Modal Vbs

Modal Vbs

1. Past modals

   • Possibility
     • To say that it is possible that something happened before this moment:
       • "He could/might/may have gone round to Sue's. He was talking about seeing her today"
     • To talk about a (missed) opportunity:
       • "We could have taken an earlier flight. We were at the airport three hours early!"
   • Certainty
     • To say that it is likely or that we are certain that something has(hasn't already happened:
       • "Jack must have received my card. I sent it a week