Modal verbs

Today I want to speak about certain verbs, modal verbs. But at first I tell you in which parts

the verb is divided.

Verb: main verb e.g. play, read, work

primary auxiliaries e.g. be, do, have

modal auxiliaries or modals

What are modals?

With modal verbs one can say that sth. can, should, may, must etc. happen

Formen

Positive

Negative

Full forms

Contracted forms

Full forms

contracted forms

can

-

cannot

can′t

could

-

could not

couldn′t

may

-

may not

-

might

-

might not

mightn′t

will

`ll

will not

won′t

would

`d

would not

wouldn′t

shall

`ll

shall not

shan′t

should

`d

should not

shouldn′t

must

-

must not

mustn′t

-

-

need not

needn′t

ought to

-

ought not to

oughtn′ to

They are followed by an infinitive without "to" with the exception of "ought to".

Difference between main verbs and modals

1. Sandra

can

speak French very well.

2.

Can you

open the window, please?

3. Jane′s husband

can′t

(

cannot

) drive a car.

Harry

can

help Judy with the cooking,

can′t

he?

Zu 1. the third person in the singular doesn′t have the end "s"

Zu 2. questions are build by changing of subject and modals

Zu 3. Negation is formed by: modals + not

Zu 4. in sentences with question tags modal verb are included again

Modals have only a present or a past form, but they can be used to refer to the future e.g.

I
must leave tomorrow.

That′s why there are also

substitute verbs

which can form all tenses

and can therefore be used for the missing tense forms of some modals e.g.

Can -be able to

Must -have(got) to

May -be able to

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Speech intentions expressed by modals and related verbs

Ways of expressing an ability or an inability

Forms: can

could

be able to

1. John

can

swim very well.

Ed

is able to

drive a van.

2.

Difference between could and was / were able to

Janet

can

swim very fast for a twelve-year-old girl,

can′t

she

?

­

But at her age her mother

could

swim even faster.

When Janet′s mother was twelve, she

was able to

break the Junior Record

Ways of expressing an strong obligation or a necessity

Forms: must

needn′t

have ( got ) to

1. Religious education

must

be taught in all English schools.

Jerry

has

(

got

)

to

wear glasses when he′s reading.

2. You

needn′t

go shopping today.

Mike

hasn′t got to

go to bed yet. There′s no school tomorrow.

Susan

doesn′t have to

feed the fish. They′ve been fed.

a) You

mustn′t

do that. = Du

darfst

das nicht tun.

You

needn′t

do that. = Du

brauchst

das nicht zu tun.

b) We

didn′t have to

hurry. = Wir

brauchten

uns nicht zu beeilen.

We

needn′t have

hurried. = Wir

hätten

uns

nicht

zu beeilen

brauchen.

3.

"Must" in contrast to " have ( got ) to"

a) Mother: You

must

be back by ten o′clock, Karen.

Karen to friend: I′

ve got to

be back by ten o′clock. My mother told me so.

b) Sally

has got to

go now. Her train leaves in ten minutes.

It′s Jim′s birthday on Friday so

I have to

write to him today.

Ways of expressing obligations, instructions or orders

Forms: should( n′t ) / ought to ( oughtn′t )

Shall I...? / Shall we...?

be to

will

1. a) Reading a comic? You

should /ought to

be doing your homework.

b)You

should / ought to

have been here twenty minutes ago.

2.

Shall I

ring up the police

?

( Do you want me to ring them up? )

When

shall we

meet you

?

( When do you want us to meet you? )

3. a) Mum says you

aren′t to

wash the pullover in the washing machine.

b) What

am

I

to

do first

?

Whatdid the boss say?

4. a) You

will

be home by ten o′clock and that′s that!

b) Swimming caps

will

be worn in the pool at all times.

---

Ways of expressing a permission

Forms: can

be allowed to

may

1. You

can

leave early today if you like.

As the doctors had agreed, Tina

could

leave hospital two days ago.

Ed

is allowed to

drive a van.

2. a)

May I

borrow your pen, please

?

May we

use our grammar books

?

b) Guests

may

use the hotel swimming-pool till 10 o′clock.

Ways of expressing a prohibition

Forms: can′t

be not allowed to

mustn′t / be not to

may not

1. You

can′t

put your bike against this wall.

The pupils

couldn′t

leave then examination room early.

Tina

wasn′t allowed to

say what she wanted to.

