Pengertian Modal Auxiliary Verb verb (kata kerja utama) Modal Auxiliary verb adalah kata yang ditempatkan sebelum main verb (kata untuk memodifikasi makna dari kata kerja utama tersebut. Fungsinya untuk mengekspresikan willingness (kemauan) willingness (kemauan) atau ability (kemampuan), ability (kemampuan), necessity (kebutuhan), necessity (kebutuhan), dan possibility dan possibility (kemungkinan).Kata kerja bantu ini antara lain: can, could, may, might, will, would, shall, should, must, dan ought to ( phrasal modal verb). verb ).
Fungsi dan Contoh Kalimat Modal Auxiliary Verb Berikut beberapa fungsi dan contoh kalimat modal auxiliary verb. verb. Modal Verb
Fungsi
Can digunakan Can digunakan untuk menyatakan ability (kemampuan) ability (kemampuan) Can
Modal verb ini verb ini dapat digunakan untuk meminta i"in (permission)
Contoh Kalimat Modal Auxiliary Verb
ou can buy anything !ith your money but you can not buy love. (Kamu dapat membeli apapun dengan uangmu tapi kamu tidak dapat membeli cinta) Can # borro! your car for one night$ (Bisakah saya meminjam mobilmu selama satu malam$) ou could run faster than me t!o years ago. (Kamu dapat berlari lebih cepat dari saya dua tahun lalu.)
Could digunakan digunakan untuk menyatakan ability (kemampuan) ability (kemampuan) dimasa lalu (past). Could Modal verb ini verb ini dapat digunakan Could # use your computer to print and scan$ untuk meminta i"in (permission) (Bolehkah saya memakai komputermu untuk untuk melakukan sesuatu dimasa lalu print dan scan dan scan$) $) (past) atau masa depan (future). %e may !ork out and consume healthy heal thy food every day. (&ia mungkin berlatih dan mengonsumsi May untuk May untuk menyatakan possibility menyatakan possibility makanan sehat setiap hari.) (kemungkinan) dimasa sekarang ou may forget the embarassing incident (present) dan masa depan (future). tomorro!. May (Kamu mungkin melupakan insiden memalukan itu besok.) Modal verb ini verb ini untuk meminta i"in May # go home no!$ (permission) yang lebih formal (Bolehkah saya pulang sekarang$) daripada modal verb can. Might 'ama seperti may, may, modal verb ini verb ini ou might forget the embarassing accident digunakan untuk menyatakan tomorro!.* possibility (kemungkinan) possibility (kemungkinan) dimasa he doctor might have !arned you not to eat sekarang (present) dan masa depan red meat.-* (future)*. (&ikatakan setelah diketahui fakta: he doctor Might dapat dapat ditambahkan primary ditambahkan primary has not !arned&okter belum melarang.) au+iliary verb have untuk he doctor may have !arned you not to eat
red meat./* (Faktanya: belum diketahui)
menyatakan probability menyatakan probability dimasa dimasa lalu (past). Modal (past). Modal verb ini verb ini digunakan untuk menyatakan hypothetical Might merupakan merupakan bentuk past bentuk past dari dari may dimana may dimana digunakan untuk #f # have cleaned the room, might # play !ith meminta i"in (permission) yang lebih my friend$ formal daripada modal verb could. (0ika saya sudah membersihkan ruangan, &ibanding may, may, Might lebih lebih tentatif bolehkah saya main dengan teman$) (tidak pasti) kejadiannya. # will help you if you help yourself first. Will untuk untuk menyatakan willingness ('aya akan membantumu jika kamu (kemauan). Willingness dapat Willingness dapat membantu dirimu sendiri dulu.) diungkapkan dalam conditional sentence type maupun invitation Will you marry me$ (undangan1ajakan). (2aukah kamu menikah dengan saya$) Will #3ll give you a glass of !ater. Modal verb ini verb ini untuk membuat ('aya akan memberimu segelas air.) keputusan secara spontan1tanpa # think #3ll change my appearance. rencana (simple (simple future tense). tense). ('aya pikir saya akan merubah penampilan.) he sandstorm will come tonight. Will untuk untuk membuat prediksi. (Badai pasir akan datang nanti malam.) 