MODAL VERBS

1
 Have
Modals
2

Modal Basics

• Acting as auxiliaries

• Modals + bare-Infinitive

• Never changing forms (no -s, -ed, or -ing)

• Used with progressive (be + V-ing) and perfect
(have + p.p.) aspects

3
 Are these modals?

• Ought + to-Inf

• Have + to-Inf

• Need + to-Inf

4
• WANT - WANTED - WANTED

• GO - WENT - GONE

• CAN - COULD - ***

• MAY - MIGHT - ***

• OUGHT - *** - ***

5
 Primary Functions
• CAN / COULD => ability
• MAY / MIGHT => permission
• WILL / WOULD => prediction
• SHALL => prediction
• SHOULD / OUGHT => escapable obligation or duty
6
• MUST => inescapable obligation
• NEEDN’T => absence of obligation

7
Secondary Functions

8
 might very
may uncertain
could
can be right.
should
You
ought to
would have been
will right. almost
must certain
are right. certain
9
 Modalities
PERMISSION /
ABILITY POSSIBILITY
PROHIBITION

ADVISABILITY/
OFFERS/
DUTY/
DEDUCTION REQUESTS/
OBLIGATION/
SUGGESTIONS
NECESSITY
INADVISABILITY
/LACK OF
HABIT
NECESSITY,
PROHIBITION

10
• Ability - able: I am able to run very fast.

• Possibility - possible: it is possible that / something is

possible … YES/NO

• Probability - probable ~ Possibility: HOW LIKELY

Ability
• CAN / COULD => natural or learned ability
• Can you run 1500 meters in 5 mins.?
11
• Can you drive a car?
• Jim could run very fast when he was a boy.
• Barbara couldn’t sing very well when she was
younger.

• be (un)able to
• be (in)capable of
• manage to
• succeed in
12
 Ability
• COULD/WAS/WERE ABLE TO => acquisition of a skill
after effort

• I tried again and found I could/was able to swim.

• WAS/WERE ABLE TO, MANAGED TO, SUCCEEDED
IN => specific achievement in the past

• In the end they managed to rescue the cat on the roof.

(… couldn’t rescue the cat …)

13
• Could they rescue the cat …? (No, they couldn’t./Yes,
they managed to.)

• CAN/COULD + verbs of perception (NOT be able to)

• I can smell something burning.

• I couldn’t understand why he had decided to retire at

50.

14
 Ability

• COULD ~ WOULD BE ABLE TO => “unreal past”

(ifclause implied, unreal situations NOT in the past)

• I'm sure you could get into university (if you

applied).

• I could slap your face!

15
 Ability

• COULD HAVE/WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO =>

ability not used due to personal failure or lack of
opportunity

• I could have done better in my school years if I had

tried harder.

16
 Permission / Prohibition
Informal
Can I stay out late?
can/can’t/
mustn’t
Could I stay out late?

May I stay out late?

may/mayn’t/
mustn’t
Might I stay out late?
Formal
17
• Could I stay out late? A.

Yes, you can.

B. Yes, you could.

C. Yes, you may.

D. Yes, you should.

Permission / Prohibition
• (not) be allowed to
18
• (not) be permitted to

• be forbidden to

• be prohibited

• be not to

• negative imperatives

19
 Permission / Prohibition

• Very polite…

• Can/Could I (possibly)…

• Do you think I could/might use your phone?

• I wonder if I could/might…

20
• Might I (possibly) be allowed to...?

21
 Possibility
• A certain fact

• She is at home.

• A possibility

• She could/may/might be at home.

• Less common for possibility

22
 Possibility
• She should/ought to be at home.
• A certain fact
• She is at home./
• A possibility
• She could/may/might be at home. /She can’t be at
home.
= It’s possible that she is at home.

23
 Possibility
= Maybe/Perhaps she is at home.

• Less common for possibility

• She should/ought to be at home.
• It’s possible that he read the lessons. (Past
possibility)

• Perhaps/Maybe he read the lessons.

24
 Possibility
• = He could/may/might have read the lessons.

• COULD/MAY/MIGHT

• Could/may/might + bare-Inf => present/future

possibility

• Could/may/might + HAVE + P.P. => past possibility

• Questions about possibility

25
 Possibility
• Might/Could/Can* this be true?

• Might/Could he know the answer?

• Might/Could/Can* he still be working?

• Might/Could/Can* he have been waiting long?

• Might/Could he have left by tomorrow?

26
 Deduction
• Certainty / Facts
• He lives here. / He is leaving.
• He lived here. / He has left. / He was working late.
• Deduction
• He must live here. / He must be leaving.
• He can’t live here. / He can’t be leaving.
27
 Deduction
• He must have lived here. / He must have been
leaving.

• He can’t/couldn’t have lived here. / He can’t/couldn’t

have been leaving.

• Certainty / Facts
• He lives here. / He is leaving.
• He lived here. / He has left. / He was working late.

28
 Deduction
• Deduction about the PRESENT
• He must live here. / He must be leaving.
= I’m sure/certain (that) he lives here/is leaving.

• He can’t live here. / He can’t be leaving.

= I’m sure/certain he doesn’t live here/is not leaving.

• Deduction about the PAST

29
 Deduction
• He must have lived here. / He must have been
leaving.

= I’m sure/certain he lived here/was leaving.

• He can’t/couldn’t have lived here. / He can’t/

couldn’t have been leaving.

= I’m sure/certain he didn’t live here/wasn’t leaving.

