Modal verbs and

their functions

by Victoria Chechevytsia
 MODAL VERBS
are auxiliary verbs(helping verbs): can,
could, will, would, shall, should, may,
might, must. They add meaning to the main
verb in a sentence by expressing
possibility, ability, permission,
obligation, etc.
 Modal verbs:
 Have the same form for all subjects:
I can, he can, they can
 Make negative themselves(just not, without do/does/did):
You shouldn’t say that.
 Goes before the subject in questions:
Could you come here?
 Don’t have the infinitive forms(use a different form):
I want to be able to sing perfectly.
 Don’t have participle forms(change the main verb):
I might be going soon. She might have had the results by now.
 Are followed by the infinitive without to:
They would visit you if you asked them.
subject modal form of verb function
verb
I/he/she/it/we/you/they must the root form(without to), be+-ing, obligation, prohibition,
have+V3/-ed present/past deduction
I/he/she/it/we/you/they can the root form(without to), be+-ing present
ability/possibility
I/he/she/it/we/you/they could the root form(without to), be+-ing, past ability/possibility,
have+V3/-ed present
speculation/deduction
I/he/she/it/we/you/they will the root form(without to), be+-ing future certainty,
present habits, offers,
promises, certainty
about past event
I/he/she/it/we/you/they would the root form(without to) past
habits/unwillingness,
request
I/he/she/it/we/you/they may the root form(without to), be+-ing, permission, offer,
have+V3/-ed specific past possibility,
future speculation
I/he/she/it/we/you/they might the root form(without to), be+-ing, future/past speculation,
have+V3/-ed specific present
possibility
 BASIC USES OF MODAL VERBS
USE MODAL VERB EXAMPLES
ability/lack of can/can’t She can speak Spanish but she can’t
ability/possibility could/couldn’t speak Italian.
Mozart could play piano at the age of
five.
possibility(present or may/might Mr. Andrews may(might) be in his
future) office. I’ll just check.
obligation must(strong) All answers must be written in ink.
should We should change some currency
soon.
prohibition mustn’t/can’t(strong) We mustn’t/can’t use the pool after
shouldn’t 7 p.m.
You shouldn’t eat while you’re
driving.
speculation can’t/could/must/ She must be in the school; her bag’s
may/might in the stuff room.
Ben can’t have been driving the
car; he doesn’t drive.
 CAN is used:
 to express or inquire about willingness:
Can you help me move next Friday?
 to show inability or impossibility:
We can't fix it.
 to show possibility or ability:
We can arrive in time if we leave now.
 to express permission(informal):
Mom, can I go over to my friend's house?
 COULD is used:
 to make a request:
Could you say it again more slowly?
 to give a suggestion:
We could try to fix it ourselves.
 to express past ability:
Until he grew taller than me, I could run faster than my younger
brother!
 to identify a possibility in the present:
We could go out for dinner, or we could just eat leftovers.
 to express or inquire about permission or willingness in a
more polite form:
Could I borrow your car next week?
 to identify a possibility in the future that is dependent upon
 Couldn't DO AND COULD HAVE(DONE)
 COULDN’T DO is used to express present deduction of
impossibility(for the past – couldn’t have…):
He couldn’t be the senior doctor – he’s far too young!
 “ I couldn’t do something” has 2 meanings:
1) I couldn’t = it would be impossible now, I would not be able;
I couldn’t run 10 kilometres now, I’m not fit enough.
2) I couldn’t = I wasn’t able(past).
I couldn’t run yesterday because I hurt my leg.
 We use COULD HAVE(done) to talk about past possibility. Something
could have happened = it was possible, but did not happen.
Why did you stay at a hotel? You could have stayed with me.
 MAY and MIGHT are used:
 to express possibility in the present and future:
Dr. Fox may(might) be your teacher next year.
 to express permission(formal):
May(might) I be excused from the table?
 MIGHT is also used to express possibility in
the past:
He might have seen the movie before he read the
book.
 WILL is used:
 to express intention:
I will mow the lawn if you clean the house.
 to make a prediction:
The weather will be hot enough to go to the beach this
weekend.
 for habitual behaviour:
I'm not surprised you don't know what to do! You will keep
talking in class.
 to make a semi-formal request:
Will you open the window, please? It's very hot in here.