'ama seperti will , modal verb ini verb ini dapat digunakan untuk menyatakan Would you like to see my craft$ willingness (kemauan), willingness (kemauan), namun lebih (2aukah kamu melihat kerajinan tanganku$) polite (sopan). polite (sopan). Modal verb ini verb ini menyatakan sense menyatakan sense of %e would be free tonight. Would probability probability (kemungkinan). (kemungkinan). (&ia akan kosong nanti malam.) Would dipadukan dipadukan dengan auxiliary #f you had remembered to invite me, # would have untuk membentuk conditional have attended your party. sentence type /. /. Would disini disini untuk (0ika kamu ingat mengundang saya, saya menyatakan tindakan yang ingin menghadiri pestamu.) dilakukan dimasa lalu. Shall British British 4nglish* * digunakan 6e shall overcome it someday. s omeday.* untuk menyatakan simple menyatakan simple future (Kita akan mengatasinya suatu hari nanti.) seperti halnya will namun namun hanya Shall !e pay a call him$ -* digunakan pada first pada first person (orang person (orang (%aruskah kita menjenguknya$) pertama) I dan we. Shall 5' 5' Shall # give you some advice$ -* 4nglish*-* jarang digunakan selain (%aruskah saya memberimu beberapa untuk polite untuk polite question untuk question untuk first first nasehat$) person. Shall person. Modal verb ini verb ini untuk menyatakan obligation (ke!ajiban) obligation (ke!ajiban) pada formal pada formal he %uman 8esource manager shall report situation (yang situation (yang dapat berupa legal the employee performance. document maupun maupun pada saat meeting . (%8 manager harus melaporkan performansi 7ada situasi ini, baik second baik second maupun maupun karya!an.) third person dapat person dapat digunakan dengan modal verb ini. verb ini.
Should
Should untuk memberi suggestion (saran) atau advice (nasehat).
ou should see the doctor. (Kamu harus ke dokter.) 6e should meet more often. (Kita harus bertemu lebih sering.) ou mustn3t give up. (Kamu tidak boleh menyerah.)
Must dipadukan dengan not untuk menyatakan prohibition (larangan) Must Modal verb ini mengekspresikan 6e must go to bed no!. obligation (ke!ajiban) atau necessity (Kita harus tidur sekarang.) (kebutuhan). # ought to !ear high 9uality running shoes. ('aya harus menggunakan sepatu lari berkualitas tinggi.) 6e ought to select the best candidate for the job. ught Ought to digunakan untuk (Kita harus memilih kandidat terbaik untuk to menyatakan apa yang benar atau tepat pekerjaan tsb.)
1. You seem to be having trouble there. _________ I help you? Would Will Shall
2. I don't have enough money to buy lunch. __________ you lend me a couple of dollars? May Could Shall
3. hat ice is dangerously thin no!. You ________ go ice"s#ating today. mustn't might not !ould mind not to
4. It's !ay past my bedtime and I'm really tired. I ________ go to bed. should
ought could
5. $e ______________ have committed this crime. $e !asn't even in the city that night. might shouldn't couldn't
6. %ohn is over t!o hours late already& $e ___________ missed the bus again. should have must have !ill have
7. I'm really uite lost. _______________ sho!ing me ho! to get out of here? Would you mind Would you be Must you be
8. hat bus is usually on time. It _________ to be here any time no!. might has ought
9. I read about your plane's near disaster. You ____________ terri(ed) might have been must have been shall have been
10. It's the la!. hey ____________ have a blood test before they get married. might could have to
11. *rofessor +illa& !e've (nished our !or# for today. _________ !e leave no!&
please? May Can Must
Modal Auxiliaries he modal au+iliaries (or modals) include the follo!ing: can, could, may, might, must, should, !ill, !ould, . . .
2odals are al!ays follo!ed by the base form of a verb or au+iliary verb.
