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Can May Must Should: Modals

The document discusses different modal verbs in English including can, may, must, should, will, would, could, and might. It provides examples of how each modal verb is used to express ideas like ability, permission, obligation, necessity, determination, and probability. Key points covered include how can and could denote ability or possibility, may expresses permission or probability, should expresses obligation, must expresses strong obligation or necessity, and will expresses determination while would expresses less determination.

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Leonor Rico
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43 views17 pages

Can May Must Should: Modals

The document discusses different modal verbs in English including can, may, must, should, will, would, could, and might. It provides examples of how each modal verb is used to express ideas like ability, permission, obligation, necessity, determination, and probability. Key points covered include how can and could denote ability or possibility, may expresses permission or probability, should expresses obligation, must expresses strong obligation or necessity, and will expresses determination while would expresses less determination.

Uploaded by

Leonor Rico
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

MODALS

Can, may, must, and should belong to a


class of auxiliaries called modals. Their
present and past forms can combine with a
be-phrase or simple base form of the verbs
to make up the predicate of the sentence.
Unlike be, have, and do, they cannot be used as
main verbs in predicate.
MODALS
1. Can and could denote ability or possibility.
Examples:
a. I can use the computer.
John could work for more than ten hours
when he was a new employee.
b. Life can be difficult.
Traffic could be heavy on Mondays.
MODALS
2. May expresses permission or probability.
Might is used to express less probability.
Examples:
a. May I visit beside you?
b. They may pass the test.
c. It might be cloudy tomorrow.
MODALS

3. Should expresses obligation.


Examples:
a. Citizens should pay taxes.
b. We should be at the meeting.
MODALS

4. Must expresses very strong obligation or


necessity.
Examples:
a. We must serve our country.
b. We must love one another.
MODALS
5. Will expresses determination.
Would expresses less determination.
Examples:
a. I will visit you in spite of the heavy
rain.
b. I would visit you if the weather
permits.
Let’s do this!
Choose the correct modal
to use in each sentence.
Misunderstanding (may, must)
cause quarrels.

may
We (might, should) not interfere
with human life.

should
(May, Should) I use the piano?

May
We (can, must) exercise the right
of suffrage.

must
Since we have to be there before
the meeting starts, we (should,
might) take a taxi.

should
He (could, should) use the
computer excellently by the time
he was seven.

could
We (must, may) work together to
achieve peace.

must
What (can, might) we do to make our
country a better place to live in?

can
It (should, might) rain tonight; so,
please bring your umbrella.

might

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