Scribd
Upload
50 views4 pages

Understanding Modal Verbs in English

This document discusses modal verbs and their meanings. It identifies the 9 central modal verbs as can, could, may, might, must, should, will, would, and shall. Modal verbs are auxiliaries used before the main verb to express meanings like possibility, permission, certainty, obligation, prohibition, necessity, ability, lack of obligation/necessity. Semi-modals are similar but are lexical verbs or adjectives rather than auxiliaries. The document provides examples of using modal verbs to make deductions about lost car keys in the present and past.

Uploaded by

Jésica Anahí Fogel
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
50 views4 pages

Understanding Modal Verbs in English

This document discusses modal verbs and their meanings. It identifies the 9 central modal verbs as can, could, may, might, must, should, will, would, and shall. Modal verbs are auxiliaries used before the main verb to express meanings like possibility, permission, certainty, obligation, prohibition, necessity, ability, lack of obligation/necessity. Semi-modals are similar but are lexical verbs or adjectives rather than auxiliaries. The document provides examples of using modal verbs to make deductions about lost car keys in the present and past.

Uploaded by

Jésica Anahí Fogel
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

21/09/2020

CAN

SHALL COULD

WOULD MAY

WILL MIGHT

SHOULD MUST

Modal verb: a type of auxiliary verb used to


express logical or personal meanings.
• 9 CENTRAL MODAL VERBS: can, could, may, might, must, should,
will, would, shall
• They are auxiliaries placed before the main verb (bare infinitive)
• They don’t vary to show agreement or tense
• Their negative form is formed with NOT
• They express a wide range of meanings

Biber, D., Conrad, S., & Leech, G. (2002). Longman Student Grammar of Spoken and Written English.
England: Pearson Education Limited.

1
21/09/2020

MODAL VERBS vs. SEMI-MODALS


• Semi-modals are idiomatic or fixed expressions that may or may not
be inflected for tense or person
• They are also lexical verbs and adjectives that have similar meanings
to modal auxiliaries
• For example: have to, need to, ought to, had better, used to, be
going to, be able to, be obliged to, etc.

POSSIBILITY

PERMISSION CERTAINTY

OBLIGATION,
ADVICE PROHIBITION,
NECESSITY

LACK OF
ABILITY OBLIGATION/
NECESSITY

2
21/09/2020

I’ve lost my car keys.


Present Deduction

They must be on my
desk.

They may/might/could
be on my desk.

They can’t be on my
desk.

I’ve lost my car keys.

•I must have left them in the


supermarket.
•I may/might/could have left them in
the supermarket.
•I can’t/couldn’t have left them in the
supermarket.

3
21/09/2020

PRESENT DEDUCTION (Continuous form)


Must
May/Might/Could
Can’t
PAST DEDUCTION (Continuous form)
Must
May/Might/Could
Can’t/Couldn’t

TASK:

You might also like