Topic 18

Topic 18                    Modal Verbs (Auxiliary Verbs)

They are used with the main verb to express possibility, permission, obligation, command, advice, doubt, purpose and so on.

A)  Positive Statement (+)

           can     /      could

           may     /     might

 [S]      shall     /     should   be / F1   

           will       /     would

           must     /        

           ought to         

These modal verbs are always followed by a root verb.  The root verb of Verb-to-be is ‘be’ and the root verb of the ordinary word is the original form of the verb (F1) without any suffix like ‘s / es / d / ed’.

          [Tim] shall be here in a minute.

          [Luke] can help us now.

B)  Negative Statement ( - )

          can’t      /       couldn’t

          mayn’t    /      mightn’t

  [S]    shan’t    /       shouldn’t     be / F1

          won’t      /      wouldn’t    

          mustn’t    /

          oughtn’t to

In the Negative Statement, we just place ‘not’ right after the Modal verbs.

          She won’t buy a car next month.       (will not = won’t)

          You mustn’t cheat in the examination.

C)  Interrogative   ( ? )

     Can      /      Could 

     May      /      Might

     Shall     /      Should        [S]  be / F1

     Will       /      Would 

     Must     /

     *Ought [S]  to F1

To form questions, we just place Modal Verbs before the Subject [S].

         Ought [Maria] to come early to help tomorrow?                

1.  ‘Can / Could’ is used to express:

     Ability, Possibility, to make Request and to grant Permission.

     ‘Could’  is the past form of ‘can’.                                         (61)

     ‘Could’ is also  used in the present tense to make Request or grant

      permission and is more polite.

             John can swim very well.    (ability)

             He could run so fast last year.       (ability ---- F3)

             It can be quite hot here in the afternoon.  (possibility)

             She could help us once in a while.       (possibility)

             Could I borrow your eraser?   (request)

             Yes, you could.   (Sure)                     (permission) 

2.  ‘May / Might’ is used:

     to give , refuse, or ask for Permission. 

     (They are more formal than ‘Can / Could’.) 

     They both also show Possibility but ‘might’ is weaker than ‘may’ .

     They are used to show Purpose, too. 

     ‘Might’ is the past form of ‘may’.  It is also used in the present tense.

              “May I borrow your ruler?”         (permission)

              “Yes, you may.”        “No, you may not.”  (“No, you can’t.”)

              He may come early today.             (possibility)    

              She asked her mother if she might buy a dress.        (F3)

              Paul might buy a doll for his sister but I doubt he has money.

              I learn cookery so that I may cook better.             (purpose)

              She goes early so that she might get the front seat.  (purpose)

3.  ‘Shall ’  is used in the future tenses. 

     It is usually used with ‘I / We’.

     Its past equivalence is ‘should’ . 

     ‘Shall / Should’  also expresses a request for Advice. 

     ‘Should have F4’ is to show Regret or an Unfulfilled action.

     ‘Should V= Ought to V’ to express an obligation to do something.

            I shall be 17 years old next month.

            We shall be playing football from 5 pm to 6 pm this evening.

            Shall we bring along our fishing gear?       (ask for advice)

            Should the children play outside now?       (ask for advice)   

            I should not have told her the news.         (regret)

            You should study harder.        (obligation)                                                                                                                 

4.  ‘Will’ is used in the future tenses. 

     It is usually used with ‘You/ You/   He / She / It / They’. 

     Its past equivalent is ‘would’. 

     ‘Will’ is used to show Determination and Persistence. 

     ‘Will’ shows a Habitual Action and ‘would’ shows a Past Habit or

     expresses a wish in the present tense.                     (62)                                 

             Peter will show us his project tomorrow.                   

             She said that she would help them.

             Fenny will exercise for her health.                           

             Mr Lee will always speak out in the meeting.

             I would like to apply for the post of an English teacher.    

5.  ‘Must’ does not have the past form.  Instead ‘had to’ is used. 

     We use ‘must’ to express:

     Command, Compulsion, Obligation and Necessity. 

     ‘Must’ also expresses a reasonable conclusion.

           

          Mary must not go out at night.   (command)

          He had to pick all the rubbish.   (compulsion)

          You must obey the traffic laws.   (command)

          He must be tired after working for so long.  (reasonable conclusion)          

          Tom must have arrived in Australia.   (reasonable conclusion)

Try and See

1.  Hassan ______________(celebrate) his birthday next month.          

2.  I _____________(let) her know the true conditions here.

3.  The children ______________ (take) off the shoes before they enter.

4.  You _______________(study) harder.

5.  Aminah _______________(skate) very well.

6.  Peter ______________(lend) me his favourite roller-skate.  He does

     not like to lend his roller-skate to anybody.  I am his best friend.

