What are "modal auxiliary
verbs"?
The verbs can, could, will, would, should, may, might, must, ought
and shall are verbs which 'help' other verbs to express a meaning: it is
important to realise that these "modal verbs" have no meaning by
themselves. A modal verb such as would has several varying functions; it can be
used, for example, to help verbs express ideas about the past, the present and
the future. It is therefore wrong to simply believe that "would is the
past of will": it is many other things.
A few basic
grammatical rules applying to modal verbs
·
Modal verbs are NEVER used with other auxiliary verbs such as do,
does, did etc. The negative is formed simply by adding "not" after
the verb; questions are formed by inversion of the verb and subject:
You should not
do that.
Could you pick
me up when I've finished?
·
Modal verbs NEVER change form: you can never add an "-s"
or "-ed", for example.
·
Modal verbs are NEVER followed by to, with the exception of ought
to.
What sort of
meanings do modals give to other verbs?
The meaning are usually connected
with ideas of DOUBT, CERTAINTY, POSSIBILITY and PROBABILITY, OBLIGATION and
PERMISSION (or lack of these). You will see that they are not used to talk
about things that definitely exist, or events that definitely happened. These
meanings are sometimes divided into two groups:
DEGREES OF
CERTAINTY: certainty; probability;
possibility; impossibility
OBLIGATION/FREEDOM
TO ACT: permission,lack of permission;
ability; obligation.
Let's look at each modal verb
separately, and the functions they help to express:
WILL
Making personal
predictions
I don't think
the Queen will ever abdicate.
I doubt if I'll
stay here much longer.
Talking about
the present with certainty (making deductions)
I'm sure you
will understand that there is nothing the Department can do
There's a
letter for you. It'll be from the bank: they said they'd be writing.
Talking about
the future with certainty
I won't be in
the office until 11; I've got a meeting.
Don't bother
ringing: they'll have left for their 10 o'clock lecture.
Talking about
the past with certainty
I'm sure you
will have noticed that attendance has fallen sharply.
Reassuring
someone
Don't worry!
You'll settle down quickly, I'm sure.
It'll be all right!
You won't have to speak by yourself.
Making a
decision
For the main
course I'll have grilled tuna.
I'm very tired.
I think I'll stay at home tonight.
Making a
semi-formal request
Will you open
the window, please? It's very hot in here.
Sign this, will
you?
Offering to do
something
You stay there!
I'll fetch the drinks.
Insistence;
habitual behaviour
I'm not
surprised you don't know what to do! You will keep talking in class.
Damn! My car
won't start. I'll have to call the garage.
Making a
promise or a threat
You can count
on me! I'll be there at 8 o'clock sharp.
If you don't
finish your dinner off, you'll go straight to bed!
SHALL
Shall is a form of will, used mostly
in the first person. Its use, however, is decreasing, and in any case in spoken
English it would be contracted to "-ll" and be indistinguishable from
will.
The only time
you do need to use it is in questions, when:
Making offers
Shall I fetch
you another glass of wine?
Making
suggestions
Shall we go to
the cinema tonight?
MAY & MIGHT
May & might sometimes have
virtually the same meaning; they are used to talk about possibilities in the
past, present or future. ("Could" is also sometimes used).
May is sometimes a little bit
"more sure" (50% chance); whereas might expresses more doubt (maybe
only a 30% chance).
May & might are used, then, for:
Talking about
the present or future with uncertainty
She may be back
in her office: the lecture finished ten minutes ago.
I may go
shopping tonight, I haven't decided yet.
England might
win the World Cup, you never know.
Talking about
the past with uncertainty
I'm surprised
he failed. I suppose he might have been ill on the day of the exam.
They can also sometimes be used for
talking about permission, but usually only in formal situations. Instead of
saying May I open a window? we would say Is it all right/OK if I open a window?
or Can I open a window? for example. You might, however, see:
Students may not borrow equipment
without written permission.