2odals are al!ays the same form no matter !hat the subject is.
#n standard merican 4nglish, a predicate verb phrase cannot contain more than one modal. correct %e !ill be able to go. not correct ; %e !ill can go.
Belo! are e+ample sentences containing the modal may and the verb go.
%e may have been going. hey may have been going.
2odals and related verb phrases add meanings to verbs. Belo! are some of those meanings: Ability!Availability
future: will be able to present: can" am!is!are able to past: could" was!were able to #e$uests
present1future: can" could" will" would Permission
future: will be allowed to present1future: may" can" could" am!is!are allowed to past: could" was!were allowed to Possibility
present1future: may" might" could past: may have" might have" could have Im%ossibility
present1future: couldn&t" can&t past: couldn&t have Advisability
present1future: should" ought to" had better past: should have" ought to have" had better have 'x%ectation
present1future: should" ought to past: should have" ought to have
(ecessity
future: will have to present1future: must" have to" has to past: had to )ac* o+ (ecessity
future: won&t have to present1future: don&t have to" doesn&t have to past: didn&t have to Prohibition
present1future: must not" may not" cannot past: could not )ogical ,eduction -.Probability/
present: must" have to" has to past: must have" have to have" has to have
SCIA) M,A)S he choice of modal depends partly on the social situation.
6e often use +ormal language !ith strangers (people !e don3t kno!) and su%eriors (people !ith some po!er over us such as our employers, doctors, and teachers). 6e often use in+ormal language !ith our e$uals (our friends and family) and subordinates (people !e have some po!er over such as our employees or children). 0eneral re$uests (present and1or future): Will you help me$ ( In+ormal re you !illing$) Would you help me ( Formal re you !illing$) Can you help me$ ( In+ormal re you able$) Could you help me ( Formal re you able$) #e$uests +or %ermission (present and1or future): May # leave the room$ ( Formal ) Might # leave the room$ ( Formal rarely used)
Could # leave the room$ ( )ess +ormal Can # leave the room$ ( In+ormal ) 'x%ressing suggestions" advice" warnings" necessity (present and1or future): he choice of modal depends partly on the urgency of the message or the authority of the speaker1!riter or both. Suggestions1 ou could see the doctor. ou might see the doctor. Advice1 ou should see the doctor. ou ought to see the doctor. Warning!strong advice1 ou had better see the doctor. Strong advice!necessity1 ou have to see the doctor. ou have got to see the doctor. ou must see the doctor. (o choice1 ou will see the doctor.
M,A)S F 2')I'F -belie+s about %resent time/ he choice of modal depends partly on !hat the speaker or !riter believes. Someone is *noc*ing at the door3
hat could be Fred. hat might be Fred. = #t3s %ossible. #3m less than >?@ sure. hat may be Fred. = #t3s %ossible. #3m less than A?@ sure. hat should be Fred. hat ought to be Fred. = #3m ex%ecting Fred and # think he3s here. hat must be Fred. hat has to be Fred. hat has got to be Fred. = #t3s %robably Fred. # have a good reason to believe it is Fred. hat will be Fred.
= # believe it is Fred. #3m about @ sure. hat can&t be 2ary. hat couldn&t be 2ary. = #t3s im%ossible. #3m about @ sure. hat is Fred. = # kno! it3s Fred. #3m ??@ sure.
M,A)S F 2')I'F -belie+s about %ast time/ he choice of modal depends partly on !hat the speaker or !riter believes. Someone was *noc*ing at the door3
hat could have been Fred. hat might have been Fred. = #t3s %ossible. #3m less than >?@ sure. hat may have been Fred. = #t3s %ossible. #3m less than A?@ sure. hat must have been Fred. hat has to have been Fred. hat has got to have been Fred. = #t !as %robably Fred. # have a good reason to believe it !as Fred. hat couldn&t have been 2ary. = #t3s im%ossible. #3m about @ sure. hat was Fred. = # kno! it !as Fred. #3m ??@ sure.
