Modal Verbs
Modal Verbs
Modal Verbs
Grade 7
Unit 7
What are modal verbs?
They are special verbs which behave irregularly in English. They are different from
normal verbs like "work, play, visit..."
They give additional information about the function of the main verb that follows it.
They never change their form. You can't add "s", "ed", "ing"...
They are always followed by an infinitive without "to" (example: the bare infinitive.)
Why do we use Modal verbs?
Modal verbs are used to express functions such as:
• Obligation
• Prohibition
• Lack of necessity
• Advice
• Permission
• Possibility
• Ability
• probability
Modals of:
Obligation Prohibition
Must Mustn't
Have to
Has to
Lack of necessity
Don’t/ doesn’t have to
Don’t/ doesn’t need to
Needn't
Modals of:
Possibility
Advice May
Should Might
Ought to
Ability
Can
Permission
Could
Can
Was able to
May
Modals of Obligation
• Must + infinitive Strong obligation ( law / rule)
e.g. We must clean our room now.
I must finish my homework early
• Have to + infinitive Strong obligation / Necessity
e.g. You have to stop when the traffic lights turn red.
She has to turn in her assignment on time.
Practice
Rewrite the following sentences using the modals
1. We are obligated to submit the project tomorrow.
We must submit the project tomorrow
• Needn't to + infinitive
Lack of necessity / when something is
• Don’t need to + infinitive not important to be done
• Don’t have to + infinitive
Since we are making a polite request we use the form of the question
Modal + subject + infinitive … ?
Modals of Possibility
• May / Might + infinitive to express something that is likely to happen