Modal Auxiliaries

FORM * MEANING

PRACTICE:

MODAL AUXILIARIES -- form

QUESTIONS, NEGATIVE, AUXILIARIES with MODAL AUXILIARY or SIMILAR PHRASE:

A. "TRUE" MODALS: B. PHRASES WITH BE*ALL FOLLOWED BY:
    He should .. .
Should he .. ?
    He shouldn't .. .
    He is able to .. .
Is he able to .. ?
    He isn't able to .. .

... work

... have worked

will ('ll) . . . . shall . . . . may
would ('d) . . should . . might
can . . . . . . . must
could . . . . . (ought to) 		be able to . . . . . . . be going to
be supposed to
be allowed to
be permitted to
C. PHRASES THAT NEED DO* D. SPECIAL CASES
    He has to .. .
Does he have to.. ?
    He doesn't have to .. .
    He had better .. .
Had he better .. ?
    He had better not..
    He has got to** ..
have to
need to
use to 		**(present only, no questions or negative)


* these are "finite" verbs, and can have MANY tenses (has never been able to .. / didn't have to ... etc. (used to is only past)
they can also FOLLOW "true" modals (except used to) (should be able to / might have to .. etc.)

FORMS FOLLOWING THE MODAL AUXILIARIES:

can*
PRESENT/ FUTURE
could***
eat simple
may
be eaten passive
might
 eating progressive
must
 beingeaten passive progressive
(shall)
should
have eaten P
A
S
T		simple
ought to
 beeneaten passive
will**
 eating progressive
would***
 beingeaten passive progressive

* no have after can (but possible after can't )
* * will have is perfect, not past (also shall?)
** *could and would can have both present and past meanings (even without have )


FORM | MEANING

MODAL AUXILIARIES -- meaning -- a general overview

probability (guessing)
advisability (judging)
conditionality (if .., unreal)
(a kind of probability)
nonpast
(how sure?) %
past
(unknown)
nonpast
(how advisable? /
how much choice?)
past
(have = unreal)
nonpast
(unreal)
past
(unreal)
can't
couldn't
disbelief     0%
can't have
couldn't have





can
ability/potential >0%
could
can
permission
could
--
--
may
might
could*
guessing        <50%
(maybe / maybe not)
may have
might have
could* have
may
might
could*
permission

suggestion/option
--
--
could* have
--
might
could
--
might have
could have

should
must
using logic     >50%
(expectation)
(conclusion)

should have*
must have

should
must

advice
necessity
criticism)
should have
had to*
(should = real/unlikely)
--
will
future       100%??
(did/will have)
will
offer / willingness / refusal
would
would
would have

                        *negative = disbelief, not guessing                               *negative: could / not V.
                                                                                                       see information about mustn't vs. not have to

CLICK for details about modals expressing
PROBABILITY * ADVISABILITY * "POLITENESS" * CONDITIONS

FORM | MEANING

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Ann Salzmann
Intensive English Institute
University of Illinois