---
# System prepended metadata

title: MODAL VERBS

---

{%hackmd bywgECMyRta8Q0aMb8U5ZQ %}


:::success
# MODAL VERBS
:::

## CAN

### General ability (PRESENT)
- I **can** speak English

### Ask for permission (informal)
- **Can** I borrow your pen, please ?

### To request something
- **Can** you help me, please ?

### Possibility
- It **can** get very cold there at night.

### Offer to help someone
- **Can** I carry your bags for you ?

### Cannot (can't) not allowed
- You **cannot** smoke in this room.
- You **can't** go to the party.

**Examples:**

| ?                                                | +                                                | -                                                                                  |
| ------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------ |:---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Can I read ?                                     | Yes, You can read.                               | No, You cannot (can't) read.                                                       |
| Can You ride a horse ?                           | He would answer: Yes, I can ride a horse.        | He would answer: No, I can't (You can't ride a horse).                             |
| Can she dance ?                                  | Yes, she can (She can dance very well).          | No, she can't dance (not able to dance, somehow)                                   |
| Can he swim ?                                    | Yes, he can swim.                                | No, he can't (He can't swim).                                                      |
| Can it sing ?                                    | Yes, it can (It can sing well).                  |                                                                                    |
| Can we cook ? (as if you asked the house owner ) | Yes, You(plural) can cook here.                  | No, You(plural) can't (You(plural) can't cook. I(house owner) hate smell of food). | 
| Can they run and jump ?                          | Yes, they can. (They can run and jump very well) |                                                                                    |


## COULD

### General ability in the PAST
- I **could** play the piano when I ***was younger.***

### Ask for permission (more polite)
- **Could** I use your bathroom, please ?

### To request something (more polite)
- **Could** you pass me the salt, please ?

### Possibility in the PAST ( could + have + past participle(V3))
- You **could** have broken your leg.

### Suggestion (when asked what to do)
- We **could** go to the movies, if you like.

### Conditional of Can (would be able to)
- If we had some oranges, I **could** make you some fresh juice. (I **would be able to** make you some fresh juice.)


## SHOULD

### Advice or Suggestion
- Your hair is too long. You **should** get a haircut.

### Situation likely in the PRESENT
- Mary **should** be at home now. Give her a call.

### Likely in the FUTURE (prediction)
- They **should** win tonight, they're a better team.

### Should + have + past participle (V3)
> Meaning: The **subject** did **not fulfill** their **obligation in the past** or **did not act responsibly.**
- You **should have given** your boss the report yesterday, when he asked for it.


### SIDENOTE:

#### Should vs. Ought to

> **Should** can be replaced by **ought to** without a change in meaning:

- You **ought to** study more、 あだら先輩！ == You **should** study more、あだら先輩！

> NOTE: **Ought to** sounds more **formal** than **should** and is used **less** frequently.

> We use **Should not (shouldn't)** to advice **not** to do something, usually because it is **bad** or **wrong.**

- You **shouldn't** throw your litter onto the street.
- He **shouldn't** play with those wires if he doesn't know what he is doing.
- You **shouldn't** work so much.

---

## WOULD

### Would / Had better

[description]

[table here]

> **would** - **だろう**
> **had better** - **した方がよい**

### Affirmative

| Pronoun                                  | Form           | Examples     |
| ---------------------------------------- | -------------- | ------------ |
| I, We, You, They, He, She, It, Everybody | **would**      | be late      |
| I, We, You, They, He, She, It, Everybody | **would**      | be at home   |
| I, We, You, They, He, She, It, Everybody | **would**      | be at office |
| I, We, You, They, He, She, It, Everybody | **had better** | be late      |
| I, We, You, They, He, She, It, Everybody | **had better** | be at home   |
| I, We, You, They, He, She, It, Everybody | **had better** | be at office |


### Negation

| Pronoun                                  | Form               | Examples     |
| ---------------------------------------- | ------------------ | ------------ |
| I, We, You, They, He, She, It, Everybody | **wouldn't**       | have assets  |
| I, We, You, They, He, She, It, Everybody | **wouldn't**       | have friends |
| I, We, You, They, He, She, It, Everybody | **wouldn't**       | have enemies |
| I, We, You, They, He, She, It, Everybody | **had better not** | have assets  |
| I, We, You, They, He, She, It, Everybody | **had better not** | have friends |
| I, We, You, They, He, She, It, Everybody | **had better not** | have enemies |

### Question

| Form      | Pronoun                                  |    Form    | Examples |
| --------- | ---------------------------------------- |:----------:| -------- |
| **Would** | I, We, You, They, He, She, It, Everybody |     -      | say      |
| **Would** | I, We, You, They, He, She, It, Everybody |     -      | come     |
| **Would** | I, We, You, They, He, She, It, Everybody |     -      | sunbathe |
| **Had**   | I, We, You, They, He, She, It, Everybody | **better** | say      |
| **Had**   | I, We, You, They, He, She, It, Everybody | **better** | come     |
| **Had**   | I, We, You, They, He, She, It, Everybody | **better** | sunbathe |


**Examples:**

- It **would** be great!
- We **would not** have a row with you
- **Would** you sleep ?
- I **would** drink a cup of coffee
- I **had better** be late
- You **had better** sunbathe
- He **had better not** be at office today
- You **had better not** have enemies
- **Had** he **better** have many friends?
- We **had better** come early




---


## MUST

### Obligation
- You **must** wear a seatbelt when you drive.

### Deduction (certain something is true)
- Look at all that snow. It **must** be cold outside.

### Emphasize Necessity
- Plants **must** have light and water to grow.

### Strong Recommendation
- You **mustn't** use your phone while driving.

### SIDENOTE:

#### Must vs Have to

> **Must** expresses ***obligation*** imposed by the speaker while **Have to** expresses external ***obligations***.

