اللغة الإنجليزية — Grammar: Modal Verbs (Can, Could, May, Might, Must, Should) — الأولى ثانوي (آداب) — بكالوريا — المنهاج الجزائري

Grammar: Modal Verbs (Can, Could, May, Might, Must, Should)

This lesson covers Modal Verbs in English, an essential grammar topic for first-year literary stream students preparing for the Algerian Baccalaureate.

Introduction

Modal verbs are auxiliary verbs that express ability, possibility, permission, obligation, advice, or deduction. They are used before the base form of the main verb. The main modal verbs are: can, could, may, might, must, should, shall, will, would, ought to.

Modal Verbs and Their Uses

1. Can / Could

• Ability (present): I can speak three languages.
• Ability (past): She could read when she was four.
• Permission: Can I use your phone? (informal)
• Possibility: It can be very cold in winter.
• Request: Could you help me, please? (polite)

2. May / Might

• Permission (formal): May I come in?
• Possibility (present/future): It may rain tomorrow. / She might come to the party. (might = less certain)
• Polite request: May I have a glass of water?

3. Must

• Obligation/Necessity: You must wear a seatbelt by law.
• Strong recommendation: You must see this film!
• Deduction (certain): He isn’t answering his phone. He must be busy.

4. Should / Ought to

• Advice: You should study more for the BAC exam.
• Recommendation: You should see a doctor.
• Expectation: He should arrive by now.

Negative Forms

• Can’t: I can’t swim. (absence of ability)
• Mustn’t: You mustn’t smoke here. (prohibition)
• Don’t have to: You don’t have to attend. (no obligation — different from mustn’t)
• Shouldn’t: You shouldn’t eat too much sugar. (advice against)

Examples in Context

• Students must arrive on time for the exam.
• You should revise your lessons every day.
• May I borrow your textbook, please?
• She could solve the problem easily.
• We must respect our teachers and classmates.

Practice Exercises

1. Fill in the blanks with the correct modal: You __________ (obligation) wear a uniform at school.
2. Choose: She __________ (can/must) speak English very well — she lived in London for years.
3. Rewrite using a modal: It’s possible that it will rain. → It __________ rain.
4. Complete: __________ I open the window? It’s hot in here.
5. Transform: It is necessary for you to study. → You __________ study.

Answers: 1. must, 2. can, 3. may/might, 4. May/Can/Could, 5. must

Common Mistakes

• ❌ He can to swim. → ✅ He can swim. (no ‘to’ after modals)
• ❌ He cans swim. → ✅ He can swim. (no ‘s’ in 3rd person)
• ❌ I must to go. → ✅ I must go.

For more English grammar lessons, visit Reported Speech (Direct and Indirect) and Conditional Sentences (Type 1, 2, 3).

📍 Related Lessons

• English — Grammar: The Passive Voice (All Tenses)
• English — Grammar: Question Tags

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