Monday, 4th November

Modal verbs

The modal verbs include can, must, may, might, will, would, should. They are used with other verbs to express ability, obligation, possibility, and so on. Below is a list showing the most useful modals and their most common meanings:

Modal	Meaning	Example
can	to express ability	I can speak a little Russian.
can	to request permission	Can I open the window?
may	to express possibility	I may be home late.
may	to request permission	May I sit down, please?
must	to express obligation	I must go now.
must	to express strong belief	She must be over 90 years old.
should	to give advice	You should stop smoking.
would	to request or offer	Would you like a cup of tea?
would	in if-sentences	If I were you, I would say sorry.

Modal verbs are unlike other verbs. They do not change their form (spelling) and they have no infinitive or participle (past/present). The modals must and can need substitute verbs to express obligation or ability in the different tenses. Here are some examples:

Past simple	Sorry I'm late. I had to finish my math test.
Present perfect	She's had to return to Korea at short notice.
Future	You'll have to work hard if you want to pass the exams.
Infinitive	I don't want to have to go.

Past simple	I couldn't/wasn't able to walk until I was 3 years old.
Present perfect	I haven't been able to solve this problem. Can you help?
Future	I'm not sure if I will be able to come to your party.
Infinitive	I would love to be able to play the piano.

Modals are auxiliary verbs. They do not need an additional auxiliary in negatives or questions. For example: Must I come? (Do I must come?), or: He shouldn't smoke (He doesn't should smoke).

can     could     have to     must     might     should

1. Ted's flight from Amsterdam took more than 11 hours. He  be exhausted after such a long flight. He  prefer to stay in tonight and get some rest.

2. If you want to get a better feeling for how the city is laid out, you  walk downtown and explore the waterfront.

3. Hiking the trail to the peak  be dangerous if you are not well prepared for dramatic weather changes. You  research the route a little more before you attempt the ascent.

4. When you have a small child in the house, you  leave small objects lying around. Such objects  be swallowed, causing serious injury or even death.

5. Dave:  you hold your breath for more than a minute?
Nathan: No, I can't.

6. Jenny's engagement ring is enormous! It  have cost a fortune.

7. Please make sure to water my plants while I am gone. If they don't get enough water, they  die.

8. I  speak Arabic fluently when I was a child and we lived in Egypt. But after we moved back to Canada, I had very little exposure to the language and forgot almost everything I knew as a child. Now, I  just say a few things in the language.

9. The book is optional. My professor said we  read it if we needed extra credit. But we read it if we don't want to.

10. Leo: Where is the spatula? It  be in this drawer but it's not here.
Nancy: I just did a load of dishes last night and they're still in the dish washer. It  be in there. That's the only other place it  be.

11. You  take your umbrella along with you today. The weatherman on the news said there's a storm north of here and it  rain later on this afternoon.

12.  we pull over at the next rest stop? I really  use the bathroom and I don't know if I  hold it until we get to Chicago.

13. Oh no! Frank's wallet is lying on the coffee table. He  have left it here last night.

14. Ned:  I borrow your lighter for a minute?
Stephen: Sure, no problem. Actually, you  keep it if you want to. I've given up smoking.

15. I  believe she said that to Megan! She  insult her cooking in front of everyone at the party last night. She  have just said she was full or had some salad if she didn't like the meal.

16. Do you  chew with your mouth open like that? Geez, it's making me sick watching you eat that piece of pizza.

17. Mrs. Scarlett's body was found in the lounge just moments ago, and it's still warm! Nobody has left the mansion this evening, so the killer  be someone in this room. It  be any one of us!!!

18. Ted: I don't know why Denise starting crying when I mentioned the wedding.
Pamela: It  have been what you said about her brother. Or, perhaps she is just nervous. After all, the big day is tomorrow.

19.  you always say the first thing that pops into your head?  you think once in awhile before you speak?

20. I was reading the book last night before I went to bed. I never took it out of this room. It  be lying around here somewhere. Where  it be? be swallowed, causing serious injury or even death.