 WILL is used:
 to show willingness or interest:
We're going to go to the mall. Will you come with us?
 for making a promise or a threat:
If you don't finish your dinner off, you'll go straight to bed!
 to reassure someone or to make a decision:
Don't worry! You'll settle down quickly, I'm sure.
 for talking about the future or past with certainty:
Don't bother calling: they'll have left for their 10 o'clock
meeting.
 WOULD is used:
 for requests:
Would you pass the salt please?
 for preferences:
Would you prefer tea or coffee? I'd like tea please.
 to request permission:
Would you mind if I brought a colleague with me?
 to show habits in the present and past:
The dog would bark every time the doorbell rang.
 to enquire about willingness:
Would you like to come on vacation with us this year?
 to comment on a likely truth.
The doorbell just rang. That would be your mother!
 WOULD is used:
 to talk about refusals in the past:
She wouldn't ride the roller coaster, no matter how much we begged
her.
 for a hypothetical possibility:
If I trained, I would be able to run a marathon.
 as the past tense of ”will“(future in the past):
I knew it would be cold, so I packed sweaters and a coat.
 to comment on someone's characteristic behaviour:
Mrs. Jones gave us so much homework! She would ruin our weekends!
(it is just like her to do so.)
 to express a situation that is dependent upon another action:
If I had a million dollars, I would buy a fancy car.
 SHALL is used:
 for suggestions:
Shall we say 2:30, then?
 to ask what to do:
Shall I do that or will you?
 to offer help:
Shall I help you with your luggage?
 in formal or legal situations:
The plaintiff shall be allowed to speak.
 to indicate a promise in the future(BE):
The package shall be delivered on Thursday.
 to form the simple present for I and we(BE):
Shall we meet at 7?
 for polite requests of permission(AE):
 SHOULD is used:
 to make a suggestion or advice:
You should try this soup!
 to convey the idea of an obligation:
He should come to the meetings on time.
 MUST is used:
 for prohibition (mustn't only):
They mustn't disrupt the work more than necessary.
 to make a command in a more respectful way:
You must do your homework before watching TV!
 to make a conjecture with some certainty:
It's already 9 PM! You must be hungry!
 in similar contexts as should and ought to with a sense of
external obligation:
All employees must come to staff meetings!
 We don’t use: Common mistakes:
 CAN to describe a future ability:
Can I speak fluently by the end of the course? Will I be able to speak
fluently by the end of the course?
 COULD for specific occasion in the past:
Mike’s car broke down yesterday, but fortunately he could repair it.
Mike’s car broke down yesterday, but fortunately he was able to repair it.
 COULDN’T for present and future possibility:
The shops couldn’t be open today. The optician couldn’t see you
tomorrow. The optician won’t be able to(can’t) see you tomorrow.
 MUSTN’T is used ONLY for prohibition, DON’T use it with perfect or
continuous forms.
 WOULD is used to refer to GENERAL willingness in the past, NOT for
single occasions(but we can use WOULDN’T for refusal in that
case).
 TEST
Choose the correct word:
1. The newspaper shouldn’t printed/have printed the rumour without
evidence.
2. Can/might you repeat what you just said?
3. When does the next match start? I may/could hardly hear the
announcement.
4. We mustn’t/couldn’t have been more relieved when we got news that
you were fine.
5. The shops wouldn’t/may not be open today; it’s a public holiday.
6. I may/might have gone to drama school, but I chose history instead.
7. She would pass/passed the exam if she ever studied.
8. He might/would have seen the movie before he read the book.
9. She can/should be doing it now – she usually sorts the post at this time
 The sources
 Mark Foley, Diane Hall. MyGrammarLab (Advanced C1/C2). Unit 7: Modal verbs(p.136-
160; 362-364).
 https://www.turtlediary.com/lesson/modal-verbs-and-their-functions.html
 Raymond Murphy. English Grammar in use(fifth edition). Unit 27: could(do) and could
have(done) (p.54).
 https://www.grammarly.com/blog/modal-verbs/
Some useful videos:
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GMU08J98MQ
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skqj4jOSQU4
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRzllYe2LpM
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Dq7lEw7CKM
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PY6xIDkIj4
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXN3wROCpfs