MODALS AND AUXILIARY VERBS

MODALS

Modals are type of auxiliary that is used to express ability, possibility, permission or obligation. They are also called as "helping verbs". However, they do not really help the verb to give a clearer image of the verb, but it helps to suggest a different meaning of the statement.

For example:

(1) I ride a bike.

(2) I can ride a bike.

In sentence 1, the speaker in the sentence is stating that he/she rode a bike. While in sentence 2, by adding the modal "can", the speaker is now stating his/he ability to ride a bike.

Helping verbs have NO meaning on their own. Modal helping verbs modify the meaning of the main verb.

The modal verbs (or modal auxiliary verbs) are: can, could, may, might, will, shall, would, should and must. Another is ought to which is considered as "modal phrase".

CAN VS COULD

1. When talking about ABILITY.

• Can is used to say that someone is able to do something.

        Example: Can you speak Greek?*

• Use could as past tense of can to talk about abilities in the past.

        Example: Mozart could play the piano blindfolded.

• Use could (not can) to refer to conditional situations in which something has to happen.

    Example: We could but a new sofa if we stop eating take-away meals every night.

2. When talking about what is possible in a given situation/ POSSIBILITY.

      Example: I can go to London tomorrow as I have got a day-off.

• Hypothetical future situation which although possible, may well not happen.

     Example: She can be in line for a top government.

• People use could to talk about completely unrealistic situations.

     Example: I'm so angry, I could murder her.

• (Less definite aspects of possibility) 

     Example: She could be in line for a top government job.

• Can  is used in factual statements while could states tentativeness, suggestions and requests.

MAY VS MIGHT

Degree of possibility	They may visit Ireland in the near future. (The speaker believes there is a good chance to go to heaven.)	The woman looked as if she might be in her late 40’s.  (The speaker wasn’t very sure on woman’s age.)
Reported Speech	Wrong: I may go out of business.	Correct: She said she might go out of business.
To show annoyance	Correct: You may not have told me that she wouldn’t be in today	Wrong: You might have told me that she wouldn’t be in today.
Expressing a wish or hope	May you both be very happy.	Might you both be very happy.

• Degree of politeness.

CAN (less polite)	MAY (polite)	MIGHT (very polite)
Can I borrow your pen?	May I borrow your pen?	Might I borrow your pen?

WILL

Will is used to express desire, preference, choice, or consent.

          Example: I will study this duty.

• Used to express future.

         Example: The news will spread soon.

• Used to express capacity/capability.

         Example: This bucket will hold 2 gallons of water.

• Used to express determination, insistence or persistence.

        Example: I will do it as you say.

MUST

Must is used to state a:

• Strong obligation or a thing that MUST be done

      Example: You must return the bike.

• Substitution of must to "have to".

     Example: You have to return the bike.

SHALL

Shall is use for:

• Invitation and future action

       Example: Shall we go bike riding together tomorrow?

• Asking for suggestions

       Example: What shall we do tomorrow?

• Promise
• Is commonly used in formal English
• Used for specific dates

SHOULD

• Mild obligation or advice

        Example: You should wear a helmet.

• Expectation

       Example: He should finish the race around noon.

WOULD

• Past of will - used as the past of will, when stating what somebody has said or thought

       Example: He would ride a bike before he hurt his knee.

• Conditional

      Example:  I would ride a bike at night, if it had a light.

• Used in offering or suggesting

       Example: Would you like a glass of water?

• Used to state what you like

       Example: It would be lovely with a cup of tea.

*Additional

Modal Phrases such as have to (must), need to (should), be able to, want to, like to, look forward to, ought to

OUGHT TO

• Used to say what is the right thing to do

        Example: She ought to apologize.

• Used to state an advice or recommendation.

        Example: She ought to see a doctor.

--------

AUXILIARY VERBS

Auxiliary verbs are also called as helping verbs. It is a verb functioning to give further semantic or syntactic information about the main verb following it.

All auxiliary verbs are used with a main verb. They have no meaning on their own.

The primary auxiliary verbs are "be", "have", and "do". They are formed by conjugation into different forms.

Be: is, am are, was, were

Have: has, have, had

Do: does, do, did

1. Be as an auxiliary verb is used to:

     - make progressive sentences

     - make a passive voice

2. Have as an auxiliary verb is used to:

     

     - help us make perfect tenses

     Example: I am thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways.

                        The poem was created by Joey.

3. Do as an auxiliary verb is used to:

     - the formation of negative sentences

     - the formation of questions

     - to emphasize/stress what you're saying

(If you want to be really polite, you can use do as an imperative sentence.)

Auxiliary verbs often appear in a shortened or contracted form, especially in informal contexts. These shortened form are called enclictic forms. Sometimes, different auxiliaries have the same enclictic forms, so you should distinguish carefully between them.

                                                             --------

Post-Exam Realization

Recently, I have been getting lots of failed score for my Grammar exams. With that, I just realized that what I actually learned during my past years being an English major are only the large topics under English language (i.e. all about lexical categories, affixes, tenses... etc.). We never discussed further the specifics, like what we had in our exams.

I realized that if we really want to excel in our field of study, we should know even the smallest detail of what we should learn. All the technical terms we memorized are for NOTHING if we don't know the importance of these things in our future career.

...