FAME REVIEW OF MODALS DOTT.SSA CLAIRE WALLIS

FAME Would you like to be famous? If so, for what? Are there any famous people you admire/disapprove of? Why? Why do so many people care/listen to what famous people think/say? Do celebrities have the right to officially comment on topical issues?

MODALS OBLIGATION – MUST/HAVE TO

MODALS OBLIGATION – MUST/HAVE TO Must is stronger and gives the obligation of the speaker. Have to is for general rules and laws. Remember that MUST has no past or future form.

MODALS NO NECESSITY AND PROHIBITION – DON’T HAVE TO AND MUSTN’T

MODALS NO NECESSITY AND PROHIBITION – DON’T HAVE TO AND MUSTN’T Don’t have to expresses a lack of necessity. Mustn’t expresses prohibition. The past of mustn’t is couldn’t or wasn’t/weren’t allowed to

MODALS ADVICE – SHOULD/OUGHT TO/HAD BETTER Should and ought to express advice. They can be used in either the present or past forms. Had better is stronger and is generally used to give advice or a suggestion about the present/future. It can often sound threatening so context is everything! It can also be used in the negative construction but as a ‘question’ in the sense of verifying something. Hadn’t you better leave?

Should/Ought to We can also use Should and Ought to to describe a situation we expect to happen or that should have happened in the past. She should be here by 10.30 (expect to happen) She should have studied harder before taking the exam (past – more a criticism than advice)

MODALS DEDUCTION – MUST MAY/MAY NOT MIGHT/MIGHT NOT COULD COULDN’T/CAN’T It is important to remember that the opposite of MUST is COULDN’T/CAN’T in deduction modals.

MODALS DEDUCTION – MUST MAY/MAY NOT MIGHT/MIGHT NOT COULD COULDN’T/CAN’T In the past we use the same modals but with HAVE and the PAST PARTICIPLE.

MAY WELL AND MIGHT WELL We also use may and might with well to express probability. It is emphatic and is stronger than may or might used on their own. She may be Spanish. She may well be Spanish (stronger possibility)

MAY AS WELL AND MIGHT AS WELL BE CAREFUL – They are very different in meaning. May as well or might as well mean that you have nothing to lose from performing the action. Student – “Should I try to take the exam in May?” Claire – “You might as well”.

MODALS We can also use a continuous form in both the present (continuous infinitive) and past (have + been + ing form) The Queen won’t be attending the event today and Prince Charles will be taking her place. She might be suffering from flu like so many at the moment. Why is she out of breath? She might have been running.

MODALS NEED/NEEDN’T The charity needs cash donations (positive) The charity does not need cash donations (negative) The charity needs volunteers. People don’t need to apply to volunteer. People need not apply to volunteer. These are both possible and have no difference in meaning in the present. However, the second is certainly more formal and thus would sound unnatural in many contexts. There are also times when it sounds unnatural so again context is everything. It functions as a modal and so needs to be followed by a bare infinitive. EXAMPLES – You don’t need to fill in this application form. You need not fill in this application form (BOTH OKAY) You don’t need to carry ID in the United Kingdom. You need not carry ID in the United Kingdom – (WE TEND NOT TO USE THIS FORM FOR VERY GENERAL THINGS – RULES/LAWS)

MODALS NEED/NEEDN’T The charity needs volunteers. People don’t need to apply to volunteer. People need not apply to volunteer (more formal but possible with a verb when referring to a present specific situation).

MODALS DIDN’T NEED TO/NEEDN’T HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE. What is the difference in meaning between these structures?

MODALS DIDN’T NEED TO/NEEDN’T HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE. Tom didn’t need to help out as they already had enough volunteers. (Tom did not help – he did not perform the action) Tom needn’t have gone to the rescue site as they had already finished by the time he arrived. (Tom did go – he did perform the action).

MODALS ABILITY – What is the difference between can and be able to?

MODALS ABILITY – CAN ONLY HAS A PRESENT, PAST AND CONDITIONAL FORM. BE ABLE TO FUNCTIONS IN ALL TENSES.

MODALS ABILITY – IN THE PAST (SPECIFIC) ARE THEY BOTH CORRECT? I COULDN’T SAVE MUCH MONEY FOR MY HOLIDAY. I WASN’T ABLE TO SAVE MUCH MONEY FOR MY HOLIDAY. ARE THEY BOTH CORRECT?

MODALS ABILITY – IN THE PAST (SPECIFIC) ARE THEY BOTH CORRECT? YES I COULDN’T SAVE MUCH MONEY FOR MY HOLIDAY. I WASN’T ABLE TO SAVE MUCH MONEY FOR MY HOLIDAY. ARE THEY BOTH CORRECT? YES In the negative specific past we can use both forms.

MODALS ABILITY – IN THE PAST (SPECIFIC) ARE THEY BOTH CORRECT? I COULD SAVE A LOT OF MONEY FOR MY HOLIDAY. I WAS ABLE TO SAVE A LOT OF MONEY FOR MY HOLIDAY. ARE THEY BOTH CORRECT?

MODALS ABILITY – IN THE PAST (SPECIFIC) ARE THEY BOTH CORRECT? NO I COULD SAVE A LOT OF MONEY FOR MY HOLIDAY. I WAS ABLE TO SAVE A LOT OF MONEY FOR MY HOLIDAY. ARE THEY BOTH CORRECT? NO In the positive specific past we can only use be able to as COULD is ambiguous in its meaning. NOTE – WE CAN USE BOTH (POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE) FOR PAST GENERAL ABILITY.

PRACTICE MULTIPLE CHOICE

COMPOSITION Can you really be friends with the people you work with? Does competition hinder friendships outside of work? The youngest child in a family or only children are often spoilt. Can these general stereotypes be trusted? Some jobs are just for women and others are only for men. Discuss Some jobs are paid too much and others are not paid enough. Discuss