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Modals help us to express our wishes, intentions, requests, offers or suggestions. Modals are a special kind of auxiliary (helping) verbs, which are used with other verbs. Modals express attitudes like permission, possibility, necessity etc.
Examples:
1. Ram should visit the doctor.
2. Could I borrow your car?
3. We must obey the rules.
4. We ought to respect our parents.
5. It ought to stop raining soon.
6. He must have lost his way.
Here are some modals used in English
Modals expressing probability
(could be, might be, must be, may be)
Example: I might be in Mysore tomorrow.
Modals expressing requests and offers
(could, would)
Example: Would you get me some pens from the market?
Modals expressing requests, necessity/obligation
(must, have to, need to, ought to, should)
Example: I need to improve in Maths.
Modals expressing permission
[can (less formal); may (more formal)]
Example: May I use your telephone? (more formal)
Can I use your hair clip? (less formal)
Modals referring to the past
Complete the sentences below using might have, must have, should have, could have or ought to have. Do not use one modal more than once.
1. The watchman has not come to the apartment today. He ________ gone to his village for his son's birthday.
2. The present generation ________ more respect for their elders.
3. Ram ________ come by his car. He wouldn't have been late for the meeting.
4. I don't have a hair dryer but Shanta ________ one.
5. Geeta is simply making excuses. She ________ come for my anniversary.
Suggested answers:
1. The watchman has not come to the apartment today. He must have gone to his village for his son's birthday.
2. The present generation ought to have / should have more respect for their elders.
3. Ram should have come by his car. He wouldn't have been late for the meeting.
4. I don't have a hair dryer but Shanta might have / could have one.
5. Geeta is simply making excuses. She could have come for my anniversary.
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