Teacher: You **must** complete this essay by Friday.
Student: We **have to** complete this essay by Friday.

> It is more common to use **Have to** instead of **Must** in questions.

- Does he **have to** do the test ?

> We use **Had to** instead of **Must** in ***the past tense.***

- I **had to** pay my speeding ticket yesterday.

__Have to:__ shows that the obligation comes from a source other than the speaker, as it is some sort of __rule.__
- David wanted to go to the party but would __have to__ work that night.

__Must:__ The obligation comes from the speaker.
- I __must__ stop eating so many cheeseburgers.

---

#### Mustn't vs Don't have to

:::danger
:warning: There is a difference in meaning between **MUST NOT** and **DO NOT HAVE TO.**
:::


:::info

__MUST NOT__
_MEANING:_
- It is __prohibited__
- It is __not allowed__
- It is important that you __do not__ do something

:::

- You **must not** drink that.
    It's **forbidden to drink that.**
    **Don't drink that**, it is not **allowed.**
- You **mustn't tell John.**
    Do **NOT** tell John.
    You are **not allowed** to tell John.

:::info
__DON'T HAVE TO__

_MEANING:_
- There is no **obligation;**
- You are not **required** to do something, especially if you don't want.

:::

- You **don't have to** drink that.
    You **don't need to** drink that but **you can** if you want.
- You **don't have to** tell John.
    You **can tell John** if you want to but it is not **necessary**.
    
    
## SHALL

### Suggestions
- **Shall** I get a pizza for dinner tonight ?

### Offers / Volunteering
- That bag looks heavy. **Shall** I carry it for you ?

### Instructions (asking for or giving)
- What **shall** I do with your mail when it arrives ?

### Promise
- You **shall** be the first person to know.

### Confirmation (statement of fact)
- I **shall** meet you there at 7.

### SIDENOTE:

> The modal verb **SHALL** is not used much nowadays. It may still be found
> in formal speech and some legal documents.
> &nbsp;
> The most common use of **shall** in everyday English is in questions that offer
> or suggest. ***-Shall I ... ?  - Shall we ... ?***

In all of the examples above, **shall** can be replaced by another **modal verb:**
- Suggestion/Instruction - **Should**
- Offers - **Can / Could**
- Promises / Confirmation - **Will**


## May / Might

### Expressing wishes

> **May** is a modal verb that has different uses. One of its uses is to express your wishes for someone.

- **May** the New Year ***bring*** you happiness.
- **May** you both ***have*** a happy life together.
- **May** all your wishes ***come*** true.

### Possibility
- It **might** rain later so take an umbrella.

### Give permission
- You **may** have another cookie if you like.

### Ask for permission
- **May** I borrow your pen, please ?

### Speculate about PAST action
- She is late. She **may** have missed her plane.

### SIDENOTE:

> **MEANING:**
> **May** and **Might** can normally be interchanged without a significant difference in meaning.
> However, **Might** often **implies a smaller chance** of something happening (when expressing possibility).
> - It **may** rain. (70% chance)
> - It **might** rain. (40% chance)
> 
> When expressing wishes or giving permission, only **May** is used.


```

[--- May the odds be ever in your favor                                   ---]
[----------------------------------------------------------------------------]
[-- *May*           *the odds      *be*          *ever*    in your favor.* --]
[-----|-----------------|------------|--------------|-----------|------------]
[--Modal verb--------chances------Base form---------|----------to------------]
[--to express----------of---------of the infin.---always------your-----------]
[--your wishes-------winning------[to] be-------------------advantage--------]
[-----|-----------------|------------|---------------------------------------]
[-- *May*           *the Force*    *be*        with you. --------------------]
[----------------------------------------------------------------------------]
[--- May the Force be with you                                            ---]

```


## NOTES & EXAMPLES

### MAY

#### PERMISSION

| Sentence                                                 | +                 | -                     |
| -------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------- | --------------------- |
| May I go out, mummy?                                     | Yes, you may.     | No, you mustn't       |
| May/Can I use your computer while you're away?           | Yes, you may/can. | No, you mustn't/can't |

- You may have a rest only when you've finished this work.
 
 
### MUST NOT (mustn't)

#### PROHIBITION

- You mustn't go out before finishing your work.
- You mustn't touch anything in this room.
- We mustn't eat or drink in the auditorium.

### SHALL (2nd / 3rd person)

#### PROMISES, THREAT, INSTRUCTION

- You shall have a delicious cake on your birthday.
- Candidates shall stay in the room until the tests are collected.
- You shall not park here or I'll fine you.

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