21/03/2013

Modal Verbs REVISION

:-)
Now time to revise...

REMEMBER > All the auxiliary verbs except be, do and have are called modals. Unlike other auxiliary verbs modals only exist in their helping form; they cannot act alone as the main verb in a sentence.

Be, do, and have also differ from the other auxiliaries in that they can also serve as ordinary verbs in a given sentence.

The modal auxiliary verbs are always followed by the base form.

The modal verbs are:-

CAN / COULD / MAY / MIGHT / MUST /SHOULD /SHALL

Remember HAVE TO and BE ABLE TO are NOT  modal verbs, but are used to express obligation and ability in English

Modal
Example
Uses
Can/
Can’t
We can work it out.
He can’t fix the pipe.
Can I smoke here?
He can’t be on holiday.
Ability / Possibility
Inability / Impossibility
Asking for permission
Deduction
Could/
couln’t
Could I borrow your dictionary?
Could you say it again more slowly?
He could swim when he was 4.
Asking for permission.
Request
Ability in the past
BE ABLE TO
Sam won’t be able to come.
Have you ever been able to play tennis?
I’d love to be able to fly.
Ability/possiblity
 in other tenses
Might

She might be outside.
Deduction
Must
Mustn’t
We must go now.
They mustn’t  play ball games there.
She must be in her late twenties.
Necessity / Obligation
Prohibition
Deduction
Shall

Shall I help you with your luggage?
Offer  
Should
We should solve this problem at once.
I think we should  revise everything again.
You shouldn't eat here.
Saying what’s right or correct
Recommending action
Advice
Have to
You have to drive on the left in Britain and in Australia.
She has to wear a uniform at work.
Does Peter have to get up early on Saturdays?
 You don’t have to pay for this
She doesn’t have to work on Friday afternoons.
‘External’ obligation

Not necessary


Adapted from:  
http://www.learnenglish.de/grammar/verbmodal.htm

PRACTICE (Click on the activities)

Activity 1
Activity 2
Activity 3

1 comment:

  1. Hi Dulce! I have done the activities 2 and 3 without problem!... but I fail in the first. I don´t understand very well the difference between can and able to.

    Can you help me next day?
    Kisses

    María Acebal

    ReplyDelete