2. a) You

mustn′t

say things like that.

b) Didn′t you hear what Peter said? You

′re not to

make so much noise!

3. Books from this shelf

may not

be taken home.

Ways of expressing a request

Forms: Can you...?

Could you...?

Couldn′t you...?

Will you...?

Would you...?

1. a)

Would you

give the dog some food

?

Will you

pass me the salt, please

?

b)

Could you

explain the meaning of this word to us

?

Can you go t the chemnist′s shop for me today

?

Ways of expressing an offer or an invitation

Forms: Will you...?

Would you...?

Won′t you...?

1.

Won′t you

stay a little longer, Susan

?

Will you

come to uor class party next week, Miss Dean?

Would you

like to have another sandwich, Bob?

Ways of expressing a suggestion

Forms: Can′t you...?

Couldn′t you...?

Shall I...? / Shall we...?

( really, simply ) must

1. a)

Couldn′t

Marcia go by bus to the airport

?

b) There′s a photo exhibition in the department store this month. You really

must

see it.

---

Ways of expressing an advice

Forms: should / ought to

shouldn′t / oughtn′t to

( really, simply ) must

had better ( not )

1. a) It′s cold outside. Judy

should / ought to

put on a warm coat.

Helen is too fed. She

′d better not

eat so many biscuits.

b) You simply

must

visit Jane at the hospital. She′s so unhappy.

c) You

′d better

go now if you want to catch the bus.

d) You

shouldn′t / oughtn′t to

have made such a terrible noise last night.

Ways of expressing a possibility

Forms: can

could

Couldn′t...?

may, may not

might mightn′t

1. a)

Couldn′t

this picture be a Picasso

?

It looks like one, doesn′t it?

b) Though the story is true, you

may not

believe it.

Ways of expressing a probability

Forms: will

would

should / ought to

shouldn′t / oughtn′t to

1.a) Don′t disturb him. He

′ll

be writing letters at this time.

b) John

should

be playing next Saturday.

c) You′ve got a pain in your back? A new bed

would

solve your problem.

Question tags

Question tags with agreement

1.a) Dad

can meet

Mum at the station,

can′t

he?

b) I

needn′t explain

everything,

need

I?

c) Terry

must

be told the truth,

mustn′t

he

?

We

mustn′t

forget the tickets,

must

we

?

( in german: "..., nicht wahr? / nicht? / oder? / gell?" )

question tags with doubt

1.a) I think the cat has eaten all the ice-cream. ­Oh, it

has

,

has

it

?

b) I haven′t drunk any alcohol for two years. ­So, you

haven′t

,

haven′t

you

?

( in german: " Ach wirklich / tatsächlich? / Was du nicht sagst." )

Modals ­ Zusammenfassung

(Beispielsätze siehe speech intention )

Substitute verbs

I mustn′t = I′m not allowed to

I must = I have to

---

I may = I′m allowed

I needn′t = I don′t have to

I can = I′m able to

Ways of expressing an ability or an inability

Forms: can

be able to

Use: can is only used in present tense; it has lots of meanings that′s why you better use "be able to" Bsp.1

Difference between could and was / were able to

Could is a past form of can Bsp.2

In clauses of statement "could" expresses an ability which you had in the past

was/were able to expresses an ability which you had and you really did in the past

was/were able to is always right if you can use "managed to"

Ways of expressing strong obligation or necessity

Forms: must

have to

needn′t

Use: must/have (got) to expresses a obligation or necessity Bsp.1

needn′t, haven′t got to and don′t have to expresses no obligation and no necessity Bsp.2

a) You

mustn′t

do that. = Du

darfst

das nicht tun.

You

needn′t

do that. = Du

brauchst

das nicht zu tun.

b) We

didn′t have to

hurry. = Wir

brauchten

uns nicht zu beeilen.

