doichik_oia_modal_verbs_theory_and_practice

Common responses with modals are: You can/may or		- affirmative: Of course you
You can’t / may not		can / may (*Not “could /
Numerous non-modal responses are		might”)
Of course (polite affirmative),		- negative: No, you can’t /
I’m afraid not, I’d rather you didn’t (polite,		may not.
negative),		(Not “could not”/”might
Certainly not (blunt refusal).		not”)
A polite refusal is usually accompanied by some kind		I’m afraid you can’t take my
of explanation (I‟m afraid you can‟t because…)		car. I need it for the whole
		day.
** We use can (not may) / be allowed to to speak		** I can stay up as late as I
about permissions		like. My parents don‟t mind.
		These yellow lines mean that
		you can’t park here.
Past permission can be expressed by could in general		Last night the kids were
situations or by was / were allowed to in general and		allowed to stay up longer.
particular situations		I could / couldn’t walk alone
		when I was small. (or: I
		was(n’t) allowed to walk
		alone when I was small).
PROHIBITION		You shouldn’t talk to me
Should not (inadvisable = you‟d better not; less		like that
	strict)
Cannot	(generally, according to the	- Can I stay out late
	circumstances; you are not allowed)	- No, you may not / can’t /
May not (speaker‟s personal prohibition; or		mustn’t stay out late.
	formal contexts)
Am/is/are		You are not to open this
not to (giving instructions in formal contexts)		door.
Must not (speaker‟s absolute prohibition; often
	subjective, implies that there is no other
	choice)
		You shall do as you please
* In formal contexts permission can be given with		(=I allow you to)
shall and denied with shan’t (2nd and 3rd persons)		If he doesn‟t finish, he shan’t
		go out (=I don‟t allow him
		to)

EXERCISES:

1.Make requests for permission and supply the answers:

1. You are visiting a close friend and you want to borrow his car_____

________________________________________________________

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2.You are at a party given by people you hardly know. You want to see their garden_____________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

3.You are visiting your distant relatives and want to use their library__

________________________________________________________

4.You are in an office and need to make a phone call______________

________________________________________________________

5.You are in a hotel and need to talk to the administrator__________

_______________________________________________________

2.Write sentences to express prohibition:

1.It is not advisable that you stay up so late_____________________

_______________________________________________________

2.It is not allowed to smoke inside___________________________

_______________________________________________________

3.I do not allow the strangers to use my phone__________________

_______________________________________________________

4.According to the instructions he is not allowed to move these things

________________________________________________________

5.I forbid you to speak to your parents like that!__________________

________________________________________________________

Self-study task:

Translate the sentences:

1.Хай робить, як знає.

2.Вибачте, скажіть, будь ласка, котра година?

3.Чи міг би я скористатися Вашим телефоном?

4.Ти не отримаєш морозиво, доки не вивчиш вірш.

5.Не можна залишати дім незамкненим.

6.Нам не дозволяли повертатися додому пізно, коли були малими.

7.Можна, я візьму твій записник?

8.Не слід пропускати заняття.

9.Вам не можна туди заходити, поки триває екзамен.

10.Не можна нікому брати мої речі!

11.Туди не можна їхати – там закрита дорога.

12.Не слід запізнюватися.

13.Чи міг би я попросити Вас про послугу?

14.Чи можна скористатися Вашою ручкою?