M,A)S F 2')I'F -belie+s about +uture time/ he choice of modal depends partly on !hat the speaker or !riter believes. What will the weather be li*e tomorrow4
#t could rain tomorro!. #t might rain tomorro!. = #t3s %ossible. #3m less than >?@ sure.
#t may rain tomorro!. = #t3s %ossible. #3m less than A?@ sure. #t should rain tomorro!. #t ought to rain tomorro!. = # ex%ect it !ill rain. #t will rain tomorro!. = # believe it is going to rain. #3m about @ sure. #t couldn&t snow tomorro!. = #t3s im%ossible. #3m about @ sure. Pure modals
Semi-modals
can
ought to
could
has1have (got) to
may
be able to
might shall should !ill !ould need ;;; ;;; need is a special verb since as an au+iliary it is almost al!ays negative and it is also a le+ical verb as in sentences like he needs to speak to you now, !hile it acts as a modal verb in sentences such as you needn't come to work tomorrow !here it has the same meaning as don't have to.
he forms of pure modals he main characteristics of the pure modals are: •
they never change their form irrespective of the sub,ect of the sentence e.g. he can swim& not *he cans swim
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follo!ing on from the above feature& they do not change to sho! past tense e.g. she had to leave not *she musted leave they all carry the negative of the sentence by the addition of not/n't e.g. I can't emem!e not *I don't can emem!e they all form uestions by inversion !ith the sub,ect of the sentence. e.g. should I sta"# they are all follo!ed by the base form of the verb !ithout the addition of to e.g. he can swim not *he can to swim
he forms of semi"modals ou !ill notice that this type of modal is made up of t!o or more separate !ords, the last one invariably being to. hey are all modal in meaning but not in form as they behave differently in a sentence from the pure modals. #t is perhaps best to think of the semiCmodals in the form !ith the to infinitive that is given in the table rather than thinking of them as modals that need to D base form. 6e need to look at the form of each individual semiCmodal separately. $e a!le to 6e use this semiCmodal to e+press possibility or the ability to do something, but unlike the pure modals, be able to has a full range of tenses and also needs to inflect to sho! agreement !ith its subject. For e+ample: •
$e is able to o-er you the best price possible.
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We !ere able to get in to see the (lm.
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hey haven't been able to (nd the missing document. So& you aren't able to help.
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I !ill be able to see you after lunch. hey might not be able to put us up for the night.
%as/have &ot( to his is used to e+press necessity or obligation to do something and shares some of the features of be able to discussed above. he have element of the form has to change to agree !ith its subject. lthough it is normally used in the present tense, it also has its o!n past ( had to) and can be used !ith pure modals to sho! the future or the attitude of the speaker: •
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hey have to be more punctual. $e has to ta#e responsibility for the accident.
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I had to help my father repair his car.
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We !ill have to put this o- until tomorro!.
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You shouldn't have to su-er in silence.
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You don't have to come if you don't !ant to.
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$e didn't have to do all the shopping.
From these fe! e+amples it should be clear that the negative not again attaches itself to the au+iliary verb (modal or main) that comes immediately after the subject of the sentence. )uht to #t is usually claimed that the meaning of ought to is the same as should !hether it refers to giving advice or making a logical deduction. 'o, to most native speakers the follo!ing sentences !ith ought to and should feel the same: •
You ought to see a doctor.
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You should see a doctor.
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hey ought to have got bac# home by no!.
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hey should have got bac# home by no!.
#n practice, most speakers tend to prefer should for negatives and 9uestions because the ought to and oughtn't to forms can sound rather clumsy and a!k!ard. •
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ught you to be doing that? hey oughtn't to /ought not to0 do that. ughtn't !e to leave no!?
