Main characteristics
They are not complete verbs.
They alter or complete the meaning of the main verb;
They express ideas such as capacity, possibility, obligation,
permission, prohibition, probability, supposition, request, and desire.
We don’t use the to-infinitive after modals.
They do not take “s” for the third person singular.
Primary function: What the modal verb means directly
BASIC MEANING EXAMPLES
CAN / COULD Ability
MAY / MIGHT Permission
WILL / WOULD Prediction
SHALL AFTER I / WE Prediction
SHOULD / OUGHT TO Duty
MUST Total obligation
NEEDEN’T No abligation
Secondary function:
To express degrees of CERTAINTY or UNCERTAINTY
Very uncertain Almost certain
MIGHT MAY COULD CAN SHOULD OUGHT TO WOULD WILL MUST
Not SHALL
MODALS DIFFER FROM 'BE',
as auxiliaries, 'HAVE', 'DO'
be/have/do have
only a grammatical CAN’T BE
function USED AS
INFINITIVES
HAVE A
MEANING OF
ITS OWN DEFECTIVE
DON’T USE TO-
VERBS INFINITIVE
DON’T HAVE
3RD PS
DON’T HAVE
-ING FORM
MODALS AND RELATED VERBS
EXPRESSING ABILITY - PRESENT 'CAN' + VERB =
'CAN' + VERB =
NATURAL LEARNED ABILITY
ABILITY OR 'KNOW-HOW')
When we are drive, play, speak,
CAN and AM/IS/ARE commenting on sth understand indicate such verbs are
ABLE TO are that is happening at skills or learned generally used in the
generally the time of speaking abilities same way as the
interchangeable simple present tense
'COULD' / WAS- WERE ABLE TO
COULD / WAS-
WERE ABLE TO CAN BE
NATURAL AND USED TO BE ABLE COULD and WAS INTERCHANGEABLE
LEARNED ABILITY TO to describe past ABLE TO occur after when we refer to the
IN THE PAST abilities reporting verbs acquisition of a skill
(not related to any after effort
specific event)
'COULD' / WAS- WERE ABLE TO / MANAGED TO
We use WAS/WERE ABLE COULD can be used
TO or MANAGED TO when when we are asking
we are describing the about a specific
successful completion of a action
specific action. If an action was not
successfully
completed, we can use
COULDN’T.
CAN/COULD' + VERBS OF PERCEPTION
CAN + SEE,
COULD + SEE,
HEAR, SMELL, when conveying the
HEAR, SMELL, with verbs
FEEL, etc.
FEEL, etc. suggesting idea 'beyond (my)
'understanding': control' (impossible):
grammatical
grammatical
function = the
function = the
present simple
past simple
COULD + CAN / CAN’T
'COULD' and CAN
NEVER HAVE +
'WOULD BE
PARTICIPLE
ABLE TO'
to express surprise,
'would never making guesses in conditional
anger, etc. in the
in the sense of be able to' or expressing sentences
present uncertainty
'would be able to'
about past action
ABILITY IN TENSES OTHER THAN PRESENT AND PAST
the appropriate
forms of BE ALE TO, = capability /
MANAGE TO to possibility has the same
COULD effect in the
past
She'll be able to
CAN + BE + ADJ. or
join us for dinner
after her meeting
N = ‘is sometimes’ or
finishes. ‘is often’
I've been trying to
contact him, but I
haven't managed to.
Asking for permission TO EXPRESS PERMISSION AND PROHIBITION
/ responding:
Common
is the most responses with
CAN common and the modals
most informal.
is more when we are not
'hesitant' and sure permission + Of course - No, you
COULD
polite than can. will be granted you can/may. can't/may not.
is more formal,
MAY polite and
'respectful'
is the most
MIGHT hesitant, polite
and 'respectful'
Granting and
Asking for permission Very polite
with 'CAN’T' and refusing
requests
'COULDN’T' permission
You may/may not carries
when we are Can/Could I (possibly)..? the authority of the
pressing for an Do you think I could/might..? speaker. = 'I (personally)
affirmative answer I wonder if I could/might...? give you permission'
Can't I stay out You can/can’t is
till midnight more general
(please)?
PERMISSION/PROHIBITION IN OTHER TENSES
Conditionals with
COULD or
MAY and COULD
COULD HAVE
MUST
BE ALLOWED TO may imply
express past to show that
and the more formal 'would be permission was
BE PERMITTED TO 'permission in allowed to' given but not used
general'
I could have an
extra week's holiday
if I asked for it.
Mr James is in hospital
and hasn't been allowed You could have had
to have any visitors
an extra week's
holiday.
'CAN/COULD' = 'AM/IS/ARE FREE TO':
We use CAN/COULD in the
PRESENT
sense of 'am/is/are free to' We must use WILL
to refer to the FUTURE BE ABLE TO to
describe future ability
The baby will be
able to stand up in
two weeks' time.
MODALS ON A SCALE OF
VERB ‘BE’ or CERTAINTY VERB ‘BE’ or
any FULL VERB less certain than may any FULL VERB
COULD BE it's a certain fact, non-modal be CAN’T BE
less certain than may not
SHOULD BE COULDN’T BE
it's nearly certain
OUGHT TO BE MAY NOT BE
more 'tentative' than can't
MAY BE MIGHTN’T BE
it's possible, but uncertain
MIGHT BE doubtful possibility
We express certainty EXPRESSING DEDUCTION WITH
with BE or any FULL 'MUST BE' AND 'CAN'T BE',
VERB
CAN’T BE
MUST BE
PRIMARY SECONDARY
PRIMARY SECONDARY FUNCTION FUNCTION
FUNCTION FUNCTION
USES OF MODALS FOR OFFERS,
REQUESTS, SUGGESTIONS
THINGS AND
ACTIONS
SUBSTANCES
1. Offering things and substances 3. Making suggestions, inviting actions
2. Requests for things and substances 4. Requesting others to do things for you
5. Offering to do things for others
6. Suggestions that include the speaker