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Modal auxiliaries are verbs that express many kinds of meaning. Each modal auxiliary
often expresses more than one meaning and have characteristic :
1. Modal do not take a final -s, even when the subject is he, she, or it.
2. Modals are followed immediately by simple form of verb.
AUXILIARY + TO + THE SIMPLE FORM OR Have, have got, and ought are
A VERB followed by an infinitive (to + the
Have to I have to study tonight.
simple form of a verb).
Have got to I have got to study tonight.
Ought to Kate ought to study harder.
Modal Similar expressions
Must Have/has/had to
Ought to Be supposed to
2. The negative form of can may be written: can’t, cannot, or can not
1. May and might express possibility in the present or future. They have the same
meaning. There is no difference in meaning between (a) and (b).
2. Negative: may not and might not. (Do not contract may and might with not)
3. Maybe (spelled as one word) is an adverb meaning “perhaps,” Notice (f) and (g).
May be (spelled as two words) is a verb form, as in (h): the auxiliary may + the main
verb be.
4. May is also used to give permission. Often can is used to give permission, too. (i) and
(j) have the same meaning, but may is more formal than can.
a) A: Why isn’t Greg in class? Could can mean past ability. But that is not
its only meaning. Another meaning of
B: I don’t know. He could be sick.
could is possibility.
b) Look at those dark clouds. It could start
In (a): “He could be sick” has the same
raining any minute.
meaning as “he may/might be sick,” i.e., “It
is possible that he is sick.”
a) My clothes are dirty. I {should, ought Should, ought to, and had better have
to, had better} wash them. basically the same meaning. They mean:
“This is a good idea. This is good advice.”
b) You need your sleep. You shouldn’t Negative: should + not = shouldn’t.
stay up late.
a) I have a very importanttest Have to, have got to, and must have
tomorrow. basically the same meaning. They express
the idea that something is necessary.
I {have to, have got to, must} study
tonight. Have to is used much more frequently than
must in everyday speech and writing.
e) I had to study last night. The past form of have to, have got to, and
must (meaning necessity) is had to.
a) I finished all of my homework this Don’t/does’t have to expresses the idea that
afternoon. I don’t have to study something is not necessary.
tonight.
c) Children, you must not play with Must not expresses prohibition. (DO NOT
matches! DO THIS!)
e) You mustn’t play with matches. Must + not = mustn’t. (Note: The first “t” is
not pronounced)