Contents

1. SECTION 1. Meanings……………………………………….

1. Modal Verbs………………………………………………..

2. Can………………………………………………………….

3. May…………………………………………………………

4. Must………………………………………………………...

5. Need………………………………………………………..

6. Have to……………………………………………………..

7. Be to………………………………………………………...

8. Should / Ought to…………………………………………...

9. Will…………………………………………………………

10. Shall………………………………………………………...

11. Dare…………………………………………………………

2. SECTION 2. Modal Verbs in Communication………………..

3. SECTION 3. Infinitives after Modal Verbs…………………..

4. SECTION 4. Modal Verbs in Reported Speech………………

5. SECTION 5. Russian-English Correspondences…………….

6. SECTION 6. Exercises………………………………………

7. References…………………………………………………..

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SECTION 1

MEANINGS

MODAL VERBS

1. do not denote actions;

2. are used to show the speaker’s attitude to the action expressed by the infinitive that follows the modal verb;

He can’t be still working = I doubt it (that he is still working).

3. are called defective because

1. they are followed by bare infinitives, except for ought to, have to, be to and sometimes need (to), dare (to);

You could rent a car.

They might be having dinner.

2. they form their negatives and questions without the auxiliary verb ‘do’, except for have to and sometimes need (to), dare (to).

You can’t go in there.

May I come in?

3. They do not inflect, i.e. they do not take –s in the third person or –ing, -ed.

4. They have no infinitives. Other expressions must be used instead.

(can) Will you be able to help me?

(must) I’m going to have to leave.

CAN

negative form: cannot / can’t

past form: could, could not / couldn’t

Sometimes you have to use be able to instead of can:

I haven’t been able to sleep recently (can has no Present Perfect).

Tom might not be able to come tomorrow (can has no infinitive).

could do smth.

someone had the general ability to do smth. (мог, умел):

Jack was an excellent tennis player. He could beat anybody.

(=was/were able to do smth.)

was/were able to do smth.

someone managed to do smth on one particular occasion (смог):

But once he had a difficult game against John. John played very well but in the end Jack was able to beat him (= managed to beat him in this particular situation)