Meanings of modal verbs he main function of modal verbs is to allo! the speaker or !riter to e+press their opinion of, or their attitude to, a proposition. hese attitudes can cover a !ide range of possibilities including obligation! asking for and giving permission! disapproval! advising! logical deduction! ability! possibility! necessity! absence of necessity and so on. he problem !ith each modal verb is that it can have more that one meaning and the interpretation of a particular modal !ill depend heavily on the conte+t in !hich it is being used. he follo!ing e+amples should help to illustrate this point. •
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It might ta#e more than a !ee#. /possibility0 You might have told me about it) /sho!ing disapproval0
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$e must ta#e his medicine three times a day. /obligation0
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$e must be 1rench. /logical deduction0
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I can't lift that suitcase by myself. /ability0 hat can't be the right ans!er. /logical deduction0 May I loo# at the uestions no!? /as#ing for permission0 hey say it may sno! tomorro!. /possibility0
ou probably also noticed from the e+amples that notions like permission and possibility can be e+pressed using different modal verbs C this, of course, only serves to complicate matters further since one modal verb can have more that one meaning, and one meaning can be e+pressed by more than one modal verb. #n the space that !e have available here it !ould be impossible to cover all the meanings of each of the modals, so as e+amples !e !ill look at some of the !ays that obligation and logical deduction can be e+pressed. )!liation he t!o main modals here are must and have to. he difference bet!een them is usually given as follo!s: must is used to e+press an internal obligation that is imposed by the speaker, !hile have to refers to rules and regulations that are imposed from outside the speaker. gain, as !ith many points of grammar this is only intended as a rough guide.
o e+press a lack of obligation !e cannot just automatically add not to the modal verbs !ithout thinking more carefully about it first. %o! do you feel about the follo!ing sentences for instance$ •
$e must sing loudly.
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$e mustn't sing loudly.
#n the first sentence you !ould probably agree that this is obligation originating from, say, a teacher or someone !ith authority. he second sentence, ho!ever, does not e+press a lack of obligation but a prohibition to do something . he form that !e use to e+press a lack of obligation could be one of the follo!ing: •
$e doesn't have to get up early.
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$e doesn't need to get up early.
his lack of balance in the use of modals can cause many problems for people !ho are learning 4nglish since it is 9uite illogical. oical deduction his is another area of modal use that is fraught !ith difficulties for reasons similar to those just discussed above. Eook at the follo!ing sentences: 5he tele%hone rings1 •
hat'll be 1ran#.
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hat must be 1ran#.
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hat should be 1ran#.
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hat could be 1ran#.
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hat might be 1ran#.
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hat may be 1ran#.
he modal verbs used here have been listed in !hat many consider to be the order of likelihood of something being true. ou may or may not agree !ith this listing, but it gives you some idea of some of the choices available for dra!ing logical conclusions from situations. #f !e look at the negatives of these sentences, ho!ever, you can see just ho! much more comple+ it can become: •
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hat !on't be 1ran#. 2 hat mustn't be 1ran#. /o use musn't in this !ay as logical deduction is incorrect3 !e use can't instead.0
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hat shouldn't be 1ran#.
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hat couldn't be 1ran#.
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hat mightn't be 1ran#.
2any of these sentences no! denote completely different attitudes to the situation and you may even agree that some of them are either not 4nglish or are only marginally acceptable. he sentence !hich has probably moved furthest from its original intention is the second one (mustnt) !hich sounds very odd. #n fact, the negative of must !hen !e talking about deduction is can't C one more e+ample of ho! complicated and counterCintuitive the system of 4nglish modals can be. +ast time with modals 6e noted earlier that the pure modals do not change to sho! tense. 2ost of these modals do in fact have either present or future reference, but sometimes !e need to refer back to the past. 6ith the semiCmodals there is little problem, but ho! can !e do this for pure modal verbs$ ou may have picked up from some of the previous e+amples that one !ay to do this is to insert have immediately after the pure modal. But this is not al!ays the case since can has its o!n past tense could !hen it refers to general ability. 'ome e+amples should help: •
I can spea# 4erman.
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I could spea# 4erman !hen I !as seven years old.
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You should see this (lm.
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You should have seen this (lm.
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Indonesia must be hot.
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Indonesia must have been hot.
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$e could (nd his !allet.
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$e could have found his !allet.
