MODALS
PROBLEMS THAT STUDENTS HAVE USING MODALS
3 AREAS
• MODALS DON’T FOLLOW THE RULES FOR SUBJECT/VERB AGREEMENT
• MODALS DON’T USE THE INFINITIVE FORM (TO)
• SOME LANGUAGES USE REGULAR VERBS OR ADVERBS INSTEAD OF MODALS
A RIDDLE?
WHEN DOES A 3RD PERSON PRESENT TENSE VERB NOT
NEED AN ‘S’ ?
WHEN IT’S A MODAL!
True modal auxiliaries are not like other auxiliary and main
verbs. They don’t need subject /verb agreement.
The Form of English Modals
I can go I go
You can go You go
She/he/it can go She/he/it GOES
We can go We go
They can go They go
MODALS AND LEXICAL VERBS
• HE WANTS TO GO. Yes or no?
• HE PLANS TO GO. Yes or no?
• HE CAN TO GO. Yes or no?
Modals do not have to follow the rule which says that an infinitive
must precede the 2nd verb in certain two-verb sequences.
Third area of confusion
Not all languages have modals – often verbs or adverbs are used to
perform the same function.
Modals can be combined with present and past tenses.
Present & past combinations
Base form of modal
Combined with present tense
Combined with past tense
Can Can Could
Will Will Would
May May Might
Shall Shall Should
Must Must Had to
Remember that just because we have present and past forms of modals it doesn’t mean that we only use the present form to talk about the present time or that we
only use the past form to talk about the past time.
HOWEVER
THIS DOES HAPPEN WHEN WE ARE USING REPORTED SPEECH.
THEN THE MODALS REFLECT THESE PRESENT
TENSE/PRESENT TIME AND PAST TENSE/PAST TIME
CONNECTION
DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED (INDIRECT) SPEECH
Skippy: I can type. Skippy said that he could type.
Danie: I will go. Danie said that she would go.
Skippy: Shall I stay? Skippy asked if she should stay.
Charlotte: May I smoke? Charlotte asked if she might smoke.
Elizabeth: I must work. Elizabeth said that she had to work.
Modals and Quasi Modals
Multiword forms ending in to which function like true modals are called
quasi-modals
Examples
• Modals• Can• Will• Must• Should
• Would (=past habit)
• Quasi-modal• Be able to • Be going to• Have to , have got to• Be to, ought to, be
supposed to• Used to
Notice that quasi-modals do not exhibit the same formal
properties as the true modals in that the subject verb agreement rule must be applied (except for
ought to and used to and all quasi-modals require that a ‘to’ infinitive precede the main
verb
Rules for using Modals and Quasi –modals in a sentence
We can should study hard for the test. M M
.I am able to must do the assignment. QM M
.I might be able to go to the film. MQ QM
He will have to improve his English M QM
He is going to have to improve his ? ? English .
So what are the patterns that you can use?
Patterns
Modal + Modal = No
Quasi-modal +modal = No
Modal + quasi-modal = Yes
Quasi-modal + quasi-modal = Yes
The meaning of modals
Situational versus logical probability
Situational uses of modals
• Making requests of a general nature
• Will/would/can/ or could you help me?
• Making specific requests for permission
• May/might/can or could I leave the room?
Although both the present and past forms of these modals can
be used in making requests , only the present tense forms are likely to be used in responses to
requests
Examples
• To general requests:• Yes, I can. • (Not – Yes, I could.)• Yes, I will• Not, Yes I would.)
• To requests for permission
• Yes, you may.• (Not Yes, you might.)• Yes, you can.• (Not Yes, you could.)
Reason for this?
Reason for this?
• Past tense forms of modals are considered more polite and less demanding that present forms- so the person making the request will use the past tense to ‘soften ‘ the request, however , the person being asked is not expected to ‘soften’ his/her response. More often a direct response is expected.
• Yes, I can. No, I can’t.
If you saw me wearing a watch and you wanted to know the time
what would you say?Could you tell me the time?
Or
Would you tell me the time
Difference
Can/Could= is it possible
Will/would= willingness
Another use of Situational Modals is to give advice
• You might/could see a doctor.
• You should see a doctor.
• You had better see a doctor.
• You must see a doctor.
• You will see a doctor.
Additional uses of situational modals
Ability –can, be able to
Desire- would like to
Preference- would rather ___ than __
Tomorrow we will look at the Logical uses of Modals.