MODALS

MODAL AUXILIARIES CANNOT BE: -put into different tenses

-used as infinitive -used as gerunds or present participles They can be followed by the INFINITIVE in different forms: ACTIVE Bare INFINITIVE (V0) MUST TAKE Be +present participle (-ing) MUST BE TAKING Have +past participle (V3) MUST HAVE TAKEN Have been + present participle (-ing) MUST HAVE BEEN TAKING PASSIVE Be + past participle (V3) MUST BE TAKEN Have been + past participle (V3) MUST HAVE BEEN TAKEN

MODAL+

MEANING:
1. ABILITY:CAN, COULD, BE ABLE 2. CERTAINTY, POSSIBILITY, DEDUCTION: CAN, COULD, MAY, MIGHT, MUST, WILL, SHOULD, OUGHT TO 3. ADVICE, OBLIGATION, NECESSITY: SHOULD, OUGHT TO, MUST, HAVE TO, HAVE GOT TO, NEED 4. OFFERS, REQUESTS, PERMISSION, SUGGESTION: CAN, COULD, MAY, MIGHT, WOULD, MUST, SHALL, WOULD (YOU) MIND To ask permission or make a request, use: CAN informal COULD + I? MAY MIGHT formal WOULD (YOU) MIND +GERUND (V + ing) WOULD (YOU) MIND, if I + verb in present or past? To give or refuse permission, use: You CAN/CANT/MAY NOT/ MUST/MUSTNT =========================================================================== Notes: NEED can be a modal auxiliary only in the question or negative form. OUGHT is the only modal auxiliary followed by TO DARE can be used as a modal auxiliary in the question and negative form. IT can also be used as a main verb followed by the TO infinitive. IT is not a common modal auxiliary. To make an offer use:

CAN/SHALL I, we? WOULD (YOU) LIKE to? 5. HABIT: WOULD and USED TO 6. ADVICE: SHOULD, OUGHT TO (SHOULD is used more frequently) 7. STRONG ADVICE AND RECOMMENDATION: MUST (it can refer to present or to future) 8. CRITICIZED ACTIONS IN THE PAST: SHOULD/ OUGHT TO e.g.: I should /ought to have stayed at home and it wouldnt have been wrong. 9. OBLIGATION: MUST, MUSTNT, HAVE TO, HAVE GOT TO 10. NEGATIVE OBLIGATOION: MUSTNT 11. OBLIGATION IN THE PAST: HAD TO 12. NECESSITY: NEED, TO BE TO 13. LACK OF NECESSITY: NEEDNT, DONT NEED TO, DON'T HAVE TO, and HAVEN'T GOT TO 14. LACK OF NECESSITY IN THE PAST: NEEDNT + perfect infinitive (HAVE +V3) e.g.: I neednt have gone there. They had already finished the job for me. WOULD and USED TO: USED TO is formed like this: I USED TO work here. I DIDNT USE TO work here. DID YOU USE TO work there? When we use WOULD to talk about a past habit, it is necessary to use a past time reference. USED TO can be used with or without a past time reference. e.g.: I USED TO smoke a lot. Before I came to this school, I USED TO/WOULD smoke a lot. The meaning of NECESSITY according to the use of modals either in the negative or affirmative forms: neednt ought mustnt (modal) shouldnt not to dont have to would rather have to should might need ought to (nemodal) must
moral obligation inner necessity strong necessity / obligation

strong lack of advice moral slight lack preference circumstantial advice reproach interdiction obligation interdiction of obligation necessity

POSSIBILITY, CERTAINTY, DOUBT according to their intensity in meaning: might can't may can should must certainty

strong doubt

doubt

(50%) POSSIBILITY

probability