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LESSON 6. CRITICISM. REPROACH. OUTRAGE. STRONG

DISAPPROVAL

To express criticism / disapproval / reproach
referring to the present or future we use:
Can	(criticism about repetitive things)	You can be very annoying, you know?
Could (sounds less direct than can in		You could help me now.
	expressing disapproval)	You could be less arrogant
Should (criticism on what is the wrong		You should not talk to your mom like
	thing to do according to the	that
	speaker)	He should dress warmer
Ought to (criticism based on moral duties)		You oughtn’t to throw litter here
Might (sounds less strong than should; a		You might be more polite
	nagging complaint)	You might clean after yourself
To express criticism / disapproval / reproach		You could have written your essay
referring to the past we use:		better
Could + have + V3		He could have helped you
Should + have + V3		You should have booked the tickets in
Ought to + have + V3		advance
Might + have + V3 (less strong than should)		Of course, you feel sick. You shouldn’t
The use of these forms indicates that the		have eaten so much chocolate.
past action wasn‟t carried out the way the		You might have told me you weren't
speaker thinks it was right to be done.		coming!
* Note		*
Might/could (at least) + V1 is used to		You might at least clean after yourself
express reproach		He might at least be less annoying
**Note		**
Might have + V3 with the verbs guess,		I might have guessed it was a lie
know, suspect reinforce complaint		I might have suspected he would fail
		to follow the instructions
To express reprimand / outrage / strong		How dare you suggest such a thing!
disapproval we use dare /dared		How dare you raise your voice!
		Don’t you dare speak to me like that!
		How dared he tell it to everyone!
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EXERCISES:

1.Rewrite the sentences to express criticism / reproach / disapproval:

1.Don‟t be so rude________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

2.I think you are too absent-minded_________________________

________________________________________________________

3.I don‟t think you are right when you forget about the details______

________________________________________________________

4.It was your duty to answer the calls. Why didn‟t you?___________

_________________________________________________________

5.Is it possible that you be more attentive?_____________________

_________________________________________________________

6.It would be better if you closed the door every time you leave____

_________________________________________________________

7.Why didn‟t you warn everyone about her arrival?______________

_________________________________________________________

8.It was wrong of you to speak like that with the boss____________

_______________________________________________________

9.I think you were able to change the situation, but you didn‟t______

________________________________________________________

10.You ate too much, that‟s why you are sick____________________

________________________________________________________

11.It would have been much better if you hadn‟t quit______________

_________________________________________________________

12.He is boastful sometimes. It‟s annoying______________________

_________________________________________________________

Self-study task:

Translate the sentences:

1.Тобі слід було уважніше переходити дорогу.

2.Як він посмів так на неї кричати?

3.Не смій забувати добро, зроблене тобі!

4.Я міг би і здогадатися, що ти забудеш про обіцянку.

5.Якщо не допомагаєш, то могла б принаймні не критикувати.

6.Ти міг би час від часу прибирати свою кімнату.

7.Не слід було так хвилюватися через дрібниці.

8.Вона часом дуже набридлива, коли надто багато запитує.

9.Він мав можливість все виправити!

10.Ти могла запобігти цьому!

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LESSON 7. PROMISE. WILLINGNESS. REFUSAL

	To express willingness to do something	I will act as a witness to your story
	we use will / would (=be willing to).	He will help you
	Will → Present
	Would → Past
	To express unwillingness / refusal we	He won’t drink his milk
	use:	The car won’t start
	Won’t → Present
	Wouldn’t → Past
	It can refer to inanimate objects
	*Note	*
	Would can be used to express	Dad would always help us with our
	willingness in the past (but only to refer	maths. (= was always willing to)
	to general willingness = habit and not to
	refer to a single occasion in the past)	I offered him some milk but he wouldn’t
	Wouldn’t can be used for refusal on a	drink it
	single occasion in the past	The car wouldn’t start this morning
	** Note	**
	In the meaning of willingness will/won’t	If you will take a seat for a moment, the
	can be used after if in the First	doctor will see you soon (=if you are
	conditional.	willing to)
	With the future reference we can also use	If you will / would / could wait a moment
	other modals in this sense: If smb will /	I‟ll join you.
	would / could…	If he will / would / could only try harder,
		I‟m sure he‟ll succeed.
		Shall I wait? – Yes, if you will / would
	To express promise we use will	I will help you with your baggage, when
		you arrive.
	To express polite disagreement we use	I wouldn’t say that
	would / wouldn’t	I would do it otherwise
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EXERCISES:

