Page 89 - Oxford_English_Grammar_Course_Basic_2015

modal verbs: introduction can, must, should etc

can, could may, might shall, should will, would must ought to

The modal verbs are a special group of auxiliary verbs.
They are different from most other verbs in four ways.

+ INFINITIVES WITHOUT TO

After modals (except ought), we use infinitives without to. (After other verbs, infinitives have to.)
Can I use your phone? (NOT Can-Pte-use...) Joe can't swim. I may be out tonight.
BUT / want to use her phone. I'd like to go home. Joe seems to have a cold.

fa Circle the correct answers.
► Can you [play)/to play the guitar? 3 Could you pass/to pass the orange juice?

► I don't want play/jo play football today. 4 We hope get/to get a bigger flat soon.
1 Ann seems be/fo be very tired. 5 Chris may be/to be here at the weekend.
2 Peter hasn't phoned. He must be/to be away. 6 I forgot speak/to speak to Janet.

NO-5___________________________________________
Modal verbs have no -s on the third person singular (he/she/it form). (Other verbs have -s.)

John can speak Korean. (NOT John-cam ...) Barbara may be late. This must be your coat.
BUT Josh knows my father. Ann seems to be ill. The cat wants to go out.

^ Add -s or nothing (-).

► Amy play.?... tennis. ►Tim can.. 7.. swim. 1 Ourcatlike.....fish. 2 It may.......rain.

3 She must pay now. 4 Harry work.....in London. 5 Kim should........phone her mother.
6 The train seem..... to be late. 7 Nick might..........come and see us. 8 Tom want to go home.

NO DO____________________________________________________________________________

We make modal questions (H) and negatives (B) without do. (Other verbs have do.)
Can you help me? (NOT Do you can help me?) You must not tell Philip. (NOT You don't must...)
BUT Do you know my friend Jeremy? Sally doesn't cook very well.

^ Make questions (H) or negatives (B).
(Negatives in this exercise: cannot/can't; must not/mustn't; may not)

► Claire can't speak Russian. (Chinese H) ..££I ' V . f . t y S .....................................
► Katy must wash her clothes, (do it now B) . do It vyow...................................

1 Mike can't swim, (ski H) ...............................................................................

2 John can play football, (poker H) ..........................................................................................
3 Maria must play the piano, (sing B) ...............................................................................
4 Robert may go to Italy, (go this week B) ...............................................................................
5 Emma can visit us on Saturday. (Sunday B) ...............................................................................

NO INFINITIVES OR PARTICIPLES________________________________________________________
Modal verbs have no infinitives or participles: to can, maying, musted.
Instead, we use other verbs: can —► be able to (see page 81); must —► have to (see page 78).

74 MODAL VERBS