Page 88 - Oxford_English_Grammar_Course_Basic_2015

SECTION 6 modal verbs
verbs

grammar summary
modal

mo d a l ve r b s : can, could may, might shall, should will, would must ought to

PAST AND FUTURE OF MODALS: be able to have to

The modal verbs are a special group of auxiliary verbs. We use them before other verbs to express certain
meanings - for example permission, ability, possibility, certainty.
Modals have different grammar from other verbs. For example, they have no -s on the third person singular:
we say he can, NOT he cans.

Have to, be able to and used to are similar to modals in some ways, and they are included in this section.
For will, see pages 39-40.

Together we can tackle Letters to a magazine

CLIMATE Should I give up smoking?
Should I marry Bob?
CHANGE H , , Should I move to Woking?

Should I change my job?
"■%dEP& w Should I dye my hair green?

Science says ‘We must’. Should I tell his wife?

Technology says ‘We can’. Should I ask a magazine
How to live my life?
Help to get politicians to say ‘We will’.

(.Adapted from advertisement for (Lewis Mancha)
Centre for Alternative Technology,
Machynlleth, Wales.)

I love mankind, it's people I can't stand. There are three kinds of people:

those who can count, and those who cant.
(Charles M Schulz)
(George Carlin)

If vou can’t live without me,
why aren’t you dead yet? Money can't buy you love.

(Unknown) (Traditional)

MODAL VERBS 73