Modals Verbs.pdf

PACO

LET’S WATCH A VIDEO

SOME POSSIBILITIES:

� He could visit the Times Square.

� He may exercise around the Central Park.

� He might experience the main tourist attraction in New York.

� There is an official language in this country, English, so Paco

can communicate with American people without any problem.

� He might go up to the Empire State Building.

� Paco could take buses on the Grand Central Station.

� He should go to the Statue of Liberty.

� Can he take his camera? Yes, he can.

� Paco may not take photos in the galleries.

MODAL VERBS

Possibility

Possibility

Possibility

Possibility

Possibility

Ability

Recommendation

Permission

Prohibition

MODALS TO EXPRESS ABILITY AND PERMISSION

TYPE USE MODAL VERBS EXAMPLE

1 Expressing ability CAN Mary can drive.

He can speak English.2 Asking for permission MAY, CAN, COULD Could I borrow your pen?

Can he take his camera?3 Giving permission MAY, CAN You can use my phone.

You can take photos here.4 Refusing permission,

prohibitionCAN’T, MAY NOT You may not talk in the exam.

You can’t take photos in the galleries.

5 requests CAN, COULD Can you pass me the salt?

Could you turn on the fans, please?

MAY, COULD AND CAN

• May

May is a polite modal verb used to ask for permission.

May I have another piece of cake?

• Could

Could is also used to ask for permission. It is less formal than using may.

Could I bring a friend to the party?

• Can

Can is the least formal of the modal verbs used to ask permission.

Can I wear shorts?

Look at the following sentences and write which type you think it is. Then, use of

the modal verbs in the brackets to fill in the gaps. Type

1. You (may/could) ……………………….. leave now if you wish.

2. (Could/May) ……………………….. you open the window a bit, please?

3. (May/Can) ……………………….. you play the piano?

4. Listen, please. You (may not/could not) ……………………….. speak during this

exam.

5. You (can’t/might) ……………………….. smoke on the bus.

6. (Can’t/May) ……………………….. I make a call on you cell, please?

7. Do you know if Mark (can/may) ……………………….. sing?

8. (Can’t/May) ……………………….. I sit here, please?

9. Caroline, your friends (can/could) ……………………….. stay the night if they want

to.

10. I’m sorry but you (can’t/may) ……………………….. use the computer until after

I’ve finished.

11. (May/Could) ……………………….. you lend me 40 Euros until Monday?

12. Listen, please. Students (may/could) ……………………….. study in the library

from 5 to 9 in the evening.

LET

’S P

RA

CT

ICE may

could

can

may not

can’t

May

can

May

can

can’t

Could

may

3

5

1

4

4

2

1

2

3

4

5

3

ORDER THE SENTENCES1. go/ May/ to/ I/ mall/ the/ ?2. can/ she/ glass/ another/ have.3. your/ I/ borrow/ bike/ May/ ?4. speak/ Fred/ please/ I/ Could/ with/ ?5. the/ May/ play/ garden/ in/ the/ children/ ?6. may not/ here/ You/ stay.7. you/ Could/ something/ I/ ask/?8. make/ you/ some/ Could/ coffee/ ?9. come/ May/ in/ I/ ?10. a question/ I/ Can/ you/ ask/ ?

�Imagine you are visiting a museum. You want to

know the rules about taking photos…

�You need to make a phone call, but your mobile is

out of battery. You enter a bar and say…

�Your pencil’s tip has broken. You ask your partner

for hi/her sharpener…

What questions can you make?

MATCH AND STICKA: Mary passed her

exam.

A: I’ll work 12 hours tomorrow.

B: He might/may/could come later.

A: John hasn’t arrived

yet.

A: It’s raining really

heavily.

B: They can’t have a

picnic.

B: She must be very

pleasant.

B: You may be exhausted.

B: She must be in love.A: She can’t concentrate.

B: That can’t be healthy if you eat them every day.

A: All he eats is bread and chocolates.

Probability

Improbability

Possibility

Possibility

Explanation

Probability

MODALS TO EXPRESS SPECULATION

TYPE USE MODAL VERBS EXAMPLE

1 To express possibilities for the

future

MAY, MIGHT, COULD It may rain

tomorrow

2 To express certainty CAN’T, COULDN’T,

MUST

She can’t be Irish

3 For possible explanations MAY, MIGHT, COULD She could be

Scottish

LET

’S P

RA

CT

ICE

Look at the following phrases and write in which type you think they are. Then use one of

the modal verbs in brackets to fill in the gaps.Type

1. They (may/must) ……………………….. be away for the weekend but I’m not sure.

2. He (can/could) ……………………….. be French, if you listen to his accent.

3. They (can’t/may) ……………………….. still be outside!

4. With luck, tomorrow (can’t/could) ……………………….. be a sunny day.

5. You (can/might) ……………………….. be right but I’m going to check anyway.

6. The exam (can’t/might) ……………………….. be easy. You never know.

7. It (may/can’t) ……………………….. be true about a dinosaur living in Lake Telé in the

Congo. It’s impossible!

