U2 Topics Modal Verbs

UNIT 2 TOPICS
ID5 P.A. NELLY BADILLO

1. MODAL VERBS
Modal verbs are used to express certain hypothetical conditions, such as advice,
capability, or requests (there’s a full list in the next section). They’re used alongside a
main verb to change its meaning slightly. Because they’re auxiliary verbs, they can’t
necessarily be used on their own. (A modal verb should only appear alone if it’s clear
from context what the main verb is.)
• Consider the difference between these two examples:

◦ I swim every Tuesday.
◦ I can swim every Tuesday.
TYPES OF MODAL VERBS
Likelihood
• Some things seem likely, but we don’t know for sure. In these cases, you can use the
modal verbs should and must to show probability without certainty.
◦ Her parents must be so proud.
◦ My baby brother should be asleep by now.
Possibility
• In situations when something is possible but not certain, use the modal
verbs could, may, or might.
◦ Judging by the clouds, it might rain today.
◦ She may become the youngest pro soccer player ever.
Ability
• The modal verb can shows whether or not the subject is able to do something, such
as perform an action or demonstrate an ability. Likewise, the negative
form, cannot or can’t, shows that the subject is unable to do something.
◦ She can speak three languages, but none of them well.
◦ You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.
Asking permission
• If you want to ask permission to do something, start your question with can, may,
or could. Traditionally, in more formal and polite usage, may is better for permission;
if you ask “can I go to the bathroom?” it could be misinterpreted as, “do I have the
ability to go to the bathroom?” (However, in modern usage may and can are both
perfectly acceptable options when describing possibility or permission.)
◦ May I leave early today?
◦ Could I play too?
Request
• Similarly, if you want to ask someone else to do something, start your question
with will, would, can, or could.
◦ Would you get that box off the top shelf?
◦ Will you turn that music down?
Suggestion/advice
• What if you want to recommend something, but not command it? If you’re giving
suggestions or advice without ordering someone around, you can use the modal
verb should.
◦ You should try the lasagna.
◦ That guy should wear less cologne.
Command
• On the other hand, if you want to command someone, use the modal
verbs must, have to, or need to.
◦ You must wash your hands before cooking.
◦ You need to be here before 8:00.
Obligation or necessity
• Modal verbs can express a necessary action, such as an obligation, duty, or
requirement. Likewise, the negative form expresses that an action is not necessary.
Use the same modal verbs as with commands: must, have to, or need to.
◦ We have to wait for our boss to arrive before we open.
◦ You don’t need to come if you don’t want to.
Had to/ Didn’t have to  It’s necessary/ It’s no necesarry
She had to stay last night. She had a stomach ache.
I didn’t have to go to the doctor’s yesterday. My cough was much better.
Was /Were able to Specific ability in the past

I was able to win the race last Sunday.
Be allowed to/ Not be allowed to Have permission or not to do something.
We were allowed to open the book during the test.
I am allowed to use my cellphone in class.
Habit
• To show an ongoing or habitual action—something the subject does regularly—you
can use the modal verb would for the past tense and will for the present and future.
The phrase used to is also acceptable if you’re talking about a habit that no longer
exists.
◦ When I lived alone, I would fall asleep with music.
◦ I will arrive early and leave late to every meeting.
HOW TO USE MODAL VERBS
For basic sentences—the simple present tense—just remember these rules:
• Modal verbs always come directly before the main verb (except for questions).
• With modal verbs, use the infinitive form of the main verb without “to”.
◦ So, if you want to brag about your ability to eat an entire pizza, you take the infinitive
form of “eat” without “to”—which is simply “eat”—and add the modal verb “can” in front
of it. The rest of the sentence continues as normal.
◦ I can eat an entire pizza.
◦ For questions, you still use the infinitive form of the main verb, but the order is a little
different:
◦ [modal verb] + [subject] + [main verb]
◦ So let’s rephrase the example above as a question:
◦ Can you eat an entire pizza?
◦ Because modal verbs largely deal with general situations or hypotheticals that haven’t
actually happened, most of them are in the present tenses. However, some of them
can be used in different verb tenses,
PRESENT TENSES
Present continuous
◦ After the modal verb, use the word be followed by the –ing form of the main verb.
◦ [modal verb] + be + [verb in -ing form]
◦ I should be going.
Present perfect continuous

◦ You can add a modal verb before a verb in the present perfect continuous tense
without changing much. However, when using a modal verb, you must always use
“have,” never “had,” even if the subject is third-person.
◦ [modal verb] + have been + [verb in -ing form]
◦ She must have been sleeping.
PAST & PERFECT TENSES
◦ For starters, two modal verbs in particular have a simple past tense: can and will. If
you want to use either of those in any of the past tenses, you must first conjugate
them into their past-tense form:
• can -> could
• will -> would
◦ All the others remain the same, although some can’t be used in the past at all. Modal
verbs often deal with hypotheticals, but if an action already happened in the past, it
can’t be hypothetical. These are mostly for speculating about the past, such as
wondering “what if . . .”
◦ None of the modal verbs can be used in the past perfect or past perfect
continuous.
Simple past
◦ Of the main modal verbs listed at the top, only can and will can be used in the simple
past. Have to and need to can also be used, as long as they’re conjugated
accordingly as had to and needed to. Other modal verbs use the present perfect to
discuss events in the past.
◦ Can and will use their past tense form plus the infinitive form of the main verb without
“to,” just like in the present.
◦ could/would + [verb in infinitive]

◦ I could do a handstand when I was a kid.
◦ During exam season in college, I would not sleep much.
Past continuous
◦ Again, only can and will can be used in the past continuous. It’s formed just like the
present continuous, except with the past form of the modal verb.
◦ could/would + be + [verb in -ing form]

◦ I could be working right now.
Present perfect
◦ Instead of using the infinitive form of the main verb, just use the present perfect form,
which is “have” plus the past participle. As before, you must always use “have,” even
if the subject is third-person.
◦ If you’re using can, be sure to use its past tense form of could.
◦ [modal verb] + have + [past participle]
◦ I might have gone to the party, but I forgot.

FUTURE TENSES
The truth is that most of the future tenses already use modal verbs because they use
“will.” If you want to use different modal verb, such as “can” or “should,” you can use it
normally with the infinitive form of the verb, and without will.
◦ I can hang out tomorrow.

◦ Should I major in law next year?

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UNIT 2 TOPICS

ID5 P.A. NELLY BADILLO

• Consider the difference between these two examples:

Was /Were able to Specific ability in the past

◦ [modal verb] + [subject] + [main verb]

◦ So let’s rephrase the example above as a question:

◦ Can you eat an entire pizza?

Present perfect continuous

◦ could/would + [verb in infinitive]

◦ could/would + be + [verb in -ing form]

◦ If you’re using can, be sure to use its past tense form of could.

◦ [modal verb] + have + [past participle]

◦ I might have gone to the party, but I forgot.

◦ I can hang out tomorrow.

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