We

needn′t have

hurried. = Wir

hätten

uns

nicht

zu beeilen

brauchen

must in contrast to have (got) to

must: speaker has an own obligation inside ( speaker performs obligation ) Bsp.3a)

expresses signs, e.g. road signs/ traffic symbols

have (got) to: speaker pass an order on another person Bsp 3a)

have (got) to: expresses an obligation or necessity by outside circumstances (no must) Bsp. 3b)

Ways of expressing obligations, instructions or orders

Forms: : should( n′t ) / ought to ( oughtn′t )

Shall I...? / Shall we...?

be to

will

Use: with should/ought to you can expresses what sb. do or did in the speakers opinion Bsp.1

questions with Shall I.../ Shall we...? are used to express if you ask sb. for instructions Bsp.2

be to expresses instructions which isn′t from the speaker but the instruction is only passed on by the speaker Bsp.3a)

questions with be to are used to ask for instructions of another person Bsp.3b)

will expresses orders with no contradiction Bsp.4a)

will expresses instruction with no contradiction Bsp.4b)

Ways of expressing a permission

Forms: can

be allowed to

may

Use: can is used in present tense and could in past tense Bsp.1

but these words have lots of meanings that′s why you better use be allowed to Bsp.1

may- with "May I...?/May we...? you ask for permission Bsp.2a)

( requests with may are more polite than requests with can )

may especially expresses a permission in formal English Bsp.2b)

---

Ways of expressing a prohibition

Forms: can′t

be not allowed to

mustn′t / be not to

may not

Use: can′t expresses a prohibition in present tens and couldn′t in past tense Bsp.1

you better use "be not allowed to" Bsp.1

mustn′t expresses prohibition of the speaker Bsp.2a)

be not to expresses prohibition of another person which is repeated Bsp.2b)

may not expresses a prohibition in formal English Bsp.3

Ways of expressing a request

Forms: Can you...?

Could you...?

Couldn′t you...?

Will you...?

Would you...?

Use: if you want to be polite you use "would you...?" instead of "will you ...?" or "could you...?" instead of

" can you ...? " Bsp.1a)+b)

Ways of expressing an offer or an invitation

Forms: Will you...?

Would you...?

Won′t you...?

Use: "Won′t you...?" is more pressure than "Will you...?"/"Would you...?" Bsp.1

Ways of expressing a suggestion

Forms: Can′t you...?

Couldn′t you...?

Shall I...? / Shall we...?

( really, simply ) must

Use: all expresses a suggestion Bsp.1a)

( really/simply) must is used to strongly offer a suggestion

Ways of expressing an advice

Forms: should / ought to

shouldn′t / oughtn′t to

( really, simply ) must

had better ( not )

Use: should / ought to, must, had better express an advice Bsp.1a)

(really/simply) must expresses an strong advice Bsp.1b)

had better expresses an advice in a wider sense of warning Bsp.1c)

had better can′t be used in the past, that′s why you use should / ought to +present perfect Bsp.1d)

Ways of expressing a possibility

Forms: can

could

Couldn′t...?

may, may not

might mightn′t

Use: can, could, couldn′t are used in questions if you have some certain signs Bsp.1a)

May and might expresses a possibility but with doubts Bsp.1b)

they aren′t used in questions of decisions instead of you use, e.g. " Do you think ? / Don′t you think ?"

---

Ways of expressing a probability

Forms: will

would

should / ought to

shouldn′t / oughtn′t to

Use: the speaker expresses with "will" that he/she think sth. Is probably because of certain reasons Bsp.1a)

The degree of probability with "should/ought to" is smaller than with "will" Bsp.1b)

"would" expresses a probability which have a condition Bsp1c)

Question tags

Question tags with agreement

If a sentence have a primary auxiliary you build the question tag with it otherwise with do/does/did

( Question tags are in German "nicht wahr? / nicht?/oder? / gell?")

If the clause of statement says yes the question tag says no and reverse Bsp.1a)+b)

The question tag of "must" is "mustn′t" and reverse Bsp.1c)

question tags with doubt

If the clause of statement says yes the question tag says yes, tooand reverse. Bsp1a)+b)

(in German: " Ach wirklich? / tatsächlich ? / Was du nicht sagst." )

Words

exception Ausnahme

ability Fähigkeit

inability Unfähigkeit

permission Erlaubnis

prohibition Verbot

possibility Möglichkeit

impossibility Unmöglichkeit

request Bitte

suggestion Vorschlag

orders Befehle

instruction Anweisung

contradiction Widerspruch

refusal Weigerung

invitation Einladung

advice Ratschlag

obligation Verpflichtung

strong obligation Zwang

necessity Notwendigkeit

offer Angebot

probability Wahrscheinlichkeit

deduction Schlussfolgerung

Functions

(die unterschiedlichen Aussagen eines Wortes)

Can /

a) Fred′s hand is much better now. He

can

move it again.

Must

a) You

must

do your homework more carefully.

Can′t

Sorry, I

can′t

help you. I don′t know how to change a wheel.

b) Miss Edwards has been working all d

b) Your brother

can

have my bike. I don′t need it today.

c) You simply

must

---

Diana

can′t

go camping with her boy-friend. Her mother

Dick really

must

won′t allow that.

Will

a)

Will

you please repeat the sentence, Bill

c) An accident

can

happen even to the most careful driver.

You

won′t

tell your sister anything,

That

can′t

be Mr Wood. He′s still on holiday

b)

Will

you have another sandwich, Mr

d)

Can

I use your telephone, please

?

c)

Won′t

you sit down, Mrs Blake

Can′t

we go to the cinema tonight

?

d) You

will

do what I′ve just told you.

Could /

a) When Doris came to the USA, she

could

only speak a little English

e) All members

wi

Couldn′t

Linda sprained her wrist, so she

couldn′t

play basketball last Tuesday.

f) That′s the bell. It

b) At my old school I

could

use a pocket calculator.

g) Something is wrong

The fans

couldn′t

enter the concert hall.

h) Charlie

will

sit in a pub for hours and chat with the landlord.

c) An expert

could

answer Don′s question.

When the cat is away, the mice

How strong you are! I

couldn′t

carry such heavy crates.

Would

a)

Would

you please ring up Mrs Spooner as soon as possible, Dave

Could

(

n′t

) Janet have left her purse at the baker′s?

b) Perhaps you

would

d)

Could

you post this letter, please

?

c)

Would

you like a drink, Dad

Couldn′t

you take the dog for a walk

?

d) A sensible suggestion

Couldn′t

we play cards with the Parkers next Sunday

?

e) The doctor advised Tom t

May /

a) The Greenbaums

may

be moving next year.

f) When Sandra was a little girl, she

May not

The way I see it, you

may not

be right.

Shall

a)

Shall I

do the shopping for you

b)

May

I go to the concert

?

b)

Shall we

switch to another channel

May

we leave an hour earlier today

?

c) Where

shall I

put the lamp

c) You

may

smoke in this part of the cinema.

Should /

a) You

shouldn′t / oughtn′t to

Magazines

may not

be taken out of the waiting room.

Ought to

You

should / ought to

Might /

a) Let′s ring up Martina. She

might

still be at home.

We

should / ought to

Mightn′t

Going by train

mightn′t

be a bad idea after all.

b) It′s not far from here. It

Mustn′t

a) You mustn′t smoke here.

Needn′t

a) David

needn′t

so worried, he′ll pass the exam, I′m sure.

Can a) express an ability/ inability

b) express a permission/ prohibition

c) express a possibility/ impossibility

d) questions with can express a request/ questions with can′t are used to offer a

suggestion

Could a) express an ability in the past/ an inability in the past

b) express a permission in the past/ prohibition in the past

c) express a possibility/ impossibility

with could and couldn′t you can ask for a possibility , too.

d) questions with could and couldn′t express a request Bsp 1 u. 2

with couldn′t you can offer a suggestion Bsp 3

may a) may and may not express a possibility

b) questions with "May I...?/May we...?" express requests for permission

Bsp1+2; may express a permission Bsp 3 and may not express a prohibition in

formal English(speech which is used in correspondence with offices)Bsp4

might a) might and mightn′t express a possibility Bsp 1 u. 2

---

needn′t a) express the missing of a strong obligation or necessity

must a) express a strong obligation or necessity Bsp 1 u. 2

b) express a deduction Bsp 1

c) express a urgent suggestion or advice Bsp. 1u. 2

(you often use

simply

or

really

to support "must"

mustn′t a) express a prohibition

will a) express a request Bsp.1 u. 2 or an offer Bsp3 or an invitation Bsp 4

with will you can express orders Bsp 5 and instructions Bsp 6, which do not

have a contradiction

b) express a probability Bsp 1

c) won′t express a refusal Bsp 2

d) will express a typical behaviour, too Bsp 1 u. 2

would a) in questions express a request Bsp 1 or offer Bsp2+3 or an invitation

b) express a probability Bsp2

c) wouldn′t express a refusal in the past Bsp 1

d) express a typical behaviour in the past Bsp 2

shall a) in questions with "I" or "we" shall express an offer Bsp 1, suggestion Bsp 2 or

an instruction

should/ought to a) express an advice Bsp 1 u. 2 or an obligation Bsp 3

b) express a probability

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