She must visit her mother.
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She had to visit her mother.
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3.07 Modal auxiliary verbs What are "modal auxiliary verbs"? The verbs can, could, will, would, should, may, might, must, ought and shall are verbs which 'help' other verbs to express a meaning: it is important to realise that these "modal verbs" have no meaning by themselves. A modal verb such as would has several varying functions; it can be used, for example, to help verbs express ideas about the past, the present and the future. t is therefore wrong to simply believe that "would is the past of will": it is many other things.
A few basic grammatical rules applyig to modal verbs !odal verbs are #$#% used with other auxiliary verbs such as do, does, did etc. The negative is formed simply by adding "not" after the verb; &uestions are formed by inversion of the verb and subect: You should not do that. Could you pick me up when I've finished? •
!odal verbs #$#% change form: you can never add an "(s" or "(ed", for example.
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!odal verbs are #$#% followed by to, with the exception of ought to.
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What sort of meaigs do modals give to other verbs? The meaning are usually connected with ideas of )*+T, -#%TAT, /*001T and /%*A1T, *12AT* and /#%!00* 3or lac4 of these5. ou will see that they are not used to tal4 about things that definitely exist, or events that definitely happened. These meanings are sometimes divided into two groups:
!#$% &' ($)A*+), : certainty; probability; possibility; impossibility &-*#A)*&+/'$!&M )& A() : permission,lac4 of permission; ability; obligation.
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1et's loo4 at each modal verb separately, and the functions they help to express:
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Maig persoal predictios
I don't think the Queen will ever abdicate. I doubt if I'll stay here much longer. •
)alig about the preset with certaity 1maig deductios2 I'm sure you will understand that there is nothing the epartment can do !here's a letter for you. It'll be from the bank" they said they'd be writing.
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)alig about the future with certaity I won't be in the office until ##$ I've got a meeting. on't bother ringing" they'll have left for their #% o'clock lecture.
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)alig about the past with certaity I'm sure you will have noticed that attendance has fallen sharply.
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$eassurig someoe on't worry& You'll settle down uickly, I'm sure. It'll be all right& You won't have to speak by yourself.
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Maig a decisio (or the main course I'll have grilled tuna. I'm very tired. I think I'll stay at home tonight.
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Maig a semiformal re4uest )ill you open the window, please? It's very hot in here. *ign this, will you?
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&fferig to do somethig You stay there& I'll fetch the drinks.
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*sistece5 habitual behaviour I'm not surprised you don't know what to do& You will keep talking in class. amn& +y car won't start. I'll have to call the garage.
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Maig a promise or a threat You can count on me& I'll be there at o'clock sharp. If you don't finish your dinner off, you'll go straight to bed&
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%6A 0hall is a form of will, used mostly in the first person. ts use, however, is decreasing, and in any case in spo4en #nglish it would be contracted to "(ll" and be indistinguishable from will. The only time you do need to use it is in &uestions, when:
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Maig offers *hall I fetch you another glass of wine?
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Maig suggestios *hall we go to the cinema tonight?
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MA, M*#6) •
!ay 6 might sometimes have virtually the same meaning; they are used to tal4 about possibilities in the past, present or future. 3"-ould" is also sometimes used5. +ay is sometimes a little bit "more sure" 3789 chance5; whereas might expresses more doubt 3maybe only a 89 chance5. !ay 6 might are used, then, for:
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)alig about the preset or future with ucertaity *he may be back in her office" the lecture finished ten minutes ago. I may go shopping tonight, I haven't decided yet. -ngland might win the )orld Cup, you never know.
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)alig about the past with ucertaity I'm surprised he failed. I suppose he might have been ill on the day of the eam. They can also sometimes be used for tal4ing about permission, but usually only in formal situations. nstead of saying +ay I open a window? we would say Is it all right/01 if I open a window? or Can I open a window? for example. ou might, however, see: *tudents may not borrow euipment without written permission.
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)alig about thigs that ca happe i certai situatios If the monitors are used in poorly lit places, some users may eperience headaches. -ach nurse may be responsible for up to twenty patients.
