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Material Unit 3

Site: Cursos IOC - Batxillerat
Course: Segona llengua Anglès I ~ gener 2020
Book: Material Unit 3
Printed by: Usuari convidat
Date: Thursday, 9 May 2024, 9:23 PM

Description

Modal verbs            
Ability
&
permission		  

Advice, necessity,
prohibition & obligation

 

Possibility
&
certainty

   Modal perfects

Table of contents

1. Modal verbs

Modal verbs are verbs with unique characteristics. They work with the main verb to add extra meaning to a sentence, for example, obligation or advice.

Structure

Modal verbs share the following characteristics:

  • We put an infinitive without to after most modal verbs  (but not ought to).
    • We must get there before seven o'clock.
    • She should study harder.
    • BUT I ought to go home now.
  • Modal verbs do not take -s in the third person
    • I can swim.
    • He can swim.
  • Modal verbs do not use the auxiliary verb do / does to form negatives, questions or short answers.
    • She shouldn't eat salt.
    • 'May I help you?' 'Yes, you may'.
    • I can invite her, can't I?
    • We needn't retake the exam.
  • Modal verbs can form contractions in the negative.
    • He should not work too hard → He shouldn't work too hard.
More information → [ Spanish] - [English]
Practice → Exercises

1.1. Ability and permission

can, could, be able to, may, be allowed to

  • We use the modal verb can to talk about ability in the present.
    • Danny can climb mountains and run marathons.
    • Two of my friends can play the guitar.
    • I can't hear you. NOT I don’t hear you.
  • We also use the modal verbs can and may to talk about permission in the present. The modal verb may is used in slightly more formal situations.
    • Can we go now?
    • I can't leave until the film has finished.
    • May I have another drink.
    • You may leave when you have completed the test.
  • We use the modal verb could to talk about ability in the past and in the conditional form.
    • When he was a child, he could ski really well.
    • If I had my phone here, I could text him.
  • As can and could cannot be used to talk about ability in all tenses, we use be able to (which is not a modal verb) in other tenses.

    • Next week, all the contestants will be able to vote.

    •  We haven't been able to go on holiday this year.

  • In the same way, as may cannot be used to talk about permission in all tenses, we use be allowed to (which is not a modal verb) in other tenses.
    • He wasn't allowed to stay out after midnight.
→ Exercises

1.2. Advice, necessity, prohibition and obligation

must, have to, need, should, ought to

  • We use must (or have to, which is not a modal verb) to talk about obligation.
  • Applicants must answer the questions honestly.
  • I must finish this essay by Monday.
  • We use mustn't to talk about prohibition.
  • You mustn't eat too many sweets.
  • They mustn't try too hard.
  • We use needn't (or don't need to / don't have to, which are not modal verb forms) when there is no obligation.
  • Contestants don't have to be great actors.
  • You needn't get here before eleven o'clock.
  • We don't have to wear a school uniform.
  • The modal verb need (without to) is only used in the negative. In the affirmative, we use need to (which is not a modal verb) to express necessity.
  • He needs to work harder if he wants to pass his exams.
  • We use ought (not) to, should and shouldn't to give advice and make recommendations.
  • Candidates ought to / should be friendly and outgoing.
  • You ought not to / shouldn't worry about your marks.

→ Exercises: | 1 |

1.3. Possibility and certainty

may, might, can, could, must

  • We use may, may not, might, might not and could when something is possible.
    • It may be time for Linda to go.
    • They might choose Danny.
    • They could be on the train now.
  • We use must and can't  when we make a logical deduction.  We use must when we are certain something is true and can't when we are certain something is impossible.
    • That must be your mother - she said she'd phone.
    • It must be quite late, because its getting dark.
    • That can't be true - I saw her with my own eyes.

→ Exercises

1.4. Modal perfects

We can use some modal verbs with have + past participle to talk about past events

must have + past participle

  • We use must have + past participle to express a certainty or to make a logical deduction about the past.
    • Danny must have felt disappointed when he didn't win the competition.

can't have + past participle

  • We use can't have + pan participle to express an impossibility in the past..
    •  She can't have passed the exam - she didn't study at all!
    •  It can't have been Felipe - he was at home all evening.

might / may / could have+ past participle

  • We use might, may or could have + past participle to express a possibility in the past.
    • He might have gone / may have gone / could have gone to the cinema.
    • They might not have received / may not have received our message about the party.

could have + pest participle

  • We also use could have + past participle to suggest an alternative past action, even though it is now too late.
    • You could have told me about last night's concert - you Know I love jazz.
    • The government could have acted more quickly.

should have + past participle

  • We use should have + past participle when we wish something had happened in the past (but it didn't happen).
    • Linda should have made more friends.
    • We should have gone to see that film while it was still on at the local cinema.

shouldn't have + past participle

  • We use shouldn't have + past participle when we wish something had not happened in the past (but it did happen).
    • Linda shouldn't have talked so much.
    • I shouldn't have stayed out so late last nigh.

