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Understanding Modals in English Grammar

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7 views5 pages

Understanding Modals in English Grammar

Uploaded by

JuliaSabrinaSuarez
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

MODALS

Modals are those helping verbs, which express the ‘mode’ or ‘manner’ of the actions
indicated by the main verbs. They express modes such as ability, possibility,
probability, permission, obligation, etc.
The most commonly used modals are shall, should, will, would, can, could, may,
might, must, ought to, used to, need and dare.

Modals are used to:


• Ask permission—may, can, could
Examples: May I come in?
Could I use your pen, please?
• Make a request—can, could
Example: Could you please give me the doctor’s telephone number?
• Express a possibility—may, might, could
Example: It might rain during the night.
• Give advice or suggestion—should
Example: You should wear a helmet while riding your motorbike.
• Express necessity or compulsion—must, have to
Examples: We must slow down while driving in front of a school.
I have to submit my project by tomorrow.
• Express prohibition
Example: You must not talk loudly in the library.
• Express a promise or intention—will, shall
Example: I will mail you my address.
• Express a wish—may
Example: May you have a long life!

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[ A modal does not change according to the number or person of the subject.
Examples: He can learn. I can learn. You can learn.
They can learn. We can learn.
[ A modal is always used with a verb in its basic form. The modal takes the tense
while the main verb remains in its dictionary form.
Examples: I can run. I may run.
I could run. I might run.
[ Modals can be used alone in response to a question.
Examples: Can you sing? I can.
Will you sing? I will.
Will you come? I may./I will.
[ Modals, when joined with ‘not’ to form a negative, can be contracted.
Examples: I cannot run. I can’t run.
I do not run. I don’t run.
I will not run. I won’t run.

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WORKSHEET 8

I. Fill in the blanks in the following sentences by using appropriate modals.


a) __________ you please tell me the direction to the hotel?
b) You __________ pay in cash. They do not accept credit cards.
c) I __________ come home from the office today.
d) __________ I help you?
e) You __________ clean your room.
f) We ________ keep the lights and fans switched off when they are not in use.
g) We __________ improve the existing education system.
h) __________ you have a wonderful day!
i) I __________ go to see the movie. The reviews are good.
j) I __________ definitely be at the airport to receive you.
k) She __________ take her meals regularly.
l) You __________ reach home before eleven, she said.
m) __________ we go for a walk?
n) The soldiers in the Army __________ wear a uniform.
o) There is one more point I __________ refer to.
p) You have worked hard. You __________ pass.
q) It is very cloudy. It __________ rain.
r) You __________ be properly dressed when you come to office.
s) __________ you like to come to the party tomorrow?
t) People __________ not tell lies.

II. Fill in the blanks with the correct modals given in the brackets.
God is great and we (a) __________ (should/would) be grateful to him. We (b)
__________ (might/should) do our duty and leave the reward in the hands of
God. Ultimately, God (c) __________ (might/will) help us. We (d) __________
(might/should/may) leave everything to God.

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III. There is a missing word in each line of the following passage. Mark the
place of the missing word with a ‘/’ and write the correct word. Write the
word before and after the word in your answer sheet.
People /not ask a writer why he writes his a) People need not.
biography. They know that every life b) _____________
be interesting if properly presented. c) _____________
Moreover, we learn many things if d) _____________
we want to from a great life. It not be e) _____________
necessarily the life of a great leader that inspire us. f) _____________

IV. There is an error in each line of the passage that follows. Write the incorrect
and correct word in your answer sheet.
Plastic bags are not be used because a) are should
they should cause much pollution. b) _____________
They need never disintegrate with c) _____________
time. They should block the sewerage. d) _____________
It need to melted and reprocessed e) _____________
but that might make it even more f) _____________
harmful. Even if buried they can g) _____________
never be destroyed. They should be h) _____________
useful today but they would be i) _____________
very harmful for the coming generations. j) _____________

