Friday, April 20, 2012

Uses of Modal Auxiliary Verbs


Uses of Modal Auxiliary Verb
      1. Can:
Ability
I can walk ten miles at a time.
permission
You can go.
Seek permission
Can I talk to you?
Possibility
I can go to your house.
Request
Can you help me with some money?
      2. May
Possibility (less than can)
He may come to my house.
Seek permission gently
May I come in?
Purpose (present)
He works hard so that he may prosper in life.
Wishes and hopes
May Bangladesh long live.
Speculation
They may be waiting at the station for you now.
Give permission (2nd and 3rd person)
You may go now.
3. Could
Past ability/ habitual work
I could walk ten miles at a stretch.
Polite Request
Could you help me?
Past inability
I could not understand you.
Suggestion
You could talk to the Principal.
4. Could have
Someone could do a work but did not do
You could have done the sum.
5. Might
Possibility (less than 'may)
He might leave the country.
Purpose (Past)
He worked hard so that he might prosper in life
Speculation
They might be playing now.
  1. Shall
Future event (I,We)
We shall go out for a visit.
Command, threat, Authoritative order (2nd,3rd person)
You shall Carry out my order.
Intention of the speaker
You shall have a nice pen.
Determination
The weak shall be given equal rights.
7. Should
Obligation/Duty
We should obey our parents
Advice/ recommendation
You should stop smoking.
Polite request
Shall I help you?
Use after ‘Lest’
He walked fast lest he should miss the train.
Assumption in present, past and future tense
It should be raining now.
He should have reached home by now.
He should have much time to reach the station.
Past obligation
He should have read sincerely.
8. Will
Future action
You will do the work.
Future prediction
He will start a school very soon.
Order (2nd and 3rd person)
You will carry out my order.
Determination (1st person)
I will do the work at any cost.
Polite request (2nd person)
Will you post the letter for me?
Future habitual action
Spring will come again.
Conditional
If you want, I will help you.
9. Would
Polite request
Would you post the letter for me?
Offer/invitations
Would you mind having a cup of tea with me?
Purpose( after ‘in order that’ and ‘so that’)
He worked hard in order that he would shine in life.
Conditional (past)
If you wanted, I would help you.
Preference (would rather/would better/would sooner)
He would rather die than beg.
10. Must
Obligation
You must obey your teacher.
Advice
You must take regular exercise.
Logical conclusion
You must be hungry after a long journey.
Certainty
He must be a good boy.
Determination
I must see him punished.
Past certainty
You must have gone there.
11. Have to
Obligation (have to, has to, had to shall have to/ will have to)
I have to look after my old parents.
Indicating advice
You have to learn English.
12. Need
Modal ( need not)
He need not do it.
Principal (need)
He needs to do it.
13. Dare
Modal verb(negative/interrogative)
He dare not do it.
Principal verb (affirmative)
He dared to go there
Challenge
He dares me to do the work.
14. Used to
Discontinued habit
I used to drink tea; now I drink coffee.
Continued habit
Omar (R) used to lead a very simple life.
15. “Be” used as Modal Verb
Duty or necessity (Am to/ is to/ are to)
I am to look after my old parents.
16. Going to
For future intention
They are going to open a bank account.
17. Had better
Preference
You had better go now.

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