Modal verbs (Unit-2)

should have +V3------ criticizing past mistake/feeling sorry

You have shouted at your friend and he doesn’t want to talk to you.
I shouldn’t have shouted at my friend.
Your skin was burning by sunlight.
I should have stayed at home
should have +V3------ criticizing past mistake/feeling sorry
Would have +V3----- desire to do things but you didn’t do.-----lost opportunity
Could have +V3------ could do but you didn’t.
You haven’t done your homework.
I should have done my homework on time.
You are invited to your friend’s birthday party but you have to go to airport for
receiving your dad.
I wouldn’t have joined the party.
You are unable to get your destination on time and the people are waiting for
you.
Grammar: (Unit-2)
Modal verbs:
• A modal is a verb used with another verb (main verb) to express the mood or attitude of
the speaker. Modals are also called modal auxiliaries. (helper verbs)
 I can answer all these questions easily.
• Modals are used to convey the idea of permission, possibility, ability, suggestion, advice,
necessity, obligation, offer, prohibition, etc.
• The commonly used modals are: can, will, must, could, would, ought to, may, shall,
might, should.
• Modals have one form. They do not change according to the person or number of
subject:
 Eg: I can… You can…. He can ….. She can….. It can… They can…….
• The main verb used after a modal must be in the root form:
 Eg: It may rain today.
Model Verbs Use Examples
1. Used to To talk about past habit that My father used to smoke a lot.
did not use to(negative) someone did regularly
Did….use to…? (yes/no)
Wh did…use to…?( Wh
Question)
2. Must/must not For individual/personal obligation I must submit my homework
Must involves speaker’s authority tomorrow.
For something urgent and important Father to his son, “You must return
for the speaker home by 7.” (compulsory)
When others make you do I must exercise everyday. (the
something compulsorily speaker thinks its good for him/her)
For present and future.

3. Have to For obligations created because of The road is being repaired. The
outer circumstances buses will have to take another
It involves other’s authority route.(circumstance based)
Have to can be used as per the tense
4. Do not have to/need not/ don’t For the things that are not required I don’t need to submit my home
need to be done. work.
to I need not buy extra copies.
5. Can for giving permission to do something You can come with your
shoes on.
You need not take them
Model Verbs Use Examples

6. Could have+V3 Someone did something in past which I walked 10 miles to pass a message to
need not have+V3 was not necessary for him/her to do my friend.
You could have given me a call.
You need not have walked so far.

7. can/could/be able to For the physical and mental ability of I can run two kilometer a day.
someone at the present time Ten years ago my father could run five
kilometer a day but now he can hardly
walk.

8. Be(is/am/are/was/were) + able to For indicating somebody manages to do Many people were able to flee during
something. Russia-Ukraine War.

9. Should and should not To give suggestion and advice You should send an email.
You should not go by train.
Could is used for giving positive You could go by train.
suggestion.

10. Must and need to To say that it is necessary to do You must stop at red lights.
something. (Obligation) You need no bring your bag.
Must not for prohibition You must not make noise in the class.
A. Permission: may, can, could
• Asking for permission
 Eg: Ruchi : Can I borrow your bicycle for a while?
Mona : Sure. You can use it as long as you like.

Lima (standing at her seat in the class):

May I ask a question, Ma’am?

An old man (to a stranger):

Could you help me to cross the road?

 Can is direct, informal, friendly. (used among friends, close relations, etc.)
 May is very formal.(used by people in a subordinate position)
 Could is less direct and more polite than can. (often used for strangers, or for people not intimately known)
• Giving permission
When we give permission, we use can or may but not could:
 Eg: Hemant : Can I use your telephone?
Anil : Of course, you can.

Beena : Could I say something? (asking for permission)

Sabina : Of course, you may. (giving permission)
B. Possibility: may, might, could (50 % possibility)
• We use may, might or could to talk about Present and future possibility :
 Eg: There’s someone at the door. It may be Sajina.

 What are you doing tomorrow?

We aren’t sure. We might go for an evening show.

 Don’t stand on the chair. It could break.

 May suggests a good possibility.

 Might suggests a weak possibility.
 Could suggests still weaker possibility.

• We use could have + V3 to say that something was possible in the past but it did not happen or you could do
in the past but you didn’t.
 Eg: why did you go into the forest in the darkness?
Some wild beast could have attacked you. (it didn’t)

 You could have applied in the time. (but you didn’t)

• We use would have/should have + V3 to say that you wanted to do something
but you didn’t.(desire to do something)
 If I had worked hard, I would have secured high marks .( but you didn’t)
 I am sorry, I could have informed you well in time. ( but I didn’t)
We use would have + V3 , should have + V3 and could have + V3 for lost
opportunity.

• Can/ be able to are used to talk about ability.

 Eg: I can play the guitar but I cannot play piano.
She can dance very well but she cannot sing.
I am able to play the guitar .
• Could suggests general ability to do something in the past: was/were able to
suggests ability in a particular situation.
 Eg: When I was young, I could swim across the Karnali. (general ability)
 Even though the Karnali was big in rainy season, I was able to swim across to
the other bank
• Should + V1 and ought to + V1 can be used to ask for and give suggestion or advice, to
talk about duty and obligation, and to say what is right or good.
 Eg: you should not raise your voice.
How much money should I carry with me?
You ought to work hard in order to be a successful person.

• We use must in deductions to say that we are sure of something. The negative of must
in this meaning is can’t:
 Eg: it is 10 a.m. So our principal must be in his office.
 He is in police uniform. So he must be a policeman.
 She is working in the hospital. So she can’t be a teacher.