1.Rewrite the sentences with will / won’t / would / wouldn’t to express willingness / refusal:

1.My son refused to do the shopping___________________________

________________________________________________________

2.Don‟t you mind waiting for a few minutes, please?______________

________________________________________________________

3.My mom always insisted on telling the truth___________________

________________________________________________________

4.She is always unwilling to speak about herself_________________

________________________________________________________

5.Every time I was in a hurry my car refused to start______________

________________________________________________________

6.He disagreed to carry those heavy boxes______________________

_______________________________________________________

7.She never asks for help when she is in trouble__________________

________________________________________________________

8.I hope you don‟t mind being asked a few questions______________

_________________________________________________________

9.I offered her some coffee, but she refused to drink it_____________

________________________________________________________

10.I will be happy to book the tickets for you_____________________

________________________________________________________

Self-study task:

Translate the sentences:

1.Коли ти переїжджатимеш, я допоможу тобі з речами.

2.Він завжди відмовляється їсти, коли я готую.

3.Я б не продавала цей дім, він затишний.

4.Мій брат завжди був не проти подивитися зі мною мультфільми.

5.Якби ти захотів почекати хвильку, я б знайшов це місце на карті.

6.Якщо захочеш спробувати ще раз, я тебе підтримаю.

7.Вона ніяк не хоче збирати з нами ягоди.

8.Він завжди відмовлявся, коли я пропонував свою допомогу.

9.Я б по-іншому умеблювала цю кімнату.

10.Завтра я кину палити.

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LESSON 8. OFFER. SUGGESTION. REQUEST. INSTRUCTIONS.

ORDER. THREAT

Typical offers can be formed with the help
of the following modals:			Can I help you?
Can	(neutral)		We could do that for you
Could	(more tentative than can)		May I help you?
Shall	(very common)		Might I be of some assistance?
May	(formal)		Shall I open the window (for you)?
Might	(the most formal one)
			Yes, please / No, thank you.
or the following modal phrases:
Will / Won’t you have?
Would / Wouldn’t you like?			Will you have some sandwich?
			Would you like some coffee?
Typical responses are:
Yes, please / No, thank you.			Yes, I‟d love one, please.
Yes, I’d like / love some / one, please.
*Typical requests are formed with the help			*
of the following modal verbs:			Can / could / may / might I have some
Can (informal)			coffee (please)?
Could (more polite than can)
May (formal)			Of course you can/may
Might (very formal, polite)			No, you can’t / may not, I‟m afraid
Typical responses
Of course you can/may
No, you can’t / may not, I’m afraid
			**
**To ask someone to do something we use:			Can you close the window?
Can / Could you (please)…? (ability)			Could you pass the salt?
Will you (please)…?		(willingness,	Will you bring me some milk from the
		informal)	fridge?
Would you (please)…?		(willingness,	Would you fill in this form, please?
	more polite than will )		Would you mind opening the window
Would you mind + V-ing?			(for me)?
To sound more polite we may use:			Can you possibly open that window?
Will / Would you kindly…?			Will you kindly remove this chair?
Can / Could you possibly…?
Typical responses:			Yes, of course I will
			No, I‟m afraid I can’t (at the moment)
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***We can make a request by using will	***
you as a question tag (when we expect the	Come with us, will you?
positive answer)	Bring those books next time, will you?
To make (or to ask for) a suggestion which	Shall we go out for a pizza tonight?
includes the speaker we use shall	What shall we do about this dog?
We can also use can / could / might to	Shall we go for a swim?
suggest actions	You can / could / might go for a swim.
To make a polite suggestion we use would	Would you like to join us?
	It would be great to come together.
* Note	*
In US English should is often used for	Let‟s decide about tonight. Should we
suggestions	go bowling?
**Note	**
In question tags after Let’s we use shall.	Let’s visit her tomorrow, shall we?
Typical responses:
Yes, let’s, (shall we)?	Yes, let‟s, (shall we)?
No, I’d rather not	No, I‟d rather not
No, I’d rather we didn’t	No, I‟d rather we didn‟t
To express an order or formal instruction	You shall all stay and clean the room!
we use the following modals:	When he comes, nobody shall say a
	word!
shall	Everyone is to write a 5-page essay.
be to	You are to test your blood pressure
	every day.
***Note	***
Shall can also express threat, promise,	You shall pay for your words (threat)
determination	You shall have this watch for your
	birthday (promise)
	They shall not pass! (determination)
**** Note	You really must come and see us some
Must is used in pressing invitations	time
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EXERCISES:

