25/2/2016 Modal verbs worksheet Modal Verbs by Viv Quarry (www.vivquarry.com) In order to understand English modal verbs, it is important to recognise how they can be used. Modal verbs in English can be used in TWO WAYS: 1. To show LEVELS OF PROBABILITY (deduction) 2. To perform SPECIFIC FUNCTIONS (additional meaning) like obligation, permission etc MODAL VERBS USED TO SHOW LEVELS OF PROBABILITY LEVEL OF MODAL TIME = TIME = PROBABILITY VERB PRESENT & PAST FUTURE CERTAINTY WILL (Be) He'll be here by That will / would have Friday been Susan who called It won't / wouldn't have CERTAINTY WON'T (Be) She won't be here been John, I think he's in São Paulo IMPOSSIBILITY CAN'T Be It can't be Fred, he's He can't / couldn't have COULDN'T Be in the USA written this, he doesn't It couldn't be right speak Arabic PROBABILITY MUST (Be) He must be right, he's He must have finished (LOGICAL) an expert in this area by now, he's a fast worker PROBABILITY SHOULD (Be) He should be He should have finished (LOGICAL + finishing now, he's a by now, the exam's PREFERENCE) fast worker nearly over POSSIBILITY POSSIBILITY MIGHT (Be) They might win, but I doubt it MIGHT NOT (Be) It's very cloudy, but I might not rain POSSIBILITY MAY (Be) POSSIBILITY MAY NOT (Be) POSSIBILITY COULD (Be) http://www.vivquarry.com/wkshts/modal.html We may go to Greece for our holidays I may not arrive on time You could be right, but I doubt it If they had played better, they might have won If I hadn't read that book I might not have passed the exam She may have got lost He may not have done it He could have had an accident even though he's a very good driver 1/6 25/2/2016 Modal verbs worksheet MODAL VERBS USED TO PERFORM SPECIFIC FUNCTIONS MODAL TIME = TIME = FUNCTION VERB PRESENT& PAST FUTURE COMPULSION MAKE SB (Do) PROHIBITION CAN'T/NOT ALLOWED TO PERMISSION STRONG OBLIGATION STRONG OBLIGATION NO OBLIGATION MAY (Be) MUST (Do) MUSTN'T (Do) DON'T HAVE TO (Do) NO OBLIGATION NEEDN'T (Do) NO OBLIGATION DON'T NEED TO (Do) SUPPOSED TO DUTY DUTY NOT SUPPOSED TO FORMAL ADVICE FORMAL ADVICE INFORMAL ADVICE WOULD (Do) WOULDN'T (Do) SHOULD (Do) INFORMAL ADVICE INFORMAL ADVICE INFORMAL ADVICE REQUESTS SHOULDN'T (Do) ABILITY CAN (Do) ABILITY BE ABLE TO (Do) OUGHT TO (Do) NOT OUGHT TO (Do) CAN (I/you) http://www.vivquarry.com/wkshts/modal.html She makes them tidy their room My dad says that I can't see you anymore May I go now? I must remember to pay the phone bill Mother: "you mustn't play with matches." I don't have to wake up early on Saturdays You needn't pay it now if you don't want to I don't need to study French anymore Your supposed to arrive at work at 8am You not supposed to be here! I'd arrive on time if I were you I wouldn't do that if I were you You should always dress well at interviews You shouldn't speak to him like that You ought to be here earlier You didn't ought to touch that Can/Could you help me, please? I can speak English Will you be able to come? The teacher made them write it out six times She wasn't allowed to see him anymore I was allowed to go I had to apologize The children weren't allowed to play outside I was happy that I didn't have to see him again You needn't have done it, but I'm glad you did He didn't need to revise for the exam You were supposed to have done this by now I wasn't supposed to have been at the meeting I would have arrived on time if I'd been him I wouldn't have done that if I'd been him You should have dressed well at the interview You shouldn't have spoken to him like that You ought to have been there earlier You didn't ought to have done that I asked him to help me I could speak English when I was five She was able to answer all the questions 2/6 25/2/2016 Modal verbs worksheet ABILITY MANAGE TO (Do) NORMAL BEHAVIOUR OFFERS WILL OFFERS SHALL SUGGESTIONS SHALL (LET'S) WILLINGNESS WON'T (Do) WILL Does he manage to get here on time? She'll always do her homework I'll help you with that Shall I give you a hand Shall we meet at 9pm? I won't do it! He managed to rescue her She would always do her homework I'd have helped you I should have helped you I suggested meeting at 9 She wouldn't do it Before using a modal verb, you must decide whether you are using it to show probability or possibility If the answer to this question is YES, then the present and future form will be: + VERB + OBJECT MODAL VERB + BE + NOUN / ADJECTIVE + BE + GERUND E.g. They may arrive on time. or He might be the right person for the job. or She should be arriving in a few minutes and the past form will be: MODAL VERB + PRESENT PERFECT E.g. It must have been a very difficult exam, everyone's looking worried If the answer to the question above is NO then things are much more complicated and you will have to learn the modal verb used, and its past tense form, depending on the function Modal verbs Difficult cases Probability and possibility CAN 'Could be' or 'could have been' mean that something is possible but you are NOT CERTAIN E.g. "Where's John?" "I don't know. He could still be at home" or "I don't know. He could have gone home" (I've got no idea, it's just a guess) BUT 'Can't be' or 'can't have been' are used to say that something is not possible: you are CERTAIN http://www.vivquarry.com/wkshts/modal.html 3/6 25/2/2016 Modal verbs worksheet E.g. "Where's John?" "I don't know. He can't still be at home because I've just come from there." or "I don't know. He can't have gone home because his car's still here." or "I don't know. He couldn't have gone home, I've just seen his car." ('Couldn't be' has the same meaning but is slightly weaker) Specific functions MUST AND HAVE TO 'Must' is used when the speaker has AUTHORITY to oblige someone to do something E.g. (Doctor to patient) "You must stop smoking immediately." (Mother to child) "John. You mustn't speak like that to your grandmother." (To yourself) "I must remember to buy my mother a present." THE PAST OF 'MUST' IS 'HAD TO' E.g. I had to remember to take my car keys with me when I went to the airport When the obligation comes from another person or organization, HAVE TO is used E.g. "I have to get up early tomorrow." (My job or a trip is obliging me to get up early) "How many years do you have to work before you can retire?" (Obligation from rules) Note! the pronunciation of 'have to' is /HAFTA/ Only 'Have to' is possible in the will future or the present perfect 'MUSTN'T' means that there is an obligation NOT TO DO SOMETHING BUT 'DON'T HAVE TO' means that there is NO OBLIGATION E.g. (Teacher to student) "You mustn't forget to revise your modal verbs before the exam, but you probably won't have to answer any difficult questions" The past of mustn't is 'not be allowed to' E.g. "My mother told me that I wasn't allowed to talk to strange men." CAN FOR ABILITY 'Can' (do something), 'can't' (do something) and 'couldn't' (do something) are used with stative verbs and when the ability is GENERAL E.g. "When the light went off I couldn't see anything." (stative verb) "I could swim when I was six years old." (I could swim at any time after 6 years old) When you want to talk about ABILITY ON ONE SPECIFIC OCCASION you must use BE ABLE TO or MANAGED TO http://www.vivquarry.com/wkshts/modal.html 4/6 25/2/2016 Modal verbs worksheet E.g. I wasn't able to fix the engine because I didn't have the parts I needed Managed to is used to stress the successful completion of the activity E.g. The girl was drowning, but the lifeguard managed to save her In the present 'can' and 'be able to' are sometimes interchangeable, but in the will future or in perfect tenses, 'be able to' or 'managed to' must be used REQUESTS The modal verb which is used for a request depends on THE LEVEL OF FORMALITY In FORMAL SITUATIONS you can use WOULD or DO YOU MIND (DOING STH.) E.g. "Would/Do you mind if I open the window?" or "Would you mind turning down the music a bit?" (Talking to someone you don't know well) In INFORMAL SITUATIONS use CAN (YOU DO STH.) E.g. "Dad, can we go to the cinema on Saturday?" or "John, can you pass me that book?" (Talking to a good friend or a member of your family) In nearly ALL SITUATIONS you can use COULD (YOU DO STH. FOR ME) E.g. "Could you help me with this exercise, please?" or "Could I have six pounds of potatoes, please? (At home, in class or in shops) OFFERS WILL and SHALL are used when making offers WILL means I'M OFFERING TO HELP YOU It is usually used when you are talking to someone you know well, and it is obvious that you can help them E.g. "Oh dear. There are so many dishes to wash!" "I'll help you do the washing up." SHALL means I'M ASKING YOU IF YOU WANT ME TO HELP YOU It is usually used when you are talking to someone you don't know very well or when it is not clear that you can be of help E.g. "Oh dear! These suitcases are very heavy." "Excuse me. Shall I help you with them?" (Two people who don't know each other) or "I'd like to go to a party next Friday, but I haven't got anyone to look after my son." "Shall I babysit for you?" (I'm not qualified, but I'll help you if you like) http://www.vivquarry.com/wkshts/modal.html 5/6 25/2/2016 Modal verbs worksheet SHALL can also be used to make a suggestion. E.g. "Shall we go to the cinema tonight?" WILL FOR CHARACTERISTIC BEHAVIOUR When using this structure it should be contracted when writing and not stressed when speaking E.g. "He'll always be there when you need help." If it is stressed when speaking, it means that the behaviour is annoying E.g. "He will keep on interrupting me." NEEDN'T HAVE DONE v DIDN'T NEED TO DO Needn't have done sth. means the action was completed, but was unnecessary E.g. "You needn't have bought any butter. We've got lots of it." Using 'didn't need to do sth.', we don't know if the action was completed, just that it wasn't necessary E.g. "I didn't need to do any shopping because I was eating out that night." Modal verbs practice exercises (advanced level) Back to Grammar worksheets Home http://www.vivquarry.com/wkshts/modal.html 6/6