MODALITY
It is expressed by means of:
► certainly, surely, of
course, no doubt, etc.
1. Modal words: ► Perhaps,
probably,maybe
► (un)happily,
(un)fortunately, etc.
2. Modal verbs: ► Can/could, may/might,
must, should/would,
shall/will, need.
3. Notional verbs
expressing
modality: ► Want, wish, order,
advise, intend, prefer,
etc.
Modal defective verbs
► express the speaker’s ATTITUDE towards the
surrounding reality
e.g. ability, probability, prohibition, advice, obligation,
etc.
1. CAN
► Ability Can you play the
piano?
► Theoretical
possibility Anyone can make a
mistake.
► Permission Can I answer it?
► Request (colloquial) Can you help me?
► Offer for help Can I help you?
CAN’T / CANNOT
► Inability I can’t play the piano.
► Possibility Can’t you come
earlier?
► Prohibition
You can’t watch TV.
► Deduction (present)
This bill can’t be right.
► Deduction (past)
He can’t have done it.
2. COULD
► Past ability The shop had
nothing that I
could afford.
► Possibility You could be in
trouble if you do
► Possibility (past) it.
Your actions could
have had serious
► Request consequences.
Could you give me a
hand?
COULD
► Ask for Could I leave early
permission today?
When we were
► Permission (past) young we could
stay up late at
week-ends.
That could be
► Deduction John’s car I
hear.
You could have
► Annoyance told me that!
COULDN’T
► Past inability I couldn’t walk that
day.
► Impossibility
I couldn’t eat another
thing.
► Impossibility (past) He couldn’t have
taken the car
► Request Couldn’t you try again?
► Prohibition (past) We couldn’t go out
until we cleaned
our room.
3. MAY
► Possibility (present) We may go to France
next year.
► Possibility (past) They may have left
already.
► Permission You may leave when
you’ve finished.
► Offer (formal)
May I help you?
► Concession They may live next
door but I never see
them.
MAY NOT
► Possibility We may not go to
(present) France this year.
► Prohibition You may not leave
(present) until you’ve
finished.
► Concession He may not be very
intelligent but he
knows his job.
4. MIGHT
► Might = may (past) He said he might come
(rare) with us.
► Possibility (present) It might be expensive.
► Possibility (past) They might have tried
to contact us.
► Suggestion You might try calling
your supervisor.
► Request (formal) Might I see that
picture?
MIGHT
► Annoyance You might at least
(present) say you’re sorry.
You might at least
► Annoyance (ab. have said you
past) were sorry.
He might seem rude
but he’s not.
► Concession
(present)
He might have been
rude but he meant
► Concession (past) well.
MIGHT NOT
► Possibility (present) You might not like it.
► Possibility (past) He might not have
liked it.
► Concession He might not wear
(present) glasses but he still
can’t see well.
He might not have
► Concession (past) worked hard but he
got good results.
MUST
► Deduction (pres.) ► What’s that noise?
It must be the
rain.
► Deduction (past)
► I must have left
my wallet in the
car.
► Obligation ► You must take
your shoes off in
here.
MUST
► Necessity (pres.) ► The wires must
touch or it won’t
work.
► In order to qualify
► Necessity (past) you must have had
several years’
experience.
MUSTN’T
► prohibition ► You mustn’t
worry. You’ll be
fine.
► You mustn’t have
► necessity (past) had any driving
convictions or you
won’t get the job.
SHALL
► Prediction (+I/we) ► I think I shall get
back next week.
► We shall give our
► Intention (+I/we)
final decision
tomorrow
► Offer (+I/we) ► Shall I give you a
hand?
SHALL
► official orders ► All the candidates
shall remain in
their seats until
the end of the
exam.
► asking for advice ► What shall we do
now?
SHAN’T
► prediction ► We shan’t get
back much before
ten.
► intention
► I shan’t let him do
that again.
SHALL/SHAN’T HAVE
►We shall have
► prediction finished by this
evening.
SHOULD/ OUGHT TO
► Giving opinion ► The traffic should/ought
to be lighter today.
► I should think it will rain
► Expressing doubt
today.
► You should/ought to go
► Advice out more often
► Obligation (duty) ► People should /ought to
treat each other better.
SHOULD / OUGHT TO
► Instructions ► All visitors should report
to reception.
► If anyone should call,
► Conditional
tell them I’ll be back
this afternoon.
► +that-clauses after ► I suggested that he
certain verbs should take a break.
► +that-clauses after ► It is essential that you
certain adjectives should contact us.
SHOULDN’T/OUGHTN’T TO
► Advice ► You shouldn’t/oughtn’t
to drive so fast.
► People shouldn’t /
► Obligation (duty)
oughtn’t to be so
aggressive.
► Giving opinion ► The traffic
shouldn’t/oughtn’t to be
too bad today.
► +that-clauses after
► I suggest that he
certain vbs.
shouldn’t work so hard.
► I shouldn’t think he’d
► expressing doubt enjoy it.
Should have/ shouldn’t have/
ought to have/ oughtn’t to have
► Advice in the past ► You should have told me
before.
► The traffic should
► Giving opinion in the
have/ought to have
past
been lighter today
► Expressing doubt about
► I shouldn’t have thought
the past
he’d enjoy it
► Obligation (duty) in the
► You should have/ought
past
to have been here hours
ago
► +that-clauses after ► I suggested that he
certain verbs should have taken a
break
WILL
► Prediction ► They’ll be here soon.
► Truths and facts ► This car will only run on
unleaded petrol.
► All passengers will
► Obligation/orders
proceed to Gate 7
immediately.
► Habits ► She’ll always try to help
you whenever she can.
► She will smoke when I’m
► Annoying habits
trying to eat.
WILL
► Willingness ► I’ll give you a hand if
you like.
► I’ll put the letter in the
► intention
post this evening.
WON’T
► Prediction ► They won’t be here for a
while.
► They won’t be there
► Predicting the present
yet.
► Truths and facts
► This car won’t start.
► Refusal
► He won’t join in unless
he’s first.
► Intention ► I won’t come this
evening. I’m afraid.
WILL HAVE/ WON’T HAVE
► Prediction ► I won’t have finished
this book by this
evening.
► Predicting the past
► They’ll have easily got
there by now.
WOULD
► Prediction ► They said they would be
here soon.
► I thought they’d be here
► Predicting the present
by now.
► Describing imaginary
► You’d look better with
situations
your hair shorter
► Habits in the past
► She would always try to
help you.
WOULD
► Annoying habits in the ► He would always smoke
past when I was trying to eat.
► Would you open the door
for me?
► Requests
► He said he would put the
letter in the box later.
► Intention in the past
► It would start raining
just as we went out.
► Typical annoying ► I’d talk to him about it if
behaviour I were you.
► advice
WOULDN’T
► Prediction ► They said they wouldn’t
be here for ages.
► I thought they wouldn’t
► Predicting the present
be here yet.
► Describing imaginary
► You wouldn’t say that if
situations
you’d met him.
► Refusal in the past
► He wouldn’t do what I
asked.
WOULDN’T
► Requests ► You wouldn’t open the
door for me, would you?
► He said he wouldn’t be
► Intention in the past
coming tonight.
► I wouldn’t do that if I
► Advice were you.
WOULD HAVE/ WOULDN’T
HAVE
► Events in the past which ► I’d have met you at the
didn’t happen station if I’d known you
were coming.
► I wouldn’t have told you if
► Event in the past which I’d known you’d be so
happened upset.
► Tentative thoughts ► I’d have thought he’d
have jumped at the
chance.
► Deductions about the past
► I first went to Italy when I
was at university; that
would have been in 1982.