English assignment

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modals.ppt
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Modals

can - could

will - would

may - might - must

shall - should

Modals

  • used as auxiliary verb (e.g. I can go)

  • do not show tense or subject agreement (e.g. He can go - not

He cans go)

  • before the negative particle in not negation (e.g. I cannot go)

  • before the subject in yes-no questions (e.g. Can you go?)

  • take the bare infinitive verb as the main verb in a verb phrase

(e.g. He can go - not He can to go or He can went)

• express stance meanings (see next slides)

Time Differences with Modals

Modals referring to present and future time:

  • can
  • may
  • shall
  • will

Modals that can refer to past time:

  • could
  • might
  • should
  • would

* Note that each present/ future modal has a corresponding

past modal

Stance meanings of Modals

Permission/ ability:

  • can
  • could
  • may
  • might

Meanings

Personal meaning - permission or possibility, ability

Logical meaning - possibility

Stance meanings of Modals

Obligation/ necessity:

  • must
  • should
  • have (got) to
  • need to
  • be supposed to

Meanings

Personal meaning - obligation

Logical meaning - necessity

Stance meanings of Modals

The act of choosing/ prediction:

  • will
  • would
  • shall

Meanings

Personal meaning - volition or intention

Logical meaning - prediction

Requests:

Boss and Worker: With your partner create 5 requests with FULL answers for each person using Could.

Now, 5 using would

Offers

Create 5 requests using can, and then 5 full answers to those requests.

Create 5 requests that the host of this party would make to their guests!

Health Patterns: Ability

With your partner list 10 things you had the ability to do when you were high school, that you cannot do now Using Could. Ex When I was in High School I could run 100 meters in 10 seconds!

Obligations: Must, have to, should.

Remember Mary? Her move to the country didn’t work out! She has decided to go back to school to get a master’s degree. What obligations does she have to accomplish this goal? Make 5 for each: Must, have to, should.

Look at this photo of people. Using possibility modals (may might could must) describe their job and how you know.

Ex: Person 1 must be a firefighter, because he has a helmet and a hose.

The missing person! May, might, could, must

The chairwoman has not arrived to this meeting. She is now 20 mins late. Using the modals above, create possibilities for her missing the meeting and tell how certain you are.

Ex: She must be stuck in traffic. (high certainty).

Sheldon, Douglas (SD)

Frequency of Modals in Academic Writing

  • can

  • may

  • will

  • would

  • should

  • must

  • could

  • might

  • have to

  • shall

The most frequent modals in

academic writing are can, may,

and will.

Would, should, must, could, and

might are used but infrequently.

The most infrequent modals in

academic writing are have to and

shall. Shall is extremely infrequent.