7.  Tim _____________(like) to buy a pair of sports shoes. 

8.  Jack _________________ (come) earlier for the meeting yesterday.

9.  Hashim and Haslim__________________ (meet) before.

10.  Yalee _______________(attend) my birthday this time. 

11.  Ali _____________(like) to have the car.  He _______________ (buy)

      the car though his old car is still in good condition.  But he has too

      little money to buy it.

12.  Alice ______________ (lift) up that big rock yesterday.

                                                                                               

Topic 18                   Modal Verbs                                                   

Exercise 103

Fill in the blanks with ‘can / may / shall / will / must’.  Use each Modal Verb twice.

1.  I ___________ be eleven years old next month.

2.  Tina __________ follow the instructions in order to make yogurt well.

3.  Aida and her brother ____________ dance very well.

4.  You __________ stay here for the time being.

5.  Leena ___________ move house soon.

6.   __________ I borrow your umbrella for a while?  (More polite)

7.  The children ____________ attend an-hour assembly next Tuesday.

8.  Patrick ____________write very well.

9.  We __________ take part in an event on our school sports day.

10.  Luke ________ use the zebra crossing when he crosses the road here.

Exercise 104

Fill in the blanks with ‘could / might / should / would / ought ’.  Use each Modal Verb twice.

1.  You __________ not skip your breakfast.

2.  Xian Wuan ___________ like a bowl of noodles for breakfast.

3.  Hassan ___________ get up early last year.

4.  Jean ____________ agree with the plan though she prefers the other

     one more.

5.  Hui Yi ___________ stroll along the beach when she was free.

6.  We ___________ to obey the school rules and regulations.

7.  __________ you do me a favour?

8.  I ___________ listen to my parents and elders.

9.  My parents dislike to go out at night.  They__________ go out tonight. 

10.  The police ____________ to patrol this area more often.

Exercise 105

Fill in the blanks with ‘can / could / may / might / must’.  Use each Modal Verb twice.

1.  Paul _____________ come an hour earlier yesterday.

2.  Rita ___________ afford to live a care-free life.  She is so rich.

3.  I __________ give Fanny some stamps.  I am not sure yet.

4.  We _________  eat, sleep and exercise well to stay in good health.

5.  My grandmother __________ not arrive in time.  It is too early to tell.

6.  The pupils ___________ endure hardship and difficulties quite well.

     They are well-disciplined and self-willed,too.

7.  Miss Chen is not keen but she _________ bring us to the library today. 

8.  Martin __________ tell us the truth.  I think he trust us enough.

9.  Jeff ___________ put on diet to upkeep his health.

10.  Sally ___________ manage her life quite well a few years ago. (64)

Exercise 106                                                                               

Fill in the blanks with ‘shall / should / will / would / ought’.  Use each Modal Verb twice.

1.  Maria ___________ sit for her mid-year examination next week.

2.  Jee Hua ____________ to take good care of himself.

3.  My parents ____________ go jungle trekking with us if they were free.

4.  I __________ not have let those negative thoughts bother me so

     much.  I really had a poor day yesterday.

5.  We____________ attend a speech on ‘How to lead a healthy lifestyle’.

6.  Yalee_____________ to be more attentive in class.

7.  Aminah___________ dye her hair  for a change soon.

8.  I___________ write invitation cards the day after tomorrow.

9.  Francis _________ listen to the doctor’s advice to watch out his health.

10.  They _____________ co-operate with one another in the camp if the 

       teacher-in-charge were there.

Exercise 107

Rewrite the following sentences in Negative forms.

1.  She may buy herself a bouquet of flowers.

    __________________________________________________________

2.  Thomas ought to inform his friends of the delay.

    __________________________________________________________

3.  He must be a nutritionist.

    __________________________________________________________

4.  Shu Jin can speak Chinese and English well.

    __________________________________________________________

5.  It might rain heavily this afternoon.

    __________________________________________________________ 

6.  Nora could tolerate loud noise quite well.

    __________________________________________________________

Exercise 108

Rewrite the following sentences in Question forms.

1.  I shall book a ticket to New Zealand next Monday.

    __________________________________________________________

2.  Biki will put away the scrap iron and others to the recycle centre.

    __________________________________________________________

3.  Cecilia should learn to speed up her work.

    __________________________________________________________

4.  Tony would like bread and egg for breakfast.

    __________________________________________________________

5.  They must use the overhead bridge.

    _______________________________________________________