Understanding Modal Verbs and Modal Perfects, Study notes of Law

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Modals and

Modal Perfects

Modal Verbs:

How many modal verbs do you know?

Structure of modals vs. modal perfects

Look at the following sentences. Which one is using modal verbs and

which one is using modal perfects?

1. I shouldn’t have said that to Kate. Now, she is mad with me.

2. I may go on holiday to Australia next year.

MODAL VERBS:

Subject + modal verb + infinitive + predicate

E.g. You must read this book / You mustn’t read this book / Must I read this book?

MODAL PERFECTS:

Subject + modal verb + have + past participle (3rd column) + predicate

E.g. William could have bought a new laptop, but he decided to save up.

William shouldn’t have bought a new laptop.

Should William have bought the laptop?

Can

Drag the dots to the correct sentences by taking into account the legend. Ability Permission Possibility Past action that didn’t happen ● Can I use your book, please? ● It can’t have been easy to say “no” to that piece of cake. ● I cannot snap my fingers. ● It can be dangerous to drive if you are tired.

COULD

AS MODAL VERB

Ability in the PAST I couldn’t swim when I was five. Polite permission Could I use your telephone, please? Possibility It could rain tomorrow. AS MODAL PERFECT PAST possibility They could have gone to London, but Oscar became sick. Certainly that something wasn’t true in the PAST They couldn’t have finished the project because they didn’t have much time. CAN’T HAVE = COULDN’T HAVE

MAY = MIGHT

AS MODAL VERB

Polite permission May / might I use your telephone, please? Possibility or probability It may / might be quicker to travel by train. AS MODAL PERFECT PAST possibility He may / might have won if he hadn’t been injured.

May / Might

Permission Possibility Past possibility

● It might be hard to work and study at the same time

● May I use the toilet, please?

● I might have visited my grandma, but I lost the last train.

Should = Ought to

AS MODAL VERB

To give advices or recommendations You should revise these exercises. They are wrong. 50% obligation I should go to the doctor. I have a terrible headache. AS MODAL PERFECT PAST regrets I should have apologise, I had been very rude.

Should / ought to

Advice/recommandation Obligation Past

regret

● I shouldn’t have had that coffee, now I can’t sleep.

● You ought to watch this film. It’s amazing!

● Should we finish these exercises?

Must / have to

Deduction Obligation Prohibition

Past deduction

● You mustn’t drink and drive.

● John must be sick, because he never misses lessons.

● The lights are off. They must have gone out.

● I must read this book if I want to pass the exam.

Needn’t = don’t have to

AS MODAL VERB

Lack of necessity / absence of obligation You needn’t / don’t have to go to the pharmacy, I have just bought your medicines. have to = in all tenses AS MODAL PERFECT Unnecessary PAST action Jane needn’t have made so many pancakes, we have already eaten.

Two extra modal verbs

● Would:

To express a condition: if I won the lottery, I would travel around the

world.

To ask something politely: would you like some coffee?

● Be able to:

Another way to express ability: John is able to pilot a plane.

How well did you understand modal verbs?