• Must have/ can’t have/ may have + V3 are used for deductions about the past:
 Eg: She must have worked in the hospital. (she was being taken by hospital van)
The students can’t have completed their works on time. (They were out of town)
He may have arrived in time. (But he didn’t get the vehicle on time)
 Need to + V1--------- obligation
 Needn’t have + V3 ------ things happened in the past but later you
realize that they were not necessary.
Example—
You were worried before the examination but you attempted all the
questions.
You need not have worried about examination.
B. Choose the best answer to complete the sentences.

a. 'How much was your parking ticket?' 'Fifty rupees.' 'Oh well, it ………… been worse.'
i. could have ii. must have iii. should have

b. It …………. got lost in the post. These things happen sometimes.

ii. can't have ii. might have iii. must have

c. 'Sorry I'm late. I got delayed at work.' 'You ……….. called. I was really worried about you.'
iii. must have ii. could have iii. would have

d. 'I don't think he meant to be rude.' 'He ……… said sorry.'

iv. must have ii. might have iii. wouldn’t have

e. 'Whose signature is this?' 'I don't know. It ……….. be Manoj's. That looks a bit like an M.'
v. must ii. could iii. should

f. I had it when I left the office so I ………. lost it on the way to home.
vi. mustn't have ii. must have iii. should have

g. You ……….. think it's funny, but I think it's pathetic.

i. might ii. should iii. could
C. Complete the following sentences with appropriate endings. Use correct modal verbs.

Example: She could be a doctor; however,…………….…………… . She could be a doctor; however, she
preferred to be an advocate.

a. At the end of the course, …………….……………

b. If you want to earn a lot of money, …………………………………..
c. You were not in your house yesterday. You …………………………
d. I'm quite busy tomorrow. I …………………………………………
e. When you were a small kid …………………………………..
f. My car is broken. I ………………………………………….
g. I've got a fast speed internet at home. I ……………………….
h. Even though she didn't study well, she ………………………………..
i. There are plenty of newspapers in the library. You ...........……………….. if you want.
j. What do you think you were doing, playing in the road? You …………….
k. I have no time. I ……..
l. You don't look well. You …………..
1. Add appropriate phrase form the box in the given questions.
I am sure
Because is normally there at this time
I am not sure but it is possible
I am not sure but it is possible
I am not sure but it is possible
I am sure it is impossible

Questions.
1. Eliza must be in her office. …………………………

2. She should be in her office. …………………………….

3. She may be in her office. …………………………………….

4. She might be in her office………………………………..

5. She could be in her office. …………………………………

6. She can’t be in her office. …………………………………

Obligation (must/need to/had to/ could not (for negative past)/must not (for prohibition)

1. You ……………..visit your aunt while you are here. She is always asking about you.

2. I have reserved the hotel for two nights. I …… give them my credit card number.

3. When I was child, we ………watch television except at the weekend.

4. You ….smoke here. You will set off the fire alarm.

5. When I was at school, we ….. stand whenever a teacher to the classroom.

6. Children …….run inside the school building. They…..walk all the times.

7. You can sleep here tonight, but you ….leave tomorrow.

8. In Roman times, ordinary people …………were purple clothes.

Additional Exercises:

Choose the best option to complete the sentence.

1. You …….help me. I can do it myself. ( must not/need not/ may not/can’t)
2. ……..I help you with your bags? ( Shall/will/need/must)
3. I don’t like chicken. I …….take pork. ( would rather/had better/should/need to)
4. She …..speak Chinese when she was 10. (may/would/could/ought to)
5. It must be raining. I………………….see some drops on the window. (might/am able to/will/can)
6. We …….not go there. The programme has been called off. (might/could/must/need not)
7. He is in a uniform. He…….be a solider. (must/will/can/should)
8. If there is any problem with your roommates, you …..stay with me. (should/have to/can/must)
9. You…..buy a jacket. It’s very cold in Mustang.
10.I lost my wallet at the party. I ……not have gone there. (must/should/need/could)
11.This coat suits Rajan. He ………………..definitely like it. (will/might/can/could)
12.You ……… visit a doctor. You are really ill. ( might/will/ought to/can)
13.How …..you touch my personal things! (can/dare/will/need)
14.“Rajesh ……… definitely look into the matter, “ the officer affirmed. (will/should/must/would)
15.We are………………..to wait in the lobby until the receptionist calls again.
(needed/abled/supposed obliged)
Choose the best option:

1. Rita is already over two hours late. She (should have/must have/could have)missed the bus
again.
2. You (will/must/has to/had to) stop smoking. It is very harmful.
3. The food is really good at the restaurant. They (can/must/should/will)have a great chef.
4. Don’t worry. You (do not have to/ought to/can’t/must) pay the bill.
5. The street has a nasty jam. There (might/must/could/would) have been a demonstration of
some political parties.
6. He (will/could/should) have bought the bicycle, but he did not have enough money.
7. I am feeling really tired: I think I( will/may/must) go to bed early tonight.
8. Sita (might/will/shall) be here any minute now.
9. You look cold. (may/shall/will) I turn on the heater?
10.He went to the market so that he (would/ can/could) buy some vegetables.
11.You (won’t/are not allowed to/ might not) enter here. It is only for females.
12.You (mustn’t/needn’t/can’t) pay entrance for the entry. It is free.
13.The President (must/need to/is to) visit America next week.
THANK YOU
GOOD DAY !