I. Introduction
The Modal Auxiliaries in English are :
can, could, had better, may, might, must, ought to, shall,
should, will, would
Modal Auxiliaries generally express a
speaker attitudes, or “moods”. For example,
modals can be used to express that a speaker
feels that something is necessary, advisable,
Con’t
permissible, possible, or probable; and , in addition, they can convey the strength of these attitudes.
Each modal has more than one meaning or use.
Some modals have similar expressions whose meanings are the same, such as : - be able to → can
- be going to → will
- have to → must
# General pattern of modals in a sentence.
Subject + Modal + Verb 1 + (O)
Example:
1. She can do the test easily.
2. Children must respect their parents
3. You should go to her house.
4. We may leave earlier.
Can
Uses Example in sentences
Present/future Past
-Ability
-Possibility
-I can run fast
-She can be sick
I could run fast
when I was a child, but now I can’t
Informal permission
You can use my car tomorrow
Informal polite
request Can I borrow your car?
Impossibility (negative only)
That can’t be true! That can’t have been true!
Could
Uses Example in sentences
Present/future Past
-Past ability I could run fast when I was a child
Polite request Could I borrow
your car?
Suggestion You could go to
the dentist You could go to the dentist
Less than 50%
certainty
John is not here, he could be sick
John could have been sick
Impossibility
(negative only) That couldn’t be
true! That couldn’t have
been true!
Be able to
Uses Example in sentences
Present/future Past
Ability I am able to help you.
I will be able to help you
I was able to help you
Uses Example in sentences
Present/future Past
Advisability with threat of bad result
You had better be on time, or we will leave
without you (Past for uncommon)
Had better
May
Uses
Example in sentences
Present/future Past
1. Polite
request May I borrow your pen?
-
2. Formal
permission You may leave the room
-
3. Less than 50%
certainty
John may be at the
library John may have
been at the library
Might
Uses
Example in sentences Present/future Past
1. Less than
50% certainty John might be at the
library John might have
been at the library 2. Polite
request (rare) Might I borrow your
pen?
-
Should
Uses Example in sentences
Present/future Past 1. Advisability I should study tonight I should have
studied last night 2. 90% certainty Ian should do well on
the test (future only) Ian should have
done well on the test
Uses Example in sentences
Present/future Past
1. Advisability I ought to study tonight I ought to have studied last night 2. 90% certainty Ben ought to do well
on the test (future only) Ian ought to have done well on the test
Ought to
Be supposed to
Uses Example in sentences
Present/future Past
Expectation Class is supposed to
begin at 10 a.m Class was supposed to begin at 10 a.m
Uses Example in sentences
Present/future Past Strong
expectation You are to be here at 9:00
You were to be here at 9:00
Be to
Must
Uses
Example in sentences Present/future Past
1. Strong
necessity I must go to school I had to go to school yesterday 2. Prohibition
(negative only) You must not litter in
school
-
3. 90% certainty Mary is not in class.
She must be sick.
(present only)
Mary must have been sick
yesterday
Have to
Uses
Example in sentences
Present/future Past
1. Necessity I have to go to class today I had to go to class yesterday
2. Lack of necessity (negative)
I don’t have to go to class
today I did not have to
go to class yesterday
Uses Example in sentences
Present/future Past
Necessity I have got to go to
class today I had to go to class yesterday
Have got to
Will
Uses
Example in sentences
Present/future Past
1. 100% certainty He will be here at 6:00 (future only) 2. Willingness I will go with you
3. Polite request Will you pass the salt?
Uses Example in sentences
Present/future Past 1. 100% certainty He is going to be here
at 6:00 (future only)
2. Definite plan I am going to paint my
bedroom (future only) I was going to
paint my bedroom
Be going to
Would
Uses
Example in sentences
Present/future Past
1. Polite request
Would you please pass the salt?
Would you mind
turning off the radio?
-
2. Preference I would rather go to the
park than stay at home I would rather have gone to the park
3. Repeated action in the past
When I was a child, I would visit my
grandparents every weekend
Used to
Uses Example in sentences
Present/future Past Repeated action
in the past
-
When I was a child, I used to visit my grandparents every weekendUses Example in sentences
Present/future Past 1. Polite question to
make suggestion
Shall I open the window?
Shall we go now?
-
2. Future with ‘I’ or ‘we’
as subject I / We shall arrive at nine
(will = more common)
