MODAL VERBS SPOTLIGHT11 Module 5 USE Dont take

MODAL VERBS SPOTLIGHT-11 Module 5 Кригер И. И.

USE �Don’t take –s/ –s -ing/ -ing -ed affixes; �Are followed by bare infinitive; �Come before subject in questions: Can I have some juice? �Come after NOT in negations: You must not cross the road here. �Don’t have tenses in the normal state. BUT! to show uncompleted action or state (present or future): I should visit him tomorrow. to show completed action or state: I should have visited him yesterday.

Obligation, duty, necessity MUST • I must contact the school for further information. (the speaker himself decided it is necessary) HAVE TO • He has to get up early as his classes start at 8 a. m. (circumstances make us do smth. ) SHOULD OUGHT TO • We should clear away the mess in the kitchen. (duty or weak obligation)

Absence of necessity DON’T HAVE TO DON’T NEED TO NEEDN’T HAVE DONE DIDN’T HAVE TO • You don’t have to dress formally today. • You don’t need to go if you don’t want. • You needn’t wear your best clothes. (smth. not necessary to do in present, future) • You needn’t have cooked so much food. We were not hungry. (it wasn’t necessary for you to cook but you did) • He didn’t have to invite everyone to the party. (smth. which wasn’t necessary to do. We don’t know if it was done or not)

Permission, prohibition CAN MAY • Can/May I use your phone? • Yes, of course, you can/may (may is more formal than can) MUSTN’T CAN’T • You mustn’t/can’t park here. (it is forbidden to do so; it is against the rule/law; you’re not allowed to do smth. )

Possibility CAN COULD MAY MIGHT • Going to the gym can be boring. (general, theoretical possibility) • She should take a map with her. She might get lost. (possibility in specific situation. NOTE! MAY is not used in questions in such a way) COULD, MIGHT, • He could have come with us, if he hadn’t missed the train. WOULD + (smth. in the past that was perfect infinitive possible but didn’t happen)

Ability / Inability CAN COULD WAS(N’T) ABLE TO COULDN’T • I can speak Italian fluently. (ability in present/future) • I could sing quite well when I was younger. (general or repeated ability in the past) • I was able (wasn’t able) to find all the answers to the questions. ((in)ability in specific situation in the past) • I couldn’t read or write when I was four. (any kind of inability in the past, repeated or specific)