1. Variation in the Verb Phrase

2. SUMMARY
 NINE MODAL VERBS
 Will – would
 Shall – should
 Can – could
 May – might
 Must
 SEMI – MODAL VERBS
(had) better, be able to, be allowed to, have to, (have)
got to, ought to, be supposed to, be going to, used to,
need, needn’t

3. CHARACTERISTICS
 No inflection: “he can study”
 Act as auxiliaries: “Can you come here?”
 Always followed by bare infinitive.
 Never two modal verbs together

5. ABILITY
 CAN “I can swim”
 COULD “I couldn’t walk until I was 1 year old”
 BE ABLE TO “I was able to run the marathon”

6. POSSIBILITY
 CAN “He can be your friend”
 COULD “It could be the most important reason”
 MAY “You may say I’m a dreamer”
 MIGHT “You might find it there”

7. PERMISSION
 CAN “Can I go to the toilet?
 BE ALLOWED TO “I wasn’t allowed to go”
 MAY “May I stay with you?
 “You may sit here” (usually produced by parents and
teachers talking to children)

8. OBLIGATION and NECESSITY
 MUST “You must be here before eight” / “You must go
to the doctor.”
 HAVE TO “I have to do it right away”
 SHOULD “You should be here on time” (less
imperative)

9. PROHIBITION
 CAN’T “You can’t park here” (It’s against the rules)
 MUSTN’T “You mustn’t park here” (The obligation
comes from the speaker)

10. ADVICE and SUGGESTION
 SHOULD “You should visit him more often”.
 WOULD “If I were you, I would study engineering”
 SHALL “We shall go together.” “Shall we do it now?”

11. PREDICTION and VOLITION
 WILL for prediction
 “You will marry her in two years time.”
 BE GOING TO for prediction /intention
 “He is going to laugh about this”. / “I’m going to study
harder.”
 WOULD for volition / intention
 “I would go with him if he allowed me to”
 “What would you take to a desert island?”

12. PAST HABIT
 WOULD “When I was a kid, I would come here every
day”
 USED TO “He used to tell me everything”.

13. LACK OF NECESSITY
 NEEDN’T “You needn’t go there”
 DON’T HAVE TO “You don’t have to go there”

14. MODALS COMBINED WITH
ASPECT OR VOICE
Modals cannot combine with tense, but they can
combine with ASPECT or VOICE.
 With Perfect Aspect (modal + have + participle)
 With Progressive Aspect (modal + be + ing)
 With Passive Voice (modal + be + participle)

15. PERFECT MODAL VERBS
 REPROACH: “You should have come earlier.”
 POSSIBILITY IN THE PAST: “I could have visited you,
but I didn’t feel like.”
 UNCERTAINTY ABOUT THE PAST: “He may have
done it, but I don’t know”.
 DEDUCTION: “He must have arrived. He is always on
time”