8. Dave says Sheyla’s from the United States but I think she (can/might) ………………………..

be from Canada.

9. I (can’t/might) ……………………….. go to the party but I’m not sure yet.

10. This (must/could) ……………………….. be the right answer but we’ll have to check with the

teacher to be sure.

11. She (can’t/could) ……………………….. steal things from shops. She’s rich and famous.

12. I really think Real Madrid (can’t/could) ……………………….. lose the final of the King’s Cup.

13. She’s been practicing 10 hours a day for 3 weeks. She (could/must) ……………………….. be

exhausted.

14. Nobody’s answering. They (can’t/must) ……………………….. be out.

Look at the pictures and writeideas that you can speculate

LOOK AT THE PICTURES AND COMPLETE

He has a terrible toothache, he should ____________

I failed the exam, I must__________.

go to the dentist.

RecommendationRecommendation

study hard

Moral obligationMoral obligation

If you want to lose weight, youshould ____________

You ought to _______ or you’ll getill.

You have to _______________ That’s the rule.

eat less fat.

RecommendationRecommendation

be quiet in class.

RecommendationRecommendation

relax

ObligationObligation

She doesn’t have to _________ It’s Sunday.

At school, students musn’t_______

get up early.

No obligationNo obligation

smoke.

ProhibitionProhibition

MODALS TO EXPRESS OBLIGATION

TYPE USE MODALS EXAMPLE NOTES

1

Obligation

Have to Maria has to go to Rome. Must expresses

more urgency

than have to.must You must see a doctor.

She had to see a doctor.

Use only have to

in verb tenses

apart from THE

PRESENT SIMPLE

2 No obligation don’t have to He doesn’t have to go.

3 Prohibition mustn’t Youmustn’tinsultpeople

4

recommendat

ion

shouldYou shouldn’t eat so

quickly.

Ought toYou ought to phone your

mother.

Ought to is not

used in the

negative.

LET

’S P

RA

CT

ICE

Decide which type of modal goes with each sentence and then fill in the gaps with

HAVE TO, MUST, SHOULD or OUGHT TO. When you see NEGATIVE, the modal verb

must be in a negative form.

Type

1.If you want to lose weight, you ……………………….. eat pasta, potatoes, white bread

or white rice. NEGATIVE

2.It’s alright. You ……………………….. cometo Muriel’swedding, if you don’t want to.

NEGATIVE

3. Stupid boy! You ……………………….. play with fire! NEGATIVE

4. I haven’t heard from Eleanor for months. Maybe I ……………………….. give her a call.

5.You ……………………….. remember your passport. Otherwise they won’t let you on

the plane.

6.The weather forecast says this weekend will be fine. We ……………………….. go on a

picnic.

7. You ……………………….. go there on your own. It’s extremely dangerous. NEGATIVE

8. You ……………………….. come if you don’t want to come. NEGATIVE

9. You ……………………….. take life so seriously. Relax a bit. NEGATIVE

1

0.

Orange juice in cartons has no benefits in it at all! You ……………………….. make it

yourself.

1

1.You ……………………….. drink and drive. NEGATIVE

1

2.

These instructions are difficult to follow. They ……………………….. to explain things

better.

LET’S PRACTICE1. It's not obligatory to take a tie. You _______ wear one.

A. don't have to B. have to C. shouldn't D. mustn't

2. Slow down or we're going to have an accident. You ______ drive so fast.A. shouldn't B. oughtn't to C. ought to D. should

3. Billy: Are you going to the party?Sally: I'm not sure. I _______ go.A. mustn't B. don't have to C. have to D. might

4. Where's the toilet? I _______ go.

A. might

B. should

C. have to

D. mustn't

5. _______ I use your phone?

A. should

B. have to

C. may

D. must

6. You _________ do your homework on Saturday morning. That way you have the rest of the week-end free.

A. must

B. might

C. shouldn't

D. ought to

LET’S PRACTICE

7. Tomorrow's a holiday. We ________ get up early.A. shouldB. don't have toC. have toD. mustn't

8. You should take an umbrella. It ________ rain.A. mustB. shouldn'tC. mightD. has to

9. If you go sailing, you _______ wear a life jacket. The sea is very dangerous.

A. mustn'tB. shouldC. mightD. must

LET’S PRACTICE