1.Complete the sentences to express offer / suggestion /request and give possible answers:

1._________ you like some coffee?__________________________

2._________ you shut the window for me? I‟m cold______________

3._________ get some tea for you?__________________________

4._________ borrow your pen?______________________________

5._________ bring a newspaper for you, dad?___________________

6._________ order some pizza for us?_________________________

7._________ we go for a walk together?________________________

8._________ like to watch this film with me?___________________

9._________ you turn the radio off?__________________________

10._________ ask you for a favour?____________________________

2.Make up offers / suggestions / requests to match the situations

1.You want your friends to join you for a meal___________________

_________________________________________________________

2.You want to spend your holidays with your parents______________

_________________________________________________________

3.You want your friend to translate the sign for you_______________

_________________________________________________________

4.You want the stranger in the shop to hold the door open for you____

________________________________________________________

5.You offer your help to a lady with a heavy suitcase______________

________________________________________________________

Self-study task:

Translate the sentences:

1.Заповніть цю анкету, будь ласка.

2.Можна я закрию двері?

3.Мені зробити нам дві кави?

4.Ти не проти почитати мені трохи?

5.Ти міг би принести мені яблуко з кухні?

6.Будь добра, вимкни телевізор.

7.Давай підемо поплаваємо

8.Всім залишатися на своїх місцях!

9.Кожен має пройти медогляд перед забігом.

10.Ти точно мусиш з нами повечеряти сьогодні!

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LESSON 9. CHARACTERISTICS. PAST HABITS. COURAGE. LACK OF COURAGE. CHALLENGING

To express habits we use:					Past habits:
					When I was young, I always got up at 6
Will	(characteristic habits or behavior)				When I was young, I used to get up at 6
would (past habits / characteristic habits)					When I was young, I would (always) get
used to (past habits or states)					up at 6
* used to refers only to the past habits or					* I used to smoke, but I don‟t now
states. We speak about the habits someone					He never used to smoke, but he does
no longer has.					now
					He used to live in Lviv
					Did he use to live in Lviv?
					He didn’t use to live in Lviv
					He never used to live in Lviv
** would can be used to talk about regular					**
activities, particularly in telling stories or					“When I was a boy we always spent /
some memories. Would is never used at					we used to spend our holidays in the
the beginning of a story: it should start					village. We would get up at 6 and we‟d
with used to or simple past.					help our grandma…”
***					***
will can refer to someone‟s characteristic					In summer he will often sit in the sun
habits or behavior in the present.					for hours (present)
would	can	refer	to	someone‟s	In summer he would often sit in the sun
characteristic habits or behavior in the					for hours (past).
past.
We can use will / won’t to talk about					Every class is the same: he‟ll come in,
routines or predictable actions					he won’t greet us, but he’ll start giving
					us instructions.
We can use will / won’t to talk about the					The hall will hold 500 people (can hold)
characteristics of capacity or ability /					Water won’t boil at under 100°C
describe natural tendency (can is also
possible here)
To speak about		annoying		habits or to	She will leave her things everywhere
criticize someone‟s behavior we use:					He won’t switch off the lights when he‟s
Will / won’t		(present reference)			last out of the office!
Would / wouldn’t (past reference)					Dad would always tell me how I should
					live.
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