Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
MODAL VERBS - Coggle Diagram
MODAL VERBS
Primary Functions
Can/Could: Ability
May/Might: Permission
Will/Would: Prediction
Shall: Prediction
Should/Ought: Escapable obligation or duty
Must: inescapable obligation
Needn't: absence of obligation
Modal verbs BASIC
an auxiliary verb that expresses necessity or possibility. English modal verbs include must, shall, will, should, would, can, could, may, and might.
Động từ khuyết thiếu: Vì nó thiếu cột 2,3 trong những động từ hợp quy tắc.
Động từ tình thái: Vì nó chỉ thái độ, tình cảm,...
Secondary Functions
VERY UNCERTAIN: You be right: Might, may, could, can should
ALMOST CERTAIN:You have been right: ought to, would, will, must
CERTAIN: You are right
USE OF MODALS
CAN
General ability or possibility
Ex: Maria
can speak
English but she
can't speak
German.
Informal request, offer, permission
Ex: -
Can I have
another cup of tea, please?
Can I help
you with that bag?
You
can't use
the computer now?
To make statements/ criticism sound less definite - often used in academic/ scientific writing
Ex: Susan
can be
insensitive at times.
The novel
can be
described as an epic.
CAN NOT
: - To say that something is impossible
To make a negative deduction (the negative equivalent of must)
Ex: He
can't
be hungry. He's just had supper.
COULD
General ability in the past
Ex:
Could
you
ride
a bike when you were five? I
couldn't.
Possibility in the present/future
Ex Don't wait fro him - he
could be
late.
Requests ( more polite than can)
Ex:
Could
you
turn
down the sound a bit?
Suggestions
Ex: We
could
ask John to make some inquiries
In questions to emphasize that we feel strongly about something bad that happened.
Ex: How
could
you
leave
him alone at the station?
With comparative adjectives to express ( im)possibility.
Ex: They
could
try a bit harder
COULD NOT
Negative supposition or deduction.
Ex: Alan
couldn't
still be reading the report - I gave it to him hours ago.
MAY/ MIGHT
Future or general possibility.
Ex: The government
may/ might
increase the budget for this project.
Polite requests or permission ( might: very formal).
Ex:
May
I see your ticket, please?
Might
I trouble you with some questions?
Might: can be used to criticize.
Ex: You
might
ask before you take car keys.
Might: To make suggestions or give advice in a polite way.
Ex: You
might
try the petrol station down the road.
In general: might is less certain than may.
Ex: He
might
do better than we expect in the test.
May/ might as well: When there is nothing more interesting, useful, better to do or when comparing one unpleasant situation to another.
Ex: There's no one here so we
may/ might
as well go home.
The weather is terrible here in Spain. We
might
as well be in England. ( It's terrible in England, too.)
MUST
Orders, strong recommendations.
Ex: You
must
pay this fine by Friday.
Obligation imposed by the speaker, rather than rules/ regulations imposed by others.
Ex: I
must
get my hair cut. It's such a mess.
Certainty or positive logical assumptions/ deductions.
Ex: He
must be
in his early twenties.
MUST NOT:
Prohibition.
Ex: You
mustn't
smoke in the auditorium.
HAVE TO/ DON'T HAVE TO
External obligation, necessity.
Don't have to = lack of necessity.
Ex: You
have to
put on your seat belt now.
Jane
doesn't have to
hand in the assignment.
Have got to
: Informal.
Ex: I
've got to
send this email right away.
Needn't = don't have to
SHOULD/ OUGHT TO
Obligation, recommendation, or advice.
Ex: You
should/ ought to
look into the matter before it's too late.
Probability or what we expect to happen.
Ex: I
should
think your idea will be a great success.
Should: a polite way of introducing a suggestion.
Should: annoyance.
Ex: Where's Mary? - How
should
I know?
Should: used with if, in case, for fear that --> to make the action seem less likely.
Ex: I'll make extra food in case your cousins
should
arrive.
WILL/ WOULD
Will
: future certainty, or predictions.
Won't: used in offers/ invitations (formal) and as question tags to add politeness.
Ex:
Won't
you have a sea, madam?
Would
: As the past form of will, for past habitual actions.
Typical polite requests.
To stress that an action is tentative.
SHALL/ HAD BETTER/ BE SUPPOSED TO/ USED TO
Shall
:
Shall
I/
Shall
we: used to make offers and suggestions.
Ex:
Shall
I carry that heavy box for you?
Rules, regulations, legal contracts, etc.
Ex: No player
shall
push or kick another player.
Used to:
Past habitual actions or past states that no longer exist.
Had better:
Strong advice ( stronger than ought to and should) often implying a warning of bad consequences
Be supposed to:
Similar to should - implying external obligation or what is expected to happen.
Contrast between what actually happens and what is expected.
MODAL PERFECTS
Could have:
Unfulfilled possibility or ability.
Ex: They
could have called
us. ( but they didn't.)
Uncertainty/ guessing when we don't know.
Ex: I don't know who called. It
could have been
Sue.
Couldn't have:
Surprise or disbelief.
With comparative adjectives
Can't have:
Negative deduction about the past.
Ex: he looks happy. He
can't have heard
bad news.
Needn't have:
Actions that happened but were unnecessary.
When we don't know if an unnecessary action happened, we use didn't need to.
Ex: They
needn't have bought
a present.
I didn't need to pay the bill.
Should/ ought to have:
Unfulfilled expectation or advice not followed.
criticism or annoyance.
After some adjectives to express personal reactions.
May/ might have:
Uncertainty about possible past actions.
Past possibility that didn't happen.
Annoyance about failure to do an action.
I might have known + would: the speaker isn't surprised by an action because it was typical of the doer.
Must have:
Logical assumption/ certainty about a past action.
Ex: The grass is wet. It
must have rained.
Will have:
To look back on a past action from a point in the future.
Ex: By 3.00 all the work
will have been done.
Certainty.
Ex: She
will have heard
what happened by now.
Would have:
Possible events which didn't actually happen.
Ex: An operation
would have saved
his life.
Assumption about the past.
Ex: One of the children offered to help. That
would have been
julie.