MODAL VERBS
A modal may have several different meanings:
He can't be in London. I've just met him. (deduction)
If you don’t do your homework, you can't go to the
cinema. (prohibition)
Similar meanings may be expressed by using
different modals:
Can I help you? (offer)
May I help you? (offer)
Modal verbs
always come first in a verb phrase
are followed by a bare infinitive (inf. without „to‟)
when used with a perfect infinitive, modal verbs
usually refer to past time
I could hear the dog barking outside. (modal + simple
bare inf.)
You must be joking. (modal + continuous bare inf.)
He may have caught the train. (modal + perfect bare
inf.)
You must have been waiting for hours. (modal +
perfect continuous bare inf.)
Modal verbs
take no -s in the third person singular
form their negative and interrogative like other
auxiliaries and not with do
do not have tenses in the normal sense
have no infinitive, -ing or past participle forms
and cannot be followed by other modal verbs
“Semi-modal” verbs
behave similarly to modal verbs
also share some characteristics with main verbs
dare, need, used to and ought to:
How dare she criticize us? (as a modal verb, the
interrogative formed without do)
He didn't dare to look back. (as a main verb, followed by
a to-infinitive and the negative formed with do)
Need you make so much noise? (as a modal verb, the
interrogative formed without do)
Do you need to use the hairdryer? (as a main verb,
followed by a to-infinitive and the interrogative formed
with do)
Modal expressions
be able to
be allowed to
be likely to
be obliged to
have to etc.
Form Meaning/Function Present/Future Past
can ability Tom can play the
piano.
criticism You can be really
annoying, you know!
offers Can I help you?
permission Can I use your
phone?
possibility Winters can be
really cold.
requests Can you lend me
$10?
can‟t deduction It's only 10 o'clock. It can't have been
He can't be at Carla you saw this
home. morning. She is away
on holiday.
prohibition I'm sorry, but you
can't stay here.
Form Meaning/Function Present/Future Past
could ability I could see him
through the window.
criticism George could really George could really
help you! have helped you!
possibility You could be right. I could have caught
the bus if I had hurried.
requests Could you tell me
where the train
station is?
general permission When I was a child, I
could do basically
anything that I wanted
to do.
asking for permission Could I have a
glass of water?
offers I could give you a
lift.
suggestions You could talk to
your parents
Form Meaning/Function Present/Future Past
couldn‟t possibility The food is delicious It was a great year,
and the staff and I couldn't have
couldn't be more been happier.
polite.
deduction It's only 10 o'clock. It couldn't have been
He couldn't be at Carla you saw this
home. morning. She is away
on holiday.
ability She couldn't speak
German then.
have to necessity, obligation You don't have to We had to start all
answer that over again.
question.
may possibility, uncertainty He may know I may have told you
Susan's telephone this before.
number.
permission May I start my
presentation?
offers May I carry your
suitcase?
Form Meaning/Function Present/Future Past
might suggestion You might just as
well order it on the
internet.
permission Might I ask you a
question?
criticism You might be more You might have told
polite. me you weren't
coming!
possibility, uncertainty I might see you I should call Anne. She
later. might not have read
my e-mail.
must deduction That child is really That dress looks
talented. His expensive. It must
parents must be have cost a fortune.
proud of him.
obligation You must keep this
secret.
mustn't prohibition You mustn't touch
that vase.
Form Meaning/Function Present/Future Past
need necessity, obligation You needn't worry We needn't have
about that. bought any milk. We
You need only just still have plenty at
ask. home.
need to necessity, obligation Do you have a I needed to have my
minute? I need to hair cut.
talk to you about We didn't need to
something. buy any milk. We had
I don't need to be plenty at home.
told that I should
lose weight.
ought to weak obligation We ought to You ought to have
protect the told me earlier.
environment.
assumption Anne ought to be
at home by now.
Form Meaning/Function Present/Future Past
shall formal rules and Visitors shall be
regulations, commands accompanied by a
security guard.
You shall not kill.
offers Shall I copy this
document for you?
suggestions Shall we give a
party sometime next
week?
should advice You should smoke
less.
surprise I'm sorry that he It's surprising that she
should feel that should have said
way. that.
criticism You shouldn't be I should have booked
sitting here just a table in advance.
doing nothing!
obligation I think you should You should have
leave. seen a doctor.
Form Meaning/Function Present/Future Past
should assumption I have never tried The plane should
setting up a website, have landed by now.
but it shouldn't be
too difficult.
suggestion Shouldn't we have
a pizza instead?
will habits A friend will always
help you.
prediction Salty water will
freeze at a lower
temperature than
pure water.
intentions (spontaneous I will always love
offers, promises, you.
decisions)
won‟t unwillingness, refusal My bank won't
allow me to make
international
transactions.
Form Meaning/Function Present/Future Past
would requests Would you open
the door for me?
annoying habits Tom would do
something like that,
wouldn't he?
habitual, repeated actions From time to time, he
would call her to ask if
she wanted to meet for
lunch.
unreal situations It would be nice to It would have been
live by the sea. wonderful to meet you
in person.
wouldn‟t unwillingness Try as I might, the door
wouldn't open.
