Modal verbs

1. 1r Batxillerat. Unit 4
Modal Verbs
Semi-modal Verbs

2. CONTENTS
1.Modals and semi-modals. Why are they special?
2.Modal verbs in the past
3.What do modal verbs express? Double
meanings.
4.Important points to remember.
5.Example sentences. Exercise

3. • Can
• Could
• Must
• May
• Might
• Should /ought
to
• Needn’t
Modal Verbs.
Which?

4. • Can
• Could
• Must
• May
• Might
• Should /ought
to
• Needn’t
Modal Verbs.
Which?
Semi-modal
Verbs. Which?
• Be able to
• Have to

5. Modal Verbs. What makes them
special?
 He can speak
English.
 She shouldn’t
smoke.
 It may be his jacket
but I don’t know.

6. Modal Verbs. What makes them
special?
 He can speak
English.
 She shouldn’t
smoke.
 It may be his jacket
but I don’t know.
 They are auxiliary
verbs that give
additional meaning to
the main verb.
 They do not need any
otheraux. verbs.
 They do not accept
conjugation
 They are followed by an
infinitive without to.

7. Modal Verbs. What makes them
special?
Some modal verbs do not have all tenses. They use otherverbs
to complete the tenses.
Can is completed with be able to
Must is completed with have to

8. Semi-modal Verbs. What makes themspecial?
They are called semi-modal because:
• Be able to
• Have to

9. Semi-modal Verbs. What makes themspecial?
They are called semi-modal because:
They use auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions
•Do you have to go?
•They don’t have to wear a uniform

10. Semi-modal Verbs. What makes themspecial?
They are called semi-modal because:
They use auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions
•Do you have to go?
•They don’t have to wear a uniform
There is S-V agreement in 3rd person singular
•He has to study more.
•She will be able to finish her exam. (to be!)

11. Semi-modal Verbs. What makes themspecial?
They are called semi-modal because:
They use auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions
•Do you have to go?
•They don’t have to wear a uniform
There is S-V agreement in 3rd person singular
•He has to study more.
•She will be able to finish her exam. (to be!)
They are followed by to+Infinitive

12. Semi-modal Verbs. What makes themspecial?
They are called semi-modal because:
They use auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions
•Do you have to go?
•They don’t have to wear a uniform
There is S-V agreement in 3rd person singular
•He has to study more.
•She will be able to finish her exam. (to be!)
They are followed by to+Infinitive
They can express tense
•We didn’t have to wait a long time (past)
•They will be able to understand her reasons (future)
•He had to tell the police the truth (past)
•I have never been able to remember a joke (present perfect)

13. • She wants to get good marks so she must
study hard.
• You should visit the museum.
What about PAST situations?
Modal Verbs usually referto the present
orfuture...

14. Modal Verbs in the
PAST
They are modal forms that refer to actions that
happened in the past.
MODAL + HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE

15. • He might not have heard Emmanuel Jal’s
gongs.
• Emmanuel Jal must have had a tough time.
• You’re getting very good marks, you must
have studied hard.
Modal Verbs in the
PAST
They are modal forms that refer to actions that
happened in the past.
MODAL + HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE

16. Modal Verbs in the
PAST
Other forms
Ability – can / could . Compare:
•I could ride my bike when I was 4 (ability)
•I could have done that but I didn’t (unrealised
past ability)
Obligation – have to / had to
•Emmanuel Jal had to join the army

17. What do they express?
Meaning
Some can have more than one meaning
depending on the situations

18. What do they express?
Present and Future Past
1. Ability Can/ Can’t / be able
to
Could (general ability) (podia)
Could (n’t) have +pp (unrealised
past ability) (hagués pogut)
2. Advice
Suggestion
Should(n’t)
Ought (n’t) to
Must
Should(n’t) have + pp
Ought (n’t) to + have +pp
Could (n’t) have +pp
3. Obligation Must (internal)
Have to (external)
Had to
4. Lackof
obligation
Don’t have to (no has
de, no hi ha
obligació)
Didn’t have to (a past activity wasn’t
necessary but we don’t know if it
happened)
Needn’t
(informal: don’t need
to)
(no fa falta que)
Needn’t have + pp (a past activity
happened but it wasn’t necessary)

