Monday, February 23, 2009

Uses of Modal Auxiliary Verb

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.

2 comments:

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