MAY
Talking about
things that can happen in certain situations
If the monitors
are used in poorly lit places, some users may experience headaches.
Each nurse may
be responsible for up to twenty patients.
With a similar
meaning to although
The experiment
may have been a success, but there is still a lot of work to be done. (=
Although it was a success, there is still ...)
MIGHT
Saying that
something was possible, but did not actually happen
You saw me
standing at the bus stop! You might have stopped and given me a lift!
WOULD
As the past of
will, for example in indirect speech
"The next
meeting will be in a month's time" becomes
He said the
next meeting would be in a month's time.
Polite requests
and offers (a 'softer' form of will)
Would you like
another cup of tea?
Would you give
me a ring after lunch?
I'd like the
roast duck, please.
In
conditionals, to indicate 'distance from reality': imagined, unreal, impossible
situations
If I ruled the
world, every day would be the first day of Spring.
It would have
been better if you'd word processed your assignment.
After 'wish',
to show regret or irritation over someone (or something's) refusal or
insistence on doing something (present or future)
I wish you
wouldn't keep interrupting me.
I wish it would
snow.
(This is a complicated area! Check
in a good grammar book for full details!)
Talking about
past habits (similiar meaning to used to)
When I was
small, we would always visit relatives on Christmas Day.
Future in the
past
The assassination
would become one of the key events of the century.
CAN & COULD
Talking about
ability
Can you speak
Mandarin? (present)
She could play
the piano when she was five. (past)
Making requests
Can you give me
a ring at about 10?
Could you speak
up a bit please? (slightly more formal, polite or 'softer')
Asking
permission
Can I ask you a
question?
Could I ask you
a personal question? (more formal, polite or indirect)
Reported speech
Could is used
as the past of can.
He asked me if
I could pick him up after work.
General
possibility
You can drive
when you're 17. (present)
Women couldn't
vote until just after the First World War.
Choice and
opportunities
If you want
some help with your writing, you can come to classes, or you can get some 1:1
help.
We could go to
Stratford tomorrow, but the forecast's not brilliant. (less definite)
Future
probability
Could (NOT can)
is sometimes used in the same way as might or may, often indicating something
less definite.
When I leave
university I might travel around a bit, I might do an MA or I suppose I could
even get a job.
Present
possibility
I think you
could be right you know. (NOT can)
That can't be
the right answer, it just doesn't make sense.
Past
possibility
If I'd known
the lecture had been cancelled, I could have stayed in bed longer.
MUST
Examples here
refer to British English; there is some variation in American English.
Necessity and
obligation
Must is often used to indicate
'personal' obligation; what you think you yourself or other people/things must
do. If the obligation comes from outside (eg a rule or law), then have to is
often (but not always) preferred:
I really must
get some exercise.
People must try
to be more tolerant of each other.
You musn't look
- promise?
If you own a car, you have to pay an
annual road tax.
Strong advice
and invitations
I think you
really must make more of an effort.
You must go and
see the film - it's brilliant.
You must come
and see me next time you're in town.
Saying you
think something is certain
This must be
the place - there's a white car parked outside.
You must be
mad.
What a suntan!
You must have had great weather.
The negative is
expressed by can't:
You're going to
sell your guitar! You can't be serious!
She didn't wave
- she can't have seen me.
SHOULD
Giving advice
I think you
should go for the Alfa rather than the Audi.
You shouldn't
be drinking if you're on antibiotics.
You shouldn't
have ordered that chocolate dessert - you're not going to finish it.
Obligation:
weak form of must
The university
should provide more sports facilities.
The equipment
should be inspected regularly.
Deduction
The letter
should get to you tomorrow - I posted it first class.
Things which
didn't or may/may not have happened
I should have
renewed my TV licence last month, but I forgot.
You shouldn't
have spent so much time on that first question.
Ought to
Ought to
usually has the same meaning as should, particularly in affirmative statements
in the present:
You
should/ought to get your hair cut.
Should is much
more common (and easier to say!), so if you're not sure, use should.