مدونة التربية و التعليم في الجزائر – دروس، فروض، نتائج امتحانات مدونة التربية والتعليم في الجزائر | تحضير الدروس، فروض واختبارات، نتائج البكالوريا وBEM، مسابقات التوظيف، والتوجيه المدرسي للطلاب وأولياء الأمور.
Modal Verbs: Can, Could, May, Might, Must, Should
Modal verbs are auxiliary verbs that express ability, permission, obligation, possibility, advice, and necessity. They are followed by the base form of the verb and do not change form for person or tense. Common modals include: can, could, may, might, must, should, shall, will, would, ought to.
Common Modal Verbs
- Can: ability (“I can swim”), permission (“Can I go?”), possibility (“It can rain today”).
- Could: past ability (“I could run fast when I was young”), polite request (“Could you help me?”), possibility (“It could be true”).
- May: permission (formal) (“May I come in?”), possibility (“It may rain later”).
- Might: possibility (less certain than may) (“I might visit you tomorrow”).
- Must: strong obligation (“You must wear a seatbelt”), logical deduction (“He must be tired”).
- Should: advice/recommendation (“You should study more”), expectation (“He should arrive soon”).
- Have to: external obligation (“I have to wear a uniform at work”).
- Ought to:
Negative Forms
- cannot / can’t — “I can’t speak Chinese.”
- could not / couldn’t — “I couldn’t come yesterday.”
- must not / mustn’t — prohibition: “You mustn’t smoke here.”
- don’t have to — lack of obligation: “You don’t have to come if you’re busy.”
- should not / shouldn’t — “You shouldn’t eat too much sugar.”
Modal Perfect (Modal + Have + Past Participle)
- Must have + V3: deduction about past: “He must have forgotten the meeting.”
- Should have + V3: regret/criticism: “I should have studied harder.”
- Could have + V3: missed opportunity: “I could have won the race.”
- Might have + V3: possibility in past: “She might have left early.”
For more grammar, see Conditionals and Grammar Practice.
Exercises
- Complete with a modal verb: “You … brush your teeth (advice).” “I … speak two languages (ability).” “You … park here (prohibition).”
- What does each modal express? “I must go now.” “You should see a doctor.” “May I use your phone?”
- Rewrite using modal perfect: “I didn’t study, so I failed.” → “I should have…” “Perhaps he left early.” → “He might…”