Introduction

Welcome to the modal verbs blog, in this blog you can learn more about modal verbs, not only reading the notes but also doing funny exercises

Modal verbs: present and future

1.       Don’t have to:

•         Don’t have to refers to an absence of obligation

You don’t have to work tomorrow

2.       Must not:

•         Must not refers to an obligation not to do something

You must not leave the room before the end of the test

3.       Should:

•         Expectation

This film should be really good

•         Recommendation

I think you should talk it over with your parents

•         Criticism of an action

You shouldn’t eat so much late at night

•         Uncertainty

Should I leave these papers on your desk?

•         To make an opinion less direct

I should think that model would sell quite well

•         With be and adjectives describing changes

It’s strange that you should be staying in the same hotel!

•         After in case to emphasize unlikelihood

I’m taking an umbrella in case it should rain

4.       Could:

•         Could is used to express possibility or uncertainty

This could be the house

•         Could is used with comparative adjectives to express possibility or impossibility

The situation couldn’t be worse

•         Could is used to make suggestions

We could go to that new restaurant opposite the cinema

•         Could is used to express unwillingness

I couldn’t possibly leave Tim here on his own

5.       Can:

•         Can with be is used to make criticisms

You can be really annoying, you know!

•         Can is also used with be to refer to capability

Winter here can be really cold

6.       Must and can’t:

•         These refer to present time only. In expressing certainty, they are opposites

This must be our stop (I’m sure it is)

This can’t be our stop (I’m sure it isn’t)

7.        May and might:

•         May can be used to express although clauses

She may be the boss, but that is no excuse for shouting like that

•         May and might both express possibility or uncertainty

The peace conference may find a solution to the problem

8.       Shall:

•         Shall can be used with all persons to emphasize something which the speaker feels is certain to happen or wants to happen

I shall definitely give up smoking this year

•         We use shall to make suggestions

Shall we try the new Indian restaurant tonight?

9.       Will:

•         Will can be used to express an assumption

A: The phone’s ringing. B: That will be for me

•         Will/ won’t can be used emphatically to tell someone of the speaker’s intention, or to forbid an action, in response to a will expression

I will take the money anyway, so there!

10.   Would:

•         Would is often used in situations where a conditional sense is understood but not stated

Nobody would agree with that idea

•         Would is used to make requests

Would you make me a cup of tea, please?

•         Would is used to express willingness to do something

If you would take a seat, I’ll tell her you’re here

11.   Need:

•         Need to is a modal auxiliary, and behaves like a normal verb

Do you need to use the photocopier?

•         Need is a modal auxiliary, but mainly in question and negative forms

Need you make so much noise?

12.   Had better:

•         This is a recommendation and refers only to the present or future

You had better not phone again

13.   Be bound to:

•         This makes a future prediction of certainty

It’s bound to rain tomorrow

Modal verbs: present and future exercises

Now you can do some exercises to practice the modal verbs

I will survive

First, listen the song that it's below and do the exercise

Modal verbs: past

1.       Had to:

•         Had to is the past form of must and refers to a past obligation

Sorry I’m late, I had to post some letters

•         The negative form is didn’t have to and refers to an absence of obligation

2.       Should have and ought to have:

•         Expectation; Should have refers to something which was supposed to happen

The parcel I sent you should have arrived by now

•         Criticism of an action

You shouldn’t have eaten so much last night

•         With be and adjectives describing chance

It was strange that you should have been staying in the same hotel last year

•         As a polite expression of thanks on receiving a gift or a favour

I’ve done the washing up for you. – Oh, you really shouldn’t have!

3.       Could have:

•         Could have refers to past possibility or uncertainty

It could have been Sue, I suppose (uncertainty)

•         Couldn’t have can be used with comparative adjectives

We couldn’t have been happier in those days

•         Could have can also express unwillingness

She could have gone to the party with her friends (but she didn’t)

4.       Could:

•         Could refers to past permission or past ability

Mary could swim when she was three

5.       May have and might have:

•         Might have refers to past possibility which did not happen

You might have drowned!

•         Might have and may have refer to uncertainty

I suppose I may have been rather critical

•         Both can be used in the negative to express uncertainty

They might not have received our letter yet

•         Might have is used to express annoyance at someone’s failure to  do something

You might have told me my trousers were split!

6.       Must have and can’t have:

•         These refer to the speaker’s certainty about a past action

You can’t have lost it (I am sure you didn’t)

•         Both can also be used with surely in exclamations

Surely you must have noticed it!

7.       Would not:

•         This expresses an unwillingness in the past

Everyone was angry because Sam wouldn’t turn off the television

8.       Would have:

•         Would have can refer to events in the past which did not actually happen

I would have accepted this job, but I didn’t want to move house

•         Assumptions about the past are also possible with would have

A: Someone called after you left but didn’t leave a message

B: That would have been Cathy, probably

9.       Needn’t have and didn’t need to:

•         Needn’t have refers to an unnecessary action which was actually done

You needn’t have paid all at once (you did pay)

•         Didn’t need to refers to an unnecessary action which was not done

I didn’t need to go to the dentist again, luckily

Modal verbs: past exercises

Another exercises about modal verbs (past)

Other important sources

If you want to search the meaning of words you can use some of the online dictionaries: www.wordreference.com
http://www.linguee.es/

To see more about modal verbs you can visit various web pages:
http://www.curso-ingles.com/gramatica-inglesa/modales.php
http://www.myteacherpages.com/webpages/alfonsolopez/files/Modal%20Verbs.pdf

More exercises:
http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/modal-verbs.html
http://www.englishpage.com/modals/interactivemodal1.htm

Something interesting:


Videos: