MODAL VERBS

MODALITY MODAL VERBS OTHER NON-

PRESENT PAST MODAL
EXPRESSIONS
1.General and SHOULD(NOT)+V SHOULD(NOT)+ “it is advisable/
particular have+Past good to/that”+V
advice Participle +Subject Clause;
“to be expected
to”.
Re 2.Recommen- *HAD BETTER+V *HAD BETTER+ “it is recommen-
dation have+Past dable to/that”+V
Participle +Subject Clause;
“to be supposed
to”.
3.Reproach SHOULDN’T+V SHOULDN’T+ “it is wrong to”
have+Past “it is shameful
Participle that”+Subject
Clause.
4.Moral OUGHT TO+V OUGHT TO+ “to have the
obligation/ have+Past moral obligation/
duty Participle duty to/of”+ V-
ing;
“to feel obligated
to”;
“to be duty bound
to”.

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5.Obligation/ INTERNAL/ *HAD TO+V “to have got to”;
necessity SUBJECTIVE “to be obligated /
MUST+V forced to;
EXTERNAL/ *HAD TO+V “to be under an
OBJECTIVE obligation to;
*HAVE TO+V
!Iterrogative context “it’s necessary/
NEED+Sb+V…? obligatory/com-
!Formal
*DO/DOES+Sb+HAVE+TO+V? pulsory/impera-
obligation(dir
ect tive to/that”+
speech) !SHOULD+V Subject Clause.
(SHALL)→general regulations
6.Lack of NEEDN’T+V NEEDN’T+have “it’s not
obligation/ *DOESN’T/DON’T +Past Participle necessary/com-
necessity NEED TO+V *DIDN’T NEED pulsory/obliga-
*DOESN’T/DON’T TO+V tory to”;
HAVE TO+V *DIDN’T HAVE “to be free to”.
TO+V
7.Interdiction/ MUST NOT+V COULDN’T+V “it is forbidden/
prohibition CAN’T/CANNOT+V *WEREN’T/ prohibited to”;
WASN’T “to forbid/
ALLOWED TO interdict”/
+V “to prohibit”.
8.Physical/ CAN+V COULD+V “to be able/
intellectual capable to”;
capacity “to have the
capacity/ability
to/of “+V-ing.

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9.Permission A)Affirmative context “to be allowed/
CAN/MAY+V COULD+V permitted to”;
*WAS/WERE “to have the
ALLOWED TO permission/
+V allowance to”.
B)Interrogative context
•INFORMAL/FAMILIAR
CAN+Sb+V…?
•FORMAL/POLITE
COULD +Sb(you,they)+V…?
MAY(I)

10.Probability (strong prob.) MUST+have+ “it is probable/

/ MUST+V Past Participle likely to/that”+
deduction/ (certainty) Subject Clause;
certainty
“it’s (almost)
(weak prob.) sure/certain that”
SHOULD+V +Subject Clause.
(assumption)
11.Possibility/ •PARTICULAR MIGHT+have+ “it’s possible
uncertainty MAY/MIGHT+V Past Participle that”+Subject
•GENERAL/ COULD+have+ Clause;
THEORETICAL Past Participle “it’s not sure/
CAN+V certain
that”+Subject
Clause;
“Perhaps”+
Clause;
“Maybe”+
Clause.
12.Impossibility CAN’T/CANNOT+V CAN’T/ “it’s impossible/
WON’T+V COULDN’T+ unlikely that”+
have+Past Subject Clause;
Participle “it’s out of the
question”.
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13.Offers/su- INFORMAL/ FAMILIAR “Let’s+Short Inf.
ggestions/in- SHALL+I+V…? …!”;
vitations “Why don’t we+
WILL+you+V…? Short Inf. …?”;
(CAN) “How/What
FORMAL/POLITE about+ V-
SHOULD+I+V…? ing. …?”.

WOULD+you+V…?
(COULD)
14.Personal PRESENT PAST HABITS Present Simple
habits HABITS (PRESENT
WILL+V WOULD+V HABITS)

Past Simple
“used to”+V
(PAST HABITS).

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 !ATTENTION→There are 3 MAIN POSSIBLE CONSTRUCTIONS with
the MODALS:
(a) MODAL VB.+Short Infinitive
↓
PRESENT contexts
Eg;I am tired, I must rest.
(b) MODAL VB.+Perfect Infinitive
(have+Past Participle)
↓
PAST contexts(with CERTAIN MODALS)
Eg;He must have been very tired then.(PROBABILITY)
(c) MODAL VB.+BE+V-ing.
↓
MOMENTARY ACTIONS
Eg;He must be resting now as he is very tired.

