Modal Auxiliary

þ Modal Auxiliary þ

Modals	Functions	Examples	Modals	Functions	Examples
Shall	Asking	Shall I play with you?	Must	Certainty	It must be wrong.
Will	Asking	Will you do the work?	Must	Obligation	You must do it.
Would	Requesting	Would you lend me a book	Mustn’t	Prohibition	You mustn’t run in the sun.
Should	Suggestion	You should study hard.	Needn’t	Negation	I need not want a cigarette now.
Can	Ability	He can drive a motorcycle.	Dare	Bold assertion	I dare say you are a fool.
Could	Ability Requesting	Could you help me to do the sum?	Daren’t	Afraid to do	I dare not follow you.
May	Possibility Permission Prayer	He may come. May I come in? You may live long.	Ought (to)	Moral obligation Suggestion	We ought to love children. You ought to go to a doctor.
Might	Possibility Suggestion	His statement might be true.	Used (to)	Habit	He used to walk early in the morning.

** After a modal there can NEVER be: [verb+ing], [verb+s/es], past tense or infinitive.

** There are two ways that a modal can occur:

1. Modal + simple form of verb: We should pray to Allah. It may rain today.
2. Modal + have + verb in past participle: He is going to be arrested.

NOTE: The word ‘have’, of course must always be in the simple form after a modal; it can never be has or had.

n Used to

It means past time habit. It can NEVER be use to. Consider the following rules.

Subject + used to + verb in simple form

                                  When I was young I used to swim once a day.

Subject + be/get + used to + [verb + ing]

John is used to swimming everyday (He is accustomed to swimming everyday)

John got used to swimming everyday (He became accustomed to swimming everyday)

NOTE: be used to = to be accustomed to, get used to = become accustomed to.

The director used to write his own letters. (Past time habit)

John is used to eating at 10:00 P.M. (Is accustomed to)

We got used to cooking our own food when we had to live alone. (Became accustomed to)

n Would like

This expression is often used in invitations; it can also mean want. It not correct to say: “Do you like...?” to invite somebody to do something. Use- “would you like....?”

Would + subject + like + [to + verb]...?

Would you like to dance with me?

Would you like to see a movie tonight?

Would like to have a cup of coffee?

                                            Subject + would like + [to+verb]                   

I would like to visit Japan

We would like to order now, please.

They would like to study at the University.

n Could/May/Might

Could, may, might means possibility. The speaker is not sure of the statement made when using these modals.

It might rain tomorrow.   

It may rain tomorrow.       = It will possibly rain tomorrow or maybe it will rain tomorrow.

It could rain tomorrow.

NOTE: Maybe is a combination of may and be, but it is one word and is not an auxiliary. It means the same as perhaps.

Example:

The president said that there might be a strike next week.

I don’t know what I am doing tomorrow. I may go to the beach or I may stay home.

It might be warmer tomorrow. I may not be able to go with you tonight.

I don’t know where Jony is. He could be at home.

n Should

This modal is used to indicate:

i.                   A recommendation, advice or obligation: Rahat should study tonight. One should exercise daily. Maria should go on a diet. You should see a doctor about this problem. We should not hate the poor.

ii.                 Expectation; used to indicate something that the speaker expects to happen: It should rain tomorrow. (I expect to rain tomorrow). My check should arrive next week. (I expect it to arrive next week)

NOTE: The expressions had better, ought to and be supposed to generally mean the same as should in either of the two definitions.

Subject + had better/should/ought to/be supposed to + verb in simple form

John should study tonight = John had better study tonight.

John ought to study tonight = John is supposed to study tonight.

n Must

This modal is used to indicate:

i.                   Complete obligation; this is stronger than should. With should the person has some choice on whether or not to act, but with must the person has no choice.

One must endorse a check before one cashes it.

Shahid must call his insurance agent today.

A pharmacist must keep a record of the prescriptions that are filled.

An automobile must have gasoline to run.

This freezer must be kept at 20º.

ii.                 Logical conclusions; must is used to indicate that the speaker assumes something to be true from the facts that are available but is not absolutely certain of the truth.

John’s lights are out. He must be asleep.

(We assume that John is asleep because the lights are out)

The grass is wet. It must be raining.

(We assume that it is raining because the grass is wet)

n Have to

This pseudo modal means the same as must, meaning complete obligation.

Shahid has to call his insurance agent today.

A pharmacist has to keep a record of the prescriptions that are filled.

For a past time obligation, it is necessary to use had to. Must CANNOT be used to mean a past obligation.

Shahid had to call his insurance agent yesterday.

Mrs. Shyla had to pass an examination before she could practice law.

n Modals + Perfective

This formation is used to indicate past time.

Modal + have + [verb in past participle]...

 NOTE: Remember that a modal is always followed by the simple form of the verb. Thus, have can never be has or had.

n Could/May/Might + Perfective

Any of these modals + perfective indicates a past possibility.

It may have rained last night, but I’m not sure.

The cause of death could have been virus.

John might have gone to the movies yesterday.

n Should + Perfective

This is used to indicate an obligation that was supposed to occur in the past, but for some reason it did not occur.

John should have gone to the post office this morning. (He did not go to the post office)

Lisa shouldn’t have called John last night. (She did call him)

The policeman should have made a report about the burglary. (He did not make a report)

NOTE: The expression, had to, was/were + supposed to + [verb in simple form] also means the same as should + perfective = past obligation.

John was supposed to go to the post office this morning. (He didn’t go)

The policeman was supposed to make a report about the crime. (He didn’t make a report)

n Must + Perfective

This is not used to indicate a past obligation. It can only mean a logical conclusion in the past.

The grass is wet. It must have rained last night. (It probably rained last night)

Tony’s lights are out. He must have gone to sleep. (He probably went to sleep)

Jane did very well on the exam. She must have studied. (She probably studied)

Sandra failed the test. She must not have studied. (She probably did not study)