modals. problems that students have using modals

MODALS

PROBLEMS THAT STUDENTS HAVE USING MODALS

3 AREAS

• MODALS DON’T FOLLOW THE RULES FOR SUBJECT/VERB AGREEMENT

• MODALS DON’T USE THE INFINITIVE FORM (TO)

• SOME LANGUAGES USE REGULAR VERBS OR ADVERBS INSTEAD OF MODALS

A RIDDLE?

WHEN DOES A 3RD PERSON PRESENT TENSE VERB NOT

NEED AN ‘S’ ?

WHEN IT’S A MODAL!

True modal auxiliaries are not like other auxiliary and main

verbs. They don’t need subject /verb agreement.

The Form of English Modals

I can go I go

You can go You go

She/he/it can go She/he/it GOES

We can go We go

They can go They go

MODALS AND LEXICAL VERBS

• HE WANTS TO GO. Yes or no?

• HE PLANS TO GO. Yes or no?

• HE CAN TO GO. Yes or no?

Modals do not have to follow the rule which says that an infinitive

must precede the 2nd verb in certain two-verb sequences.

Third area of confusion

Not all languages have modals – often verbs or adverbs are used to

perform the same function.

Modals can be combined with present and past tenses.

Present & past combinations

Base form of modal

Combined with present tense

Combined with past tense

Can Can Could

Will Will Would

May May Might

Shall Shall Should

Must Must Had to

Remember that just because we have present and past forms of modals it doesn’t mean that we only use the present form to talk about the present time or that we

only use the past form to talk about the past time.

HOWEVER

THIS DOES HAPPEN WHEN WE ARE USING REPORTED SPEECH.

THEN THE MODALS REFLECT THESE PRESENT

TENSE/PRESENT TIME AND PAST TENSE/PAST TIME

CONNECTION

DIRECT SPEECH REPORTED (INDIRECT) SPEECH

Skippy: I can type. Skippy said that he could type.

Danie: I will go. Danie said that she would go.

Skippy: Shall I stay? Skippy asked if she should stay.

Charlotte: May I smoke? Charlotte asked if she might smoke.

Elizabeth: I must work. Elizabeth said that she had to work.

Modals and Quasi Modals

Multiword forms ending in to which function like true modals are called

quasi-modals

Examples

• Modals• Can• Will• Must• Should

• Would (=past habit)

• Quasi-modal• Be able to • Be going to• Have to , have got to• Be to, ought to, be

supposed to• Used to

Notice that quasi-modals do not exhibit the same formal

properties as the true modals in that the subject verb agreement rule must be applied (except for

ought to and used to and all quasi-modals require that a ‘to’ infinitive precede the main

verb

Rules for using Modals and Quasi –modals in a sentence

We can should study hard for the test. M M

.I am able to must do the assignment. QM M

.I might be able to go to the film. MQ QM

He will have to improve his English M QM

He is going to have to improve his ? ? English .

So what are the patterns that you can use?

Patterns

Modal + Modal = No

Quasi-modal +modal = No

Modal + quasi-modal = Yes

Quasi-modal + quasi-modal = Yes

The meaning of modals

Situational versus logical probability

Situational uses of modals

• Making requests of a general nature

• Will/would/can/ or could you help me?

• Making specific requests for permission

• May/might/can or could I leave the room?

Although both the present and past forms of these modals can

be used in making requests , only the present tense forms are likely to be used in responses to

requests

Examples

• To general requests:• Yes, I can. • (Not – Yes, I could.)• Yes, I will• Not, Yes I would.)

• To requests for permission

• Yes, you may.• (Not Yes, you might.)• Yes, you can.• (Not Yes, you could.)

Reason for this?

Reason for this?

• Past tense forms of modals are considered more polite and less demanding that present forms- so the person making the request will use the past tense to ‘soften ‘ the request, however , the person being asked is not expected to ‘soften’ his/her response. More often a direct response is expected.

• Yes, I can. No, I can’t.

If you saw me wearing a watch and you wanted to know the time

what would you say?Could you tell me the time?

Or

Would you tell me the time

Difference

Can/Could= is it possible

Will/would= willingness

Another use of Situational Modals is to give advice

• You might/could see a doctor.

• You should see a doctor.

• You had better see a doctor.

• You must see a doctor.

• You will see a doctor.

Additional uses of situational modals

Ability –can, be able to

Desire- would like to

Preference- would rather ___ than __

Tomorrow we will look at the Logical uses of Modals.