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With a similar meaig to although !he eperiment may have been a success, but there is still a lot of work to be done . 3 Although it was a success, there is still ...5
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%ayig that somethig was possible8 but did ot actually happe You saw me standing at the bus stop& You might have stopped and given me a lift&
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As the past of will8 for example i idirect speech 2!he net meeting will be in a month's time2 becomes 3e said the net meeting would be in a month's time.
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:olite re4uests ad offers 1a ;softer; form of will2 )ould you like another cup of tea? )ould you give me a ring after lunch? I'd like the roast duck, please.
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* coditioals8 to idicate ;distace from reality;< imagied8 ureal8 impossible situatios If I ruled the world, every day would be the first day of *pring. It would have been better if you'd word processed your assignment.
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After ;wish;8 to show regret or irritatio over someoe 1or somethig;s2 refusal or isistece o doig somethig 1preset or future2 I wish you wouldn't keep interrupting me. I wish it would snow. 3This is a complicated area= -hec4 in a good grammar boo4 for full details=5
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)alig about past habits 1similiar meaig to used to2 )hen I was small, we would always visit relatives on Christmas ay.
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'uture i the past !he assassination would become one of the key events of the century.
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(A+ (&9!
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)alig about ability Can you speak +andarin? 3present5 *he could play the piano when she was five. 3past5
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Maig re4uests Can you give me a ring at about #%? Could you speak up a bit please? 3slightly more formal, polite or 'softer'5
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Asig permissio Can I ask you a uestion? Could I ask you a personal uestion? 3more formal, polite or indirect5
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$eported speech -ould is used as the past of can.
3e asked me if I could pick him u p after work. •
#eeral possibility You can drive when you're #4. 3present5 )omen couldn't vote until 5ust after the (irst )orld )ar.
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(hoice ad opportuities If you want some help with your writing, you can come to classes, or you can get some #"# help. )e could go to *tratford tomorrow, but the forecast's not brilliant. 3less definite5
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'uture probability -ould 3*T can5 is sometimes used in the same way as might or may, often indicating something less definite. )hen I leave university I might travel around a bit, I might do an +6 or I suppose I could even get a 5ob.
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:reset possibility I think you could be right you know. 3*T can5 !hat can't be the right answer, it 5ust doesn't make sense.
:ast possibility If I'd known the lecture had been cancelled, I could have stayed in bed longer. •
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#xamples here refer to ritish #nglish; there is some variation in American #nglish.
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+ecessity ad obligatio
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!ust is often used to indicate 'personal' obligation; what you thin4 you yourself or other people>things must do. f the obligation comes from outside 3eg a rule or law5, then have to is often 3but not always5 preferred: I really must get some eercise. 7eople must try to be more tolerant of each other. You musn't look 8 promise? If you own a car, you have to pay an annual road ta.
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%trog advice ad ivitatios I think you really must make more of an effort. You must go and see the film 8 it's brilliant. You must come and see me net time you're in town.
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%ayig you thi somethig is certai !his must be the place 8 there's a white car parked outside.
You must be mad. )hat a suntan& You must have had great weather. The negative is expressed by can't: You're going to sell your guitar& You can't be serious& *he didn't wave 8 she can't have seen me.
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%6&9!
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#ivig advice I think you should go for the 6lfa rather than the 6udi. You shouldn't be drinking if you're on antibiotics. You shouldn't have ordered that chocolate dessert 8 you're not going to finish it.
&bligatio< wea form of must !he university should provide more sports facilities. !he euipment should be inspected regularly.
!eductio !he letter should get to you tomorrow 8 I posted it first class. •
)higs which did;t or may/may ot have happeed I should have renewed my !9 licence last month, but I forgot. You shouldn't have spent so much time on that first uestion.
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&ught to *ught to usually has the same meaning as should, particularly in affirmative statements in the present: You should/ought to get your hair cut. 0hould is much more common 3and easier to say=5, so if you're not sure, use should.
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