Exercises

2. Modal verbs (català)

ELS VERBS MODALS

Els modals formen una classe especial de verbs que comparteixen algunes característiques amb els verbs auxiliars (be, have i do).

Les característiques més importants dels verbs modals són:

  1. No tenen un significat propi, sinó que només tenen sentit quan van amb un altre verb que els acompanya. Aquest altre verb sempre es posa en infinitiu (sense to).

  2. Només tenen una forma, que serveix tant per a referir-se al present com al futur. Només el verb can té una forma pel passat (could). Per expressar aquests verbs en formes verbals que no tenen (per exemple, en infinitiu, present perfect, etc.), cal utilitzar expressions alternatives amb el mateix significat (algunes d’aquestes formes apareixen al quadre de sota).

  3. No afegeixen mai la –s pròpia de la 3ª persona del singular en present.

  4. Formen la negació i la interrogació igual que els verbs auxiliars. És a dir, en la forma negativa s’afegeix not al verb; en la forma interrogativa, es fa la inversió de subjecte i verb.

Els verbs modals més utilitzats són els següents:

Verb modal

S’utilitza per a …

Formes alternatives

Exemples

Can

expressar habilitat, capacitat

expressar possibilitat (futur)

demanar permís (informal)

be able to

be possible to

I can speak English.  (=Puc parlar anglès)

Yes, I can come. I have time. (=Sí, vinc. Tinc temps.)

Can we sit down? (=Podem seure?) Informal.

Can’t

expressar habilitat, capacitat (negatiu)

expressar prohibició

not be able to

be forbidden / prohibited

I can't come, I'm ill. (=No puc venir. Estic malalt.)

You can't smoke in the classroom. (=No es pot fumar a la classe)

Could

expressar habilitat, capacitat (passat)

expressar possibilitat (remota)

demanar permís (formal)

be possible to

When he was a child, he could ski very well. (=Quan era petit, sabia esquiar molt bé.)

She could travel to New Zealand. (=Potser que viatgi a Nova Zelanda.)

Could I close the window, please? (=Podria tancar la porta, si us plau?) Formal.

Must

expressar obligació (inaludible)

expressar possibilitat (present)

have to

You must arrive on time. (=Has d'arribar a temps.)

He must be at home. (Deu ser a casa.)

Mustn’t

expressar prohibició

be forbidden / prohibited

You mustn't talk to your teacher like that. (=No has de parlar així al teu professor.)

Should

expressar obligació (moral)

donar consells

advise / recommend

You should do more sport if you want to be healthier. (=Hauries de fer més esport si vols tenir més bona salut.)

You shouldn't smoke so much. (=No hauries de fumar tant.)

May

expressar possiblitat (probable)

demanar permís (formal)

be possible

I may go to Italy next summer. (=Potser que viatgi a Itàlia el proper estiu.)

May I sit down here? (=Puc sure aquí?) Very formal.

Might

expressar possibilitat (remota)

be possible

It might rain tomorrow. (=Potser que plogui demà.)

Ought to

(equivalent a should)

 

I ought to call my mother. (=Hauria de trucar a la mare.)

Will

expressar el futur dels verbs

 

When you are 18, you will be able to vote. (=Quan tinguis 18 anys, podràs votar.)

Would

expressar les oracions condicionals del segon tipus

fer invitacions (would you like to…?)

If I were rich, I would buy a new flat. (=Si jo fos ric, em compraria un cotxe nou.)

Would you like to go to the cinema with me? (=T'agradaria anar al cinema amb mi?)

Ampliació modals

Exercises

3. Collocations

What is a collocation?

A collocation is two or more words that often go together. These combinations just sound "right" to native English speakers, who use them all the time. On the other hand, other combinations may be unnatural and just sound "wrong". Look at these examples:

natural English... unnatural English...
  • the fast train
  • fast food
  • the quick train
  • quick food
  • a quick shower
  • a quick meal
  • a fast shower
  • a fast meal

Why learn collocations?

  • Your language will be more natural and more easily understood.
  • You will have alternative and richer ways of expressing yourself.
  • It is easier for our brains to remember and use language in chunks or blocks rather than as single words.