MODALS

OF
PERMISSION
AND ABILITY
IN ITS
PRESENT,PAST,FUTURE TENSE

Josephine Antonio Bal-ot

MUÑOZ CENTRAL SCHOOL
Science City of Muñoz,Nueva Ecija
 MODALS
Modals are special verbs that behave
irregularly in English.They give additional
information about the function of the main
verb that follows them.Modals are also called
modal verbs,modal auxillary verbs, or modal
auxillaries.Modals never change their form.
You cannot add s, ed, or ing to the
modals.They are always followed by an
infinitive without to,which is called the bare
infinitive.Modals are used to express functions
such as permission, ability, obligation,
prohibition, lack of necessity,advice,
possibility and probability.
These modals are used to ask or give
permission
1.May-this is a polite modal used to ask
permission.
example: May I go to the canteen?

2. Could - this modal is also used to ask

permission.It is less formal than using may.
example:Could I have a glass of milk?
3. Can-this modal is the least formal of the
modals to ask permission.
example: Can I wear red shirt?

Ask permission for another person:

1. May he watch the reality show?
2. Could she come with us?
3. Can you fix the bike?

Give permission
1. You may sleep early.
2. You may bake the pie.
Modals of Ability
Ability means two things
1. general ability –is something that you
have learned and that you can do
anytime,like being able to speak a
language. or read, or to write.
2. Specific ability- refers to something you
can or you can’t do in one particular
situation.For example being able to
perform magic or find something
requires specific ability.
in present tense -modal CAN/CAN’T
use for general and specific ability
example: I can play the drums.
She can’t bathe-there’s no water.
in past tense-COULD/COULDN’T
use for general ability
ex: Rizal could read the alphabet at the
age of three.
She couldn’t get a ride
WAS ABLE TO/ COULDN’T
for special ability
ex: When the school service failed to fetch
him ,Greg was able to commute.
The secretary sent an email to her boss
because she couldn’t find the files.
COULD+HAVE+PAST PARTICIPLE
for an ability someone had in the past
but didn’t use.
ex: You could have seen the performance,
but you arrived late.
 He could have taken Medicine in college,
but he preferred to take Fine Arts.
future tense- WILL/WON’T BE ABLE TO
for general ability
ex: At the end of the lesson, you will be
able to summarize.
He wont be able to speak the dialect
in a week. It’ll take months.
CAN/CAN’T –for specific ability
ex: I can jog today.
I can’t come to the debut tonight.
 more to come
modals of Obligation and Prohibition
modals of Necessity or Requirement
modals of Lack of Necessity or Requirement
modals of advise
modals of Possibility ( Positive)
modals of Probability