30
• MUST + Inf = I’m sure/certain [present] …

• MUST + have p.p. = I’m sure/certain [past] …

• CAN’T/COULDN’T + have p.p. = I’m sure/certain

[past - NOT] …

• COULD/MAY/MIGHT + Inf = It’s possible/Perhaps/

Maybe) [present] …

31
 • COULD/MAY/MIGHT + have p.p. = It’s possible/
Perhaps/Maybe) [past] …

Requests with
things/substances
•Requests
•Can I have a sandwich (please)?
•Could I have some coffee (please)?
•May I have a sandwich (please)?
32
 •Might I have a coffee (please)?
•Responses
•Of course, you can/may. (NOT COULD/MIGHT)
•Certainly.
•No, you can’t/may not (, I’m afraid).
•I’m afraid there isn’t any.
Requests with action
• Requests
33
• Will/Would you (kindly) open the door for me
(please)? (Willingness)

• Can/Could you (possibly) open the door (please)?

(Ability)

• Would you mind opening the window for me

(please)?

• Responses

• Yes, of course (, I will).

34
 • No, I’m afraid I can’t.

Examples

A: Could you lend me your laptop tomorrow? Mine is

broken. I need a working laptop to study online.

B: Sorry. I can’t. I need it to play games.

A: You can’t or you won’t?

35
Suggestion/Invitations with actions

• Suggestions/Invitations

• Will/Won’t you come for a walk?

• Would/Wouldn’t you like to watch some movie?

• Responses

• (Yes,) I’d love/like to.

36
• (No,) I’d prefer not to, thank you.

Suggestions with actions

• Suggestions

• Shall we go for a swim?

• We can/could/might go for a swim.

• What shall/can/could we do this evening?

37
• Responses

• Yes, let’s. / Yes, shall we?

• No, I’d rather we didn’t./ No, I’d rather not.

Offers with actions

• Offers

• Can/Could/Shall I open the window (for you)?

• Would you like me to open the window?

38
• What shall/can I do for you?

• May I take your coat? (very polite)

• Responses

• Yes, please. / Can/Could/Would you? That’s very

kind.

• No, thank you.

39
 Advisability
“in my opinion, it’s advisable to” / “it’s
SHOULD
(my) duty to”
slightly stronger than SHOULD,
OUGHT
regulations or duties imposed from the
TO
outside
stronger than SHOULD and OUGHT
HAD
TO (some specific future action) +
BETTER
threat/warning/urgency

40
NEED TO “it is necessary to”

Necessity
HAVE TO inescapable obligation - objective

HAVE inescapable obligation - objective -

GOT TO more informal

41
 MUST inescapable obligation - subjective

• Motorcyclists have to wear helmets while riding their

bike.

• Motorcyclists must wear helmets while riding their

bike.

42
• Teacher: “You must do your exercises before coming
to class.”

• My doctor says I have to cut down on fat

consumption.

Advisability/ Necessity in the past

• * I should have been at the office before 9.

43
• * I ought to have left/have been leaving London
before 9.

• I had to be at the office before 9.

• I had to be leaving London before 9.

• Should have p.p. = ought to have p.p. = đáng lẽ nên/

cần … trong quá khứ - nhưng KHÔNG làm

• I should have been at the office before 9.

44
• Had to-Inf = nên/phải làm gì đó trong quá khứ - và CÓ
làm

• I had to be at the office before 9.

Lack of necessity
Present Past

You needn’t go there. You needn’t have gone there.

45
You don’t need to go there. (You went there unnecessarily.)

You didn’t need/have to go

You don’t have to go there.
there.
(There was no necessity to go
You haven’t got to go there.
there, whether you did go or not.)

• You didn’t need/have to go there.

• Didn’t have/need to-Inf = việc gì đó KO CẦN làm

trong quá khứ - làm hay không - ko biết

46
• You needn’t have gone there.

• Needn’t have p.p. = đáng lẽ ra KO CẦN làm gì trong

quá khứ - nhưng CÓ làm

Inadvisability
Present Past

You shouldn’t have started

You shouldn’t start
smoking. (but you ignored this
smoking.
advice)

47
 You ought not to have started
You ought not to start
smoking. (but you ignored this
smoking.
advice)

You’d better not start

smoking.

Present Past

48
 You shouldn’t have parked here.
You can’t park here.
(but you did)

You oughtn’t to have parked

You mustn’t park here.
here. (but you did)

Failure to observe a
prohibition

49
• SHOULD / OUGHT TO + have + p.p. (criticism) •
SHOULD (NOT) / OUGHT (NOT) TO + have + p.p.

(criticism)

• NEEDN’T + have + p.p.

50
 Habit

• He will always complain if he gets the opportunity.

• When we were students we would often stay up all

night

• Jackie used to make all her own dresses.

51
 Past habit
• I used to smoke, but I don't any more/any longer.

• I never used to eat a large breakfast, but I do now.

• I collected stamps when I was a child.

• I used to collect stamps (when I was a child).

52
• When I was a boy we always spent (or used to spend)
our holidays on a farm. We'd get up at 5 and we'd help
milk the cows. Then we'd return to the farm kitchen,
where we would eat a huge breakfast.

Past habit
USED TO
• no time reference necessary
• can be used to refer to states

53
 • a time reference necessary
WOULD • never used at the beginning of a story
not used to refer to states
•

past simple • a time reference necessary

• … When I watched comedies, I would feel sad. =>

used to feel / felt
1. COULD (not) have p.p.

2. CAN’T/COULDN’T have p.p.

54
3. MAY/MIGHT (not) have p.p.

4. MUST have p.p.

5. NEEDN’t have p.p.

6. OUGHT (not) to have p.p.

7. SHOULD (not) have p.p.

8. WILL (not) have p.p.

9. WOULD (not) have p.p.

55