? Must I continue?")
You needn't water the grass ("You don't have to water the grass"; compare the different meaning of You mustn't water...)

Modal need can also be used with the perfect infinitive: Need I have done that? It is most commonly used here in the negative, to denote that something that was done was (from the present perspective) not in fact necessary: You needn't have left that tip.

Used to

The verbal expression used to expresses past states or past habitual actions, usually with the implication that they are no longer so. It is followed by the infinitive (that is, the full expression consists of the verb used plus the to-infinitive). Thus the statement I used to go to college means that the speaker formerly habitually went to college, and normally implies that this is no longer the case.
Used to may be classed among the modals or semimodals on the ground that it is invariant and defective in form like the other modals, and can follow auxiliary-verb syntax: it is possible to form questions like Used he to come here? and negatives like He used not (rarely usedn't) to come here. More common, however, (though not the most formal style) is the syntax that treats used as a past tense of an ordinary verb, and forms questions and negatives using did: Did he use to come here? He didn't use to come here.
Note the difference in pronunciation between the ordinary verb use /juːz/ and its past form used /juːzd/ (as in scissors are used to cut paper), and the verb forms described here: /juːst/ and (when supported by did) /juːs/.
The verbal use of used to should not be confused with the adjectival use of the same expression, meaning "familiar with", as in I am used to this, we must get used to the cold. When the adjectival form is followed by a verb, the gerund is used: I am used to going to college in the mornings. (The pronunciation of the adjectival used in this expression is also /juːst/.)

I used to could jump just like a deer,

But now I need a new landing gear.

I used to could jump a picket fence,

But now I'm lucky if I jump an inch.^[10]

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Modal Verbs

Usage of specific verbs

Can and could

May and might

Shall and should

Will and would

Must

Ought to and had better

Dare and need

Used to

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