FOR FREE YEAR SOLVED
Modals
.png)
What do the modals suggest?
Permission, duty, obligation, request, possibility, ability, wish, need, suggestion, promise, prohibition
Examples of modals-
can, could, should, would, ought, may, might, dare, shall/will, might, need, must, used to, have/has/had to, am/was to
1. Can and could are used for –
Ability | For present tense, can is used and for past tense, could is used to indicate the ability of something. We do not use can for future tense, instead we use will + be +able to e.g. I can do the work. I could do the work. I will be able to do the work. |
Order /Permission | You can go for the class now. |
Request | Can you please pass me water? Could you please give me some time? |
Possibility | He could be the next IAS officer. (possibility) |
Offer / Proposal /Prohibition | Can I help you sir? You cannot go now. |
Could + have | This denotes the possibility or ability of any action in the past that actually did not take place. e.g. I could have helped you in your hard time. |
2. May and might-
Both the modals are used to denote any possibility in the present and future. If the reporting verb is in the past tense, might is used only. The use of these two modals are-
Permission | You may go now. |
Possibility | It might rain tonight. Lata my come to see me. |
Remote possibility | Only might is used in this case It might rain tomorrow. |
Wish / Prayer | May god bless you. |
Purpose | I am saving money so that I may buy a car. |
May/ Might + have | This denotes the desirability or possibility of any action in the past that actually did not take place. e.g. I might have fallen sick last week. |
3. Should, ought to, must are used-
Should | Would | Ought to | Must |
Duty or obligation
e.g. You should study hard. | Polite request
e.g. Would you please help me? |
Duty or obligation (in moral sense)
e.g. You ought to look after your parents. | Obligation or necessity
e.g. You must study now. |
Used in place of if
e.g. If you/ you should study hard, you would qualify the examination. | Possibility
e.g. She would become a doctor. | Strong possibility or chance (can be used instead of may)
e.g. Sekhar must be sleeping now. | |
Purpose
e.g. Check your stuffs carefully or else you should be in trouble. | Habitual action
e.g. I would pray every day. | Assumption
e.g. She must be kind. | |
To denote the future in the past
e.g. I told him that he should practice English more. | To denote the future in the past.
e.g. I told him that he would go with me. | Order and determination
e.g. You must finish the work today. I must study hard. | |
Should + have - this denotes the non-performance or past obligation.
e.g. I should have called Meera on her birthday. I should have studied hard.
| Express wish
e.g. Pamela would like to sing a song for her parents. | Ought to + have - This denotes the non-performance of any duty in the past.
e.g. I ought to have donated for the treatment of the poor dog. | Must + have - This denotes the non-performance of any action in the past.
e.g. I must have helped Radha in her tough time. |
4. Used to is used –
Habitual action
| I used to wake up early.
|
To denote discontinued action | I used to make handmade bags at home |
Note – Used to can be replaced by would
Need and need not- Need is both ordinary and auxiliary verb. It is usually in negative and interrogative nature with the direct infinitive. Need not auxiliary refers to not necessary actions.
e.g.
He needs to call his mother.
He need not to go there.
Note – When need is used as a modal, ‘s’ is not added with it in the case of the third person singular noun.
He need not to go there. (correct)
He needs not to go there. (wrong)
Need not + have - This denotes the performance of any action in the past which was not required.
e.g. Mala need not have chosen such hectic job.
1. Dare is both an ordinary and auxiliary verb. It is usually in negative and interrogative nature with a direct infinitive.
Note – When dare is used as a modal, ‘s’ is not added with it in the case of the third person singular noun.
e.g.
How dare you?
I dare not to enter the class.
2. To be +infinitive-
Referring order | You are to go tomorrow. |
Referring duty/ obligation | You are to look after your parents. |
Referring plan | I am to cook for my family tonight. |
To be + have | Denotes any action which could not happen as per the plan. I am to have won the prize but Tushar outperformed. |
3. To have + infinitive – denotes any obligation or compulsion.
e.g.
I have to sleep early tonight.
I had to rush to catch the train.