19. What do they express?
Present and Future Past
5. Prohibition Mustn’t ---
6. Positive
deduction
must Must have + pp
7. Negative
deduction
Can’t can’t / couldn’t have + pp
8. Possibility,
speculation
and deduction
Could(n’t)
May (not) (+)
Might (not) (-)
Could (n’t) have +pp
May (not) have + pp
Might (not) have +pp

20. What do they express?
Some can have more than one meaning
depending on the situations
More than one meaning
Must Obligation
Strong advice
deduction
Can Ability
Permission
Can’t Negative ability
Negative deduction
Prohibition
Could Permission
Possibility, speculation
Advice
May Permission
Possibility / speculation

21. POINTS TO
REMEMBER:

22. POINTS TO
REMEMBER:
 Need as a modal verb is used mainly in negative, has no –s in the third
person singular, needs no auxiliaries. He needn’t wear a tie.
Informal spoken English. He doesn’t need to wear a tie.

23. POINTS TO
REMEMBER:
 Need as a modal verb is used mainly in negative, has no –s in the third
person singular, needs no auxiliaries. He needn’t wear a tie.
Informal spoken English. He doesn’t need to wear a tie.
 Must (internal obligation)
Have to (rules,..)
Must in the past = had to

24. POINTS TO
REMEMBER:
 Need as a modal verb is used mainly in negative, has no –s in the third
person singular, needs no auxiliaries. He needn’t wear a tie.
 The meaning of modal verbs can change when they are used in
affirmative or negative.
I have to take an exam tomorrow
You don’t have to take this exam.
Informal spoken English. He doesn’t need to wear a tie.
 Must (internal obligation)
Have to (rules,..)
Must in the past = had to

25. POINTS TO
REMEMBER:
 Don’t have to = lack of obligation (no has de)
Needn’t = lack of necessity (no fa falta que)
Didn’t have to (no sabem si va passar)
Needn’t have + pp ( sí que va passar)
 Need as a modal verb is used mainly in negative, has no –s in the third
person singular, needs no auxiliaries. He needn’t wear a tie.
 The meaning of modal verbs can change when they are used in
affirmative or negative.
I have to take an exam tomorrow
You don’t have to take this exam.
Informal spoken English. He doesn’t need to wear a tie.
 Must (internal obligation)
Have to (rules,..)
Must in the past = had to

26. Example sentences. Present and
Future
1 . She has to practise the vio lin.
2. Yo u do n’t have to co m e to day.
3. Yo u m ust de cide no w.
4. She can’t sing ve ry we ll.
5. Yo u sho uldn’t co m plain allthe tim e .
6 . He ne e dn’t wo rk in an o ffice .
7 . She o ug ht to se nd he r so ng s to a pro duce r.
8 . Yo u m ustn’t ride a m o to rbike witho ut a he lm e t.
9 . He can’t be a pro fe ssio nalsing e r. He sing s re ally badly.
1 0 . She m ust be a m usician. She kno ws a lo t abo ut m usic.
1 1 . The pho ne is ring ing . It co uld be m y siste r.
1 2. If we do n’t hurry up, we m ig ht no t arrive o n tim e .
1 3. Ihave to subm it the applicatio n fo rm to day.
1 4. She hasn’t be e n able to finish o n tim e .
1 5. Se rg io willso o n be able to play the drum s.

27. Example sentences. Past
a. The co nce rt m ust have finishe d late . The y lo o k
tire d.
b. Yo u sho uld have le ft e arlie r.
c. Mario co uld play the vio lin whe n he was o nly
fo ur.
d. He can’t have practise d fo r the auditio n. He was
with m e allday.
e . She m ay have wo n the co m pe titio n. She was
ve ry g o o d.
f. The y m ig ht have calle d but Iwasn’t at ho m e .
g . Isho uldn’t have m isse d the training .