Modals 2

1.

2.

can/could
may/might
must/have to/had to
ought to
shall/should
will/would

3.

• Don’t take -s, -ing, -ed
affixes;
• are followed by bare
infinitive;
• come before the subject in
questions and are followed by
not in negations;
• don’t have tenses in the
normal sense.

4.

Obligation/duty/necessity
•must
•If the pain persists I must see a doctor.
•have to
• The doctor says we have to give some medicine to our
cat.
•had to
• I had to go to the dentist last week.
•should/ought to
•You should send this greeting card tomorrow.

5.

Absence of necessity
• Don’t have to/don’t need to/needn’t
• You don’t have to spend money.
• You don’t need to buy bread.
• You needn’t visit her.
• Didn’t have to
• You didn’t have to visit her.

6.

Permission/prohibition
• Can/may (may is more formal)
• Can/may I take your textbook?
• mustn’t/can’t
• You mustn’t/can’t drop litter here.

7.

Possibility
• Can + Infinitive
• I can cope with difficulties.
• Could/may/might
• I might be ready soon, let’s go to the cinema.
• Could/might/would + perfect
Infinitive
• I could have done this work, but I didn’t succeed.

8.

• Can
Ability/Inability
• I can speak Japanese
• Could
• I could run very fast when I was young.
• Was(n’t) able to
• I wasn’t able to see you off.
• Couldn’t
• I couldn’t walk until I was 1.5

9.

Advice
• Should
• You should do your homework to study better.
• Shall
• Shall I do this?
• Ought to
• Everyone ought to recycle.

10.

Logical
assumptions/deductions
• Must ( you are sure)
• She must be a doctor. She is wearing white clothes.
• May/might/could (it’s possible)
• The air is wet, it might rain.
• Can’t/couldn’t (it’s not possible)
• He can’t/couldn’t have done such a thing.

11.

Criticism
•Could
• You could be not so rude to your teacher.
•Should
• She should have worked harder.
•Ought to
• You ought to stop smoking.

12.

Offers/suggestions
• Would
• Would you like to have milk?
• Can
• Can I offer something else?
• Shall
• Shall I water flowers?
• Can/could
• We can/could buy something delicious.

13.

Probability
• Will (you are sure 100%)
• He will marry her next month.
• Should/ought to (not so sure)
• He ought to marry her soon.