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Modals – Part 1 : Ability, Permission, Requests and Advice

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Modals - Part 1 : Ability, Permission, Requests and Advice

Understanding Modals are important toward an advanced English. The Modal verbs are: Can / Could / May / Might / Will / Would / Must / Shall / Should / Ought to / . They have various uses such as ability, possiblity or necessity and so on. In this lesson we are going to explain the  modals which express, ability, permission, requests and advice .

Ability:

  • We use can to talk about someone’s skill or general abilities:

She can speak several languages.
He can swim like a fish.
They can’t dance very well.

  • We use can to talk about the ability to do something at a given time in the present or future:

You can make a lot of money if you are lucky.
Help. I can’t breathe.
They can run but they can’t hide.

  • We use could to talk about past time:

She could speak several languages.
They couldn’t dance very well.

  • We use could have to say that someone had the ability/opportunity to do something, but did not do it:

She could have learned Swahili, but she didn’t have time.
I could have danced all night [but didn’t].



Permission:

  • We use can to ask for permission to do something:

Can I ask a question, please?
Can we go home now.

  • could is more formal and polite than can:

Could I ask a question please?
Could we go home now?

  • may is another more formal and polite way of asking for permission:

May I ask a question please?
May we go home now?

  • We use can to give permission:

You can go home now if you like.
You can borrow my pen if you like.

  • may is a more formal and polite way of giving permission:

You may go home now, if you like.

  • We use can to say that someone has permission to do something:

We can go out whenever we want.
Students can travel free.

  • may is a more formal and polite way of saying that someone has permission:

Students may travel free.

Instructions and requests:



  • We use could you and would you as polite ways of telling or asking someone to do something:

Could you take a message please?
Would you carry this for me please?
Could I have my bill please?

  • can and will are less polite:

Can you take a message please?
Will you carry this for me please?

Suggestions and advice:

  • We use should to make suggestions and give advice:

You should send an email.
We should go by train.

  • We use could to make suggestions:

We could meet at the weekend.
You could eat out tonight.

  • We use conditionals to give advice:

Dan will help you if you ask him.

Past tenses are more polite:

Dan would help you if you asked him.

 




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