V. The following passage has not been edited. There is one error in each line.
Write the incorrect word and the correct word in the answer sheet.
The label can be removed before cooking. a) _________ __________
Then the cookware could be rinsed in b) _________ __________
warm soapy water. It is advisable to keep c) _________ __________
to low heat. The cookware would never d) _________ __________
be used on high heat. Very high e) _________ __________
temperatures would cause sticking. The f) _________ __________
handles used to also loosen. However, g) _________ __________

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one should not worry about the h) _________ __________
maintenance as it is quite easy. The vessel i) _________ __________
might be cleaned with liquid detergent. j) _________ __________
One can not use sharp detergent for cleaning. k) _________ __________

VI. Fill in the blanks with suitable modals from the ones given in the box
below.
should might can could have to must

a) Ritu’s flight from Morocco took more than 11 hours. She ___________
must /might be
exhausted after such a long flight. She ___________
might prefer to stay in tonight
and get some rest.
b) If you want to get a better feeling for how Raniganj is laid out, you
___________
should walk down town and explore the riverside.
c) You ___________
have to research the route a little more before you set sail.
d) When you have a small child in the house, you ___________
mustn't leave small
objects lying around.
e) Anvesha: ___________
can you hold your breath for more than a minute?
Bunty: No, I can’t.
f) Jasprit’s engagement ring is enormous! It ___________
must have cost a fortune.
g) Please make sure to feed the fish while I am gone. If they don’t get enough
food, they ___________
could/might die.

h) I ___________
could speak Assamese fluently when I was a child.
i) The teacher said we ___________
had to read the book if we needed extra credit.
j) The spatula ___________
should be in this cupboard but it’s not here.

Common questions

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Modals such as 'must' and 'have to' express necessity or compulsion, indicating that an action is required. In contrast, prohibition is expressed by 'must not,' signaling that an action is forbidden. This difference highlights the varying degrees of urgency and control over actions (e.g., 'You must not talk loudly in the library' versus 'We must slow down while driving in front of a school').

Modals interact with the base forms of verbs by carrying the tense themselves while the main verb remains in its dictionary form. For example, 'can run,' 'may run,' 'could run,' and 'might run' all use the base verb 'run,' while the modal indicates different possibilities or abilities without altering the verb form .

The use of modals like 'may' for expressing wishes often involves contextual and cultural considerations, reflecting hope rather than certainty. For instance, 'May you have a long life!' is a courteous way of expressing goodwill without imposing certainty, making it suitable for formal or aspirational contexts .

Modals can express modes such as ability, possibility, probability, permission, obligation, prohibition, intention, and wish .

Using modals like 'can' to express personal capability is significant because it conveys the individual's ability or potential to perform a task, thus affecting expectations and perceptions. For example, 'I can learn' indicates confidence in one's abilities, which can influence both self-perception and the listener's understanding of one's capabilities .

Adjusting the use of modals is important because they convey different levels of commitment. For example, 'I will mail you my address' uses 'will' to express a firm intention or promise, which affects the listener's understanding and expectation regarding the fulfillment of the stated action .

To form negative sentences, modals are joined with 'not.' For instance, 'cannot' can be contracted to 'can't,' 'do not' to 'don't,' 'will not' to 'won't.' These contractions simplify the negative forms while retaining their functional meaning in speech and writing .

When using modals like 'should' to give advice or suggestions, it is important to consider the tone and context, as they express an opinion about what is advisable or recommended without exerting strong obligation. For example, 'You should wear a helmet while riding your motorbike' suggests a beneficial course of action .

A modal does not change according to the number or person of the subject. For instance, the modal 'can' remains the same in sentences like 'He can learn,' 'I can learn,' 'You can learn,' indicating that they maintain a consistent form regardless of subject variation .

Modals like 'can,' 'could,' and 'would' are used to make requests, with the choice affecting politeness and formality. For instance, 'Could you please give me the doctor's telephone number?' sounds more polite and less direct than 'Can you give me the doctor's telephone number?' The level of formality impacts social interaction and perception .

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