BAHASA INGGRIS OPENCOURSEWARE UNIVERSITAS PEMBANGUNAN JAYA Slide GNR 103 05 A
E1-5-1
Modal Verbs and Their Meaning
What are modal verbs?
Modals (also called modal verbs, modal auxiliary verbs, modal auxiliaries) are special verbs which
behave irregularly in English. They are different from normal verbs like "work, play, visit..." They are
used to indicate modality. They give additional information about the function of the main verb that
follows it. They have a great variety of communicative functions.
Use of modal verbs:
Modal verbs are used to express functions such as:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Permission
Ability
Obligation
Prohibition
Lack of necessity
Advice
possibility
probability
Remember
Modal verbs are followed by an infinitive without "to"
Examples:
You must stop when the traffic lights turn red
You should see to the doctor
There are a lot of tomatoes in the fridge. You need not buy any.
Exception:
You ought to go to the doctor
1
E1-5-1
A list of modals
Here is a list of modals:
Modal Verb
Meaning
Expressing
Example
to have to
100 % obligation
I must stop when the traffic lights
turn red.
to be very probable
logical conclusion
(deduction)
He must be very tired after such
enormous work
not to be allowed to
prohibition
You must not smoke in the
hospital.
to be able to
ability
I can swim
to be allowed to
permission
Can I use your phone please?
it is possible
possibility
Smoking can cause cancer !
to be able to
ability in the past
When I was younger I could stay
up all night and not get tired..
to be allowed to
more polite permission
Excuse me, could I just say
something?
it is possible
possibility
It could rain tomorrow!
to be allowed to
permission
May I use your phone please?
it is possible, probable
possibility, probability
It may rain tomorrow!
to be allowed to
more polite permission
Might I use your phone please?
might
it is possible, probable
weak possibility,
probability
I might come and visit you in
America next year, if I can save
enough money.
need
necessary
necessity
Need I say more?
not necessary
lack of necessity/absence I need not buy any tomatoes.
of obligation
There are plenty in the fridge.
must
must not
can
could
may
need not
used to say or ask what is 50 % obligation
the correct or best thing to
do
should/ought
to suggest an action or to
to
show that it is necessary
had better
I should / ought to see a doctor. I
have a terrible headache.
advice
You should / ought to revise your
lessons
to be very probable
logical conclusion
(deduction)
He should / ought to be very tired
after such enormous work
to suggest an action or to
show that it is necessary
advice
You 'd better revise your lessons
2
E1-5-1
Exercise on modals
Choose the right modal verb
1. There are plenty of tomatoes in the fridge. You _______________buy any.
2. It's a hospital. You _________________smoke.
3. He had been working for more than 11 hours. He ________________ be tired after such hard
work. He______________ prefer to get some rest.
4. I ______________speak Arabic fluently when I was a child and we lived in Morocco. But after we
moved back to Canada, I had very little exposure to the language and forgot almost everything I
knew as a child. Now, I ______________just say a few things in the language.
5. The teacher said we ______________read this book for our own pleasure as it is optional. But we
______________read it if we don't want to.
6. ______________you stand on your head for more than a minute? No, I ______________.
7. If you want to learn to speak English fluently, you ______________to work hard.
8. Take an umbrella. It ______________rain later.
9. You ______________leave small objects lying around. Such objects ______________be swallowed
by children.
10. People ______________walk on grass.
11. Drivers ______________stop when the traffic lights are red.
12. ______________I ask a question? Yes, of course.
13. You ______________ take your umbrella. It is not raining.
14. ______________you speak Italian? No, I ______________.
http://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/grammar-lesson-modals.php#.Um5O3eL-Jjo
3
Modal Verbs and Their Meaning
What are modal verbs?
Modals (also called modal verbs, modal auxiliary verbs, modal auxiliaries) are special verbs which
behave irregularly in English. They are different from normal verbs like "work, play, visit..." They are
used to indicate modality. They give additional information about the function of the main verb that
follows it. They have a great variety of communicative functions.
Use of modal verbs:
Modal verbs are used to express functions such as:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Permission
Ability
Obligation
Prohibition
Lack of necessity
Advice
possibility
probability
Remember
Modal verbs are followed by an infinitive without "to"
Examples:
You must stop when the traffic lights turn red
You should see to the doctor
There are a lot of tomatoes in the fridge. You need not buy any.
Exception:
You ought to go to the doctor
1
E1-5-1
A list of modals
Here is a list of modals:
Modal Verb
Meaning
Expressing
Example
to have to
100 % obligation
I must stop when the traffic lights
turn red.
to be very probable
logical conclusion
(deduction)
He must be very tired after such
enormous work
not to be allowed to
prohibition
You must not smoke in the
hospital.
to be able to
ability
I can swim
to be allowed to
permission
Can I use your phone please?
it is possible
possibility
Smoking can cause cancer !
to be able to
ability in the past
When I was younger I could stay
up all night and not get tired..
to be allowed to
more polite permission
Excuse me, could I just say
something?
it is possible
possibility
It could rain tomorrow!
to be allowed to
permission
May I use your phone please?
it is possible, probable
possibility, probability
It may rain tomorrow!
to be allowed to
more polite permission
Might I use your phone please?
might
it is possible, probable
weak possibility,
probability
I might come and visit you in
America next year, if I can save
enough money.
need
necessary
necessity
Need I say more?
not necessary
lack of necessity/absence I need not buy any tomatoes.
of obligation
There are plenty in the fridge.
must
must not
can
could
may
need not
used to say or ask what is 50 % obligation
the correct or best thing to
do
should/ought
to suggest an action or to
to
show that it is necessary
had better
I should / ought to see a doctor. I
have a terrible headache.
advice
You should / ought to revise your
lessons
to be very probable
logical conclusion
(deduction)
He should / ought to be very tired
after such enormous work
to suggest an action or to
show that it is necessary
advice
You 'd better revise your lessons
2
E1-5-1
Exercise on modals
Choose the right modal verb
1. There are plenty of tomatoes in the fridge. You _______________buy any.
2. It's a hospital. You _________________smoke.
3. He had been working for more than 11 hours. He ________________ be tired after such hard
work. He______________ prefer to get some rest.
4. I ______________speak Arabic fluently when I was a child and we lived in Morocco. But after we
moved back to Canada, I had very little exposure to the language and forgot almost everything I
knew as a child. Now, I ______________just say a few things in the language.
5. The teacher said we ______________read this book for our own pleasure as it is optional. But we
______________read it if we don't want to.
6. ______________you stand on your head for more than a minute? No, I ______________.
7. If you want to learn to speak English fluently, you ______________to work hard.
8. Take an umbrella. It ______________rain later.
9. You ______________leave small objects lying around. Such objects ______________be swallowed
by children.
10. People ______________walk on grass.
11. Drivers ______________stop when the traffic lights are red.
12. ______________I ask a question? Yes, of course.
13. You ______________ take your umbrella. It is not raining.
14. ______________you speak Italian? No, I ______________.
http://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/grammar-lesson-modals.php#.Um5O3eL-Jjo
3