!ATTENTION→ NEEDN’T+HAVE+Past Participle or

DIDN’T NEED TO+V…?
→ There is a SLIGHT DIFFERENCE in meaning:
a) I needn’t have paid at once.→(But I paid)
(nu era nevoie să fi plătit)
↓
THE ACTION(although UNNECESSARY) WAS DONE!

b)I didn’t need to pay at once.→(I didn’t pay)

(nu a fost nevoie să plătesc)
↓
THE ACTION, as it was UNNECESSARY WASN’T DONE!

!There are 3 POSSIBLES WAYS of expressing PAST meaning of

the modals:

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1) by means of a PAST MODAL (can→could when expressing
CAPACITY and PERMISSION).
Eg;He can memorize easily.
↓ →capacity
He could memorize easily.
He can park his car here.
↓ →permission
He could park his car here.
2) by means of a NON-MODAL expression in the past (must→
*had to when expressing OBLIGATION).
Eg;He must respect the regulation.
↓ →obligation
He had to respect the regulation.
3) by means of the construction: MODAL+Perfect Infinitive (most
of the modals) (have+Past Participle)
Eg;He should help his best friend.
↓
He should have helped his best friend.

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 EXAMPLES:
1.General and particular advice
You should have/take more care of your health, you shouldn’t eat so
much FAST FOOD products and drink soft/fizzy drinks.
2.Reproach
You shouldn’t sit when an old person stands up on the bus! You should be
ashamed of yourself!
3.Moral obligation/duty
You oughtn’t to sit when an old person stands up on the bus! You ought to
be ashamed of yourself!
Children oughtn’t to show disrespect/lack of respect towards their parents.
The rich ought to care more about the poor.
4.Obligation/necessity
-internal obligation/necessity
I must take my driving licence, is absolutely essential/necessarly
nowadays.
-external obligation/necessity(imposed by an autority
or rule)
Citizens have to obey/respect their country laws.
-interrogative context
Need I do this now?/Do I have to do this now?
5.Lack of obligation/necessity
I’m hearing you very well, you don’t have to/needn’t speak so loud!
It’s Saturday so I don’t have to/needn’t wake up early.
6.Interdition/prohibition
We mustn’t drop litter in the street and we mustn’t smoke but/only in
special arranged places.
7.Physical/intellectual capacity/ability or
incapacity/inability
He is very strong, he can lift a lot of weights without getting tired. I
can’t/cannot do this.
8.Permission
-informal/familiar asking for permission
Can I enter this room?

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No, you can’t/cannot, it’s for stuff/the company’s employee/attendance
only.
-formal/polite asking for permission
Could you repeate the sentence, please! I didn’t/couldn’t understand it
very well.
May I have your attention, please!
9.Probability/deduction/certainty
-strong probability(certainty)
Mr. Brown has lived in London all his life, he must know it by heart.
-weak probability(assumption)
She should know many things about Great Britain and London, she’s an
English teacher.
10.Possibility/uncertainty
-particular
It may/might rain later, the sky isn’t very clear, it’s really gloomy/overcast.
He may/might be at home sleeping, but I’m not sure.
-general/theoretical
People can/could be very selfish when it is/comes about their personal
interest.
For furthure information, you can/could dial this number from the Golden
Pages.
11.Impossibility
He can’t be there, the shop has been closed all day long.
12.Offers/suggestions/invitations
-informal/familiar
Shall I help you with washing the dishes?
Will you go out with me for a juice or a pizza?
Shall we go for a picnic tomorrow?
-formal/polite
Should I offer you/would you like me to offer you my umbrella, if you don’t
mind?
If you don’t mind, would you give us a lift home?
13.Personal habits
-present habits
Look at him, every time he gets/arrives home, he will sit in his old
armchair, he will caugh a little with satisfaction and start to switch over all
the T.V. channels.
-past habits
In his youth he would practice a lot of sports, in fact he would played
football in the local team.
14.Strong will/ambition
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We will(shall) certainly win, you will see!
15.Strong refusal
I won’t do this thing, it is not my problem!
16.Challange
I warned him not to dare me reveal the whole truth.