English (Grammar)

Topic- Modals
 Modals
• Modals are verbs used to express the mood or attitude of
the speaker. They are used before ordinary verbs and
express meanings such as permission, possibility,
certainty and necessity. They are – can,could, may,
might, will, would, shall, should, must, ought to, need,
has to, have to and had to.
• Use of ‘can’
1. To express or inquire about willingness.
Can you help me move next Friday?
2. In the negative form, to show
inability or impossibility.
We can't fix it.
3. To show possibility, in the sense that
an action is theoretically possible
We can arrive in time if we leave now.
4. To show ability, in the sense of knowing
how or being able to do something.
We can swim, but we can't surf - yet!
5. In informal situations, to express permission, in
the sense of being allowed to do something. 
Mom, can I go over to my friend's house?
• Use of ‘could’
1. To make a request.
Could you say it again more slowly.
2. To give a suggestion.
We could try to fix it ourselves
• 3. To show ability in the past.
Until he grew taller than me, I could run faster than
my younger brother!
4. To identify a possibility in the present.
We could go out for dinner, or we could just eat
leftovers.
5.
To express or inquire about permission or willingn
ess in a more polite form.
Could I borrow your car next week?
Use of ‘may’
• 1. To express possibility in the present and future.
[Note: In this context, may and might are
interchangeable.]
• Dr. Fox may be your teacher next year.
• 2. In formal situations, to express permission, in
the sense of being allowed to do something.
• May I be excused from the table?
Use of ‘might’
1. To express possibility in the past.
• He might have seen the movie before he read the
book.
2. To express possibility in
the present and future. [Note: In this context, may
and might are interchangeable.]
• Dr. Fox might be your teacher next year.
3. In formal situations, to express permission, in
the sense of being allowed to do something. It is
more polite and tentative than may.
• Might I be excused from the table?
Use of ‘will
1. To express intention.
• I'll (I will) mow the lawn if you clean the house.
2. To make a prediction.
• The weather will be hot enough to go to the
beach this weekend.
3. For habitual behavior.
• I'm not surprised you don't know what to do!
You will keep talking in class.
4. To make a semi-formal request.
• Will you open the window, please? It's very hot in
here.
5. To show willingness or interest.
• We're going to go to the mall. Will you come with
us?
6. For making a promise or a threat.
• If you don't finish your dinner off, you'll go straight to
bed!
7. To reassure someone or to make a decision.
• Don't worry! You'll settle down quickly, I'm sure.
• Use of ‘would’
1. For requests.
• Would you pass the salt please?
2. For preferences.
• Would you prefer tea or coffee? I'd like tea
please.
3. To request permission.
• Would you mind if I brought a colleague with me?
4. To show habitual activity .
• The dog would bark every time the doorbell rang.
5. To enquire about willingness.
• Would you like to come on vacation with us this
year?
6. To comment on a likely truth.
• The doorbell just rang. That would be your mother!
7. To talk about refusals in the past.
• She wouldn't ride the roller coaster, no matter how
much we begged her.
8. To talk about habitual behavior in the past.
• Every Saturday, dad would make us pancakes.
9. To talk about the future in the past, as the
past tense of "will".
• I knew it would be cold, so I packed sweaters
and a coat.
10. To express a situation that is dependant
upon another action (this is called the
conditional mood).
• If I had a million dollars, I would buy a fancy car.
• Use of ‘shall
1. For suggestions.
• Shall we say 2:30, then?
2. For asking what to do.
• Shall I do that or will you?
3. For offering someone help.
• Shall I help you with your luggage?
4. In British English, to indicate a promise in
the future.
• The package shall be delivered on Thursday.
5. In British English, to form the simple
present for I and we.
• Shall we meet at 7?
6. In American English, to form polite questions that
include a polite request for permission.
• Shall I call you a taxi?
• Use of ‘should’
1. To make a suggestion or advice.
• You should try this soup!
2. To convey the idea of an obligation.
• He should come to the meetings on time.
• Use of ‘ought to’
1. In the same situations as "should," but with
a stronger sense of obligation or intensity.
• He ought to come to the meetings on time! He's
the boss!
• You ought to respect your elders.
2. Duty
• You ought to help the poor.
3. Probability
• The prices of onions ought to come down soon.
• Use of ‘must’
1. Compulsion
• You must see the doctor at once.
2. Duty
• One must serve one’s country.
3. Obligation
• You must help your neighbours.
4. Necessity
• If you want to reach on time, you must run fast.
5. For prohibition (mustn't only).
• They mustn't disrupt the work more than necessary.
• Use of ‘need’
1. ‘Need’ is used to express necessity or obligation
generally in an interrogative sentence in the present
tense.
• Need I you worry about your lost documents?
• Need she pay the amount?
• Need I tell you more?
2. Need not/Needn’t is used to express necessity in the
negative sense.
• I need not meet him.
• You need not have abused him.
• Use of ‘has to’/’have to’/’had to
1. ‘Has to’ and ‘have to’ are used to express some compulsion,
necessity or obligation in the present or future tenses while
‘had to’ is used to express the same in the past tense.
• He has to finish his work on time.
• I have to withdraw money from the bank.
• He had to move the almirah himself.
• 2. In negative and questions, ‘have to’ and ‘had to’ are used
with ‘do’, ‘does’ and ‘did’.
• They don’t have to worry about food.
• They didn’t have to go.
• She doesn’t have to finish the drawings.