JAWAHAR NAVODAYA VIDYALAYA, GADAG

WELCOME TO THE ENGLISH GRAMMAR CLASS

TOPIC : ALL MODALS CLASS : X STD

TEACHER : B. JAYASHREE TIME : 30 MINUTES
TGT ENGLISH
JNV GADAG.
 WHAT ARE MODALS ?
• Modal auxiliaries that express the mode / manner of
action/ modality denoted by the main verbs are
called modals –that is likelihood, ability, permission,
request, capacity, suggestions, order, obligation or
advice etc.
• Modals are the modified forms of the helping verbs.
• Modal verbs are called defective verbs- no adding of
S/ES/ED to them and also they don’t have
Infinitives/’ing’ forms.
 VERBS
MAIN VERBS AUXILIARIES

FINITES NON FINITES PRIMARY MODALS

DO FORMS CAN, COULD

MAY, MIGHT
V1 V2 V3 INFINITIVES WILL, WOULD
GERUNDS DO DOES DID SHALL, SHOULD
PARTICIPLES MUST, OUGHT TO,
USED TO,
DARE & NEED
BE FORMS HAVE FORMS

AM IS ARE WAS WERE HAS HAVE HAD

LIST OF MODAL VERBS
SHALL CAN
WILL COULD
SHOULD MAY
WOULD MIGHT
MUST USED TO
OUGHT TO NEED
DARE

( And their negatives)

 FEATURES OF MODALS
• Modals always express the imaginary actions
like ability, permission, request, possibility,
probability, certainty, obligation, etc.
• Modals do not come alone, they always take
the first form of the verb with them.
• Modals are never affected by the person,
number, of the subject, unlike Main verbs and
Primary auxiliaries.
 MODE/ MANNER OF ACTION
CAN, COULD -- ability, permission, request
MAY, MIGHT -- possibility, request, uncertainty
WILL -- surety, request, permission, determination
WOULD -- request, permission, unreal condition, habitual
activity in the past
SHOULD, MUST, -- obligation, compulsion, promise, duty, necessity
OUGHT TO
USED TO -- old practice / habitual activity in the past
DARE -- courage, venture, challenge
NEED -- necessity
 MODALS-USAGE
SHALL & WILL : Both of them express the simple future.
Shall is used before I and We- 1st person.
Will is used before II & III persons.
❖ eg:
I do not know whether I shall be able to come. (uncertainty)
If we walk fast, we shall catch the train. (conditional)
My scooter is old, shall I sell it. (seeking advice)
Hari, you look so tired, shall I dig for you for some time? (willingness)

They will reach home before the sunset. (simple future)

She will buy a car. She will not listen to him. (determination)
Will you please open the window? (request)
I will return your book tomorrow. (promise)
 SHOULD :
❑
❑ It is used to express duty, advice, obligation.

❖ eg. You should respect your elders. (obligation)

He should speak the truth. (advice)
She should be by her ailing mother. (logical necessity)
He should have spoken the truth. ( but he didn’t)

❑ ‘ Lest’ is always followed by ‘should’.

eg : Work hard lest you should fail.
Walk carefully lest you should fall.’
 WOULD :
❑ Past form of will is, ‘ Would’
❑ It is used to express the past tense of will/ shall in the
Indirect Speech.
❖ eg :
They told that they would fly kites the next day
Gandhiji would spin every day. (past habit)
Would you mind opening the window ? (polite request)
I would like to explain my view. (wish/desire)
He would rather die than beg. ( preference)
If you had invited me, I would have come.
(unreal condition)
 CAN
❑ Can means ‘ be able to ‘/know how to- expresses strength-physical,
mental etc.
❑ It is used to express ability, permission, request ,possibility etc.
❖ eg.
I can speak English fluently. (ability)
He cannot open the lock without key.(lack of ability)
Can I go home now? (request)
She can enter the house today (grant of permission)
Anything can happen to her on the way (possibility)

❑ ‘ Can’t help’ means ‘can’t avoid’

❖ eg.
It is so funny that I can’t help laughing.
She is a woman. She can’t help weeping.
 COULD
❑ ‘Could’ also means ‘be able to’-denotes the ability in the past. It is used to express
polite request, possibility, permission, ability etc.
❑ ‘Could ‘ is the past form of ‘can’
❖ eg.
He could recite Gita when he was five (ability)
She could have stopped the car. ( but she didn’t) (ability)
Could you please lend me your pen? (polite request)
You could have caught the train if you had run fast. (possibility)
How could it happen ? (impatience)

The principal couldn’t help giving him admission (no choice)

The students could go to the market. (grant of permission)
He asked me if I could help him. (Indirect speech)
 MAY
❑ May is used to express probability/possibility,
permission, request, purpose, wish/prayer etc.
❑ May is more formal Modal verb.
❖ eg.
May I come in sir? (seeking permission)
It may rain today. The sky is cloudy(possibility)
We eat so that we live. (purpose)
May you live long hundred springs (wish)
May I seek your help? (request)
 MIGHT
❑ ‘Might’ is the past form of ‘May’

❑ It is used to express request, possibility, permission, wish, purpose, etc

❖ eg.
The tortoise said that he might win the race. (Indirect speech)
He asked the teacher whether he might
come in. (seeking permission)
The captain said that we might play the
match. ( grant of permission)
The teacher wished that I might live long. (wish)
Might I borrow your book ? (request)
He ran fast that he might catch the train. (purpose)
 MUST
❑ Must is used to express necessity, obligation, determination, compulsion,
certainty. Must is more formal than ‘should’ and ‘ought to’
❖ eg :
you must work hard to get good marks. (necessity from the speaker)
Parents must look after their children. (obligation)
I must finish this work today. (determination)
We must not violate the rules of the road. (compulsion)
All must die sooner or later. (certainty)
You must give up your bad habits. ( advice)
We must do our work by tomorrow. (necessity/Obligation)
You must not leave the class without my permission. (prohibition)
It is drizzling , you must take an umbrella with you.(logical necessity)
There must be a mistake somewhere. (possibility)
 OUGHT TO

Ought to usually has the same meaning as

should particularly in affirmative sentences.
• eg. You ought to do your duty.
He has burnt his midnight lamp. so he
ought to win a scholarship.
You ought to have obeyed your teacher.
‘Ought to’ is more emphatic than ‘should’
Both are often used interchangeably.
 USED TO
‘Used to’ expresses a habit in the Past. It has no Present
tense form.
❖ eg. I used to go out for a walk. (but now I don’t)
In the olden days, people used to burn oil
lamps when there was no electricity
.
I am used to a hard life.
He got used to heavy rain.
I am not used to working in the sun.
Please behave yourself, I am not used to this
kind of rude behaviour.
 DARE
• ‘Dare ‘ expresses courage, challenge
• Dare is used as both the principal/main verb and the defective/modal verb.
• As a Principal verb, it has got 3 forms:
Dare, Dares & Dared
❖ eg. I dare to say you are a liar.
He dared to risk his life.
She dares to go into the dark.

As a Defective/Modal verb, it is used in negative and interrogative sentences.

It has got 3 forms: Dare, Durst, Durst
❖ eg. He dare not say so. (present)
She durst not oppose me. (past)
How dare you enter the room? (Interrogative)
 NEED
❑ Need is also used as the principal verb and a defective/modal verb.
❑ As the principal verb, ( 3 forms: Need, Needs, Needed)
‘Need’ means ‘to stand in need of’
❖ eg. I need his help.
She doesn’t need your needles.
Your handwriting needs to be improved.
❑ As a defective verb ‘Need’ is used in negative and interrogative
sentences to express weakness, necessity obligation.
❖ eg.
You needn’t worry.
You needn’t go there to see her.
Needn’t I wait for him?
Fill in the blanks with ‘can’ ‘could’ or
‘may’ suitably.
a) Student (at the door of the Principal’s office) Madam--------I come
in ?
b) Child to his mother. I don’t want to eat this porridge.--------I have
some ice-cream instead?
c) Ronny (talking to her boss on intercom) I have typed all the
letters. Sir,-------I bring them in for your signature?
d) A car driver to a stranger,------you please tell me the way to the
hospital?
e) Rosa (talking to a friend with an album in her hand) These
pictures seem to be beautiful. ------- I have a look at them?
f) Shefali to her elder sister. ---------I wear your cardigan, Rekha?
Mine does not go with this dress.
Choose the most suitable Modal and
fill in the blank.
You a)---------(shall/will/should/may) live without
food and water for sometime but you b)-------
(can/shall/could/would) not live without air. The
air c)-------(should/will/may/would) sometimes
cause infection in the nose. If it persists you d)----
(would/could/might/must) see the doctor. A
chronic cold e)--------(would/will/should/could)
cause a great deal of discomfort. So you f)-------
(can/would/should/could) be careful about it.
THANK
YOU