MODALITY

Modal verbs allow people to talk about alternative state of affairs. These states of affairs are thought as not present in the current situation may never occur in the actual world. We use the modals to describe ability and possibility, to make deductions, arrangements, suggestions and offers and to ask for and give permission. Modals share a series of common feature properties: Inversion with the subject: Must I go? Negative form with not or nt: I cant go. No -s forms for the third form singular. Absence of non-finite forms (i.e. no infinitive, no past, or present participle). No co-occurrence: I may will go.

FUNCTIONS OF MODAL VERBS

ABILITY/INABILITY I can see a fire in the distance. When I was a child I could play a lot. (repeated action) He was able to run away. (single action) He wasnt able to/couldnt eat the fish. (Both types can be used in the negative for either a repeated or a single action) OBLIGATION/DUTY I must pay the rent by Friday. (strong obligation or duty) I have to speak to the dean. (obligation/necessity) He had to have an X-ray. Must we go with you? Do I have to finish the translation now? ABSENCE of OBLIGATION or NECESSITY ADVICE You should have a rest. You ought to work harder. You ought not to complain so much. Need he sign this form? LOGICAL ASSUMPTION (affirmative) CRITICISM You should have made sure that the tickets were valid. (but you didnt) He ought to have come to the meeting. (but he didnt) LOGICAL ASSUMPTION (negative) REQUESTS, OFFERS, SUGGESTIONS Can you hurry up, please? Would you pass me the salt? Ill give you a lift. Shall I make the tea? POSSIBILITY/IMPOSSIBILITY You can have a cookie if you want one. They could ask someone for help. You may be lucky this time. She might come with us. (But I dont think so.) You cant rely on British weather. Is she likely to go abroad to study? Is it likely that shell go abroad to study? NECESSITY He needs to improve his Dutch. My flat needs redecorating. She has to make up her mind as soon as possible. You are not to play in this room. (= its against the rules) You cant join our club. (= you arent allowed to join our club) PROHIBITION You mustnt speak loud in the library. Might I borrow your newspaper? (formal) You cant sit here if youd like to. You may take the last ice cream. PERMISSION/CONCESSION Can I use your phone? May I make my own decision?

He should go to the doctors. They might as well watch the match.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MODAL VERBS

can-could; may-might; must; ought to; will-would; shall-should; have to; need; dare; used to 1. They take no -s in the third person singular except for have to, need and dare. 2. They have no infinitive or participle forms so they cannot be used in the continuous tenses except for have to, need and dare. 3. They are followed by short/bare infinitive except for have to, ought to and used to. 4. They form their negative and interrogative forms the same way as the auxiliaries (e.g. may not, may I?) apart from have to, need and dare. Notes: need and dare are followed by a short/bare infinitive if they are used as modals; otherwise they are followed by a long/full infinitive. e.g. You neednt come. or You dont need to come. be able to, be allowed to and have to are used to fill in the missing tenses of can, may (when expressing permission) and must respectively. was able to is used to refer to a past single action whereas could is used to refer to a past repeated action. e.g. Although she was tired, she was able to run a long distance. When she was young, she could run very well. have to expresses external obligation whereas must expresses obligation imposed by the speaker. e.g. According to the law, all passengers on board a plane have to fasten their safety belts. I must wear a helmet when I ride a motorbike or Ill be fined. (its my decision to take the risk) may expresses possibility whereas might increases the doubt. e.g. They may make up if you advise them. They might make up but Im not sure. (slight possibility)

May - Must - Cant

May (= perhaps) / Must (= I think, I suppose) / Cant (= I dont think, I dont suppose) May - Must - Cant + Infinitive Simple Present Present Indicative Perhaps he works as a teacher. He may work as a teacher. Future Present Infinitive I dont think she will win. She cant win. Present Continuous Present Continuous Infinitive I suppose he is working hard. He must be working hard. Future Continuous Present Continuous Infinitive Perhaps they will be playing chess. They may be playing chess. Simple Past Perfect Infinitive I dont think he worked enough. He cant have worked enough. Present Perfect Perfect Infinitive Perhaps she has left him. She may have left him. Past Continuous Perfect Infinitive Continuous I dont believe she was working last year. She cant have been working last year. Present Perfect Continuous Perfect Infinitive Continuous I think they have been living here a long They must have been living here a long time.

time.

Mustnt - Neednt
mustnt (= its forbidden, not allowed) e.g. You mustnt smoke in here. / You are not allowed to smoke in here. neednt (= its not necessary) e.g. You neednt learn the poem by heart. / Its not necessary for you to learn the poem by heart.

Didnt need to - Neednt have

Didnt need to shows that it wasnt necessary for something to happen and it didnt happen. e.g. Mother didnt need to cook as we had been invited out to dinner. Neednt have shows that it wasnt necessary for something to happen but it did happen. e.g. Paul neednt have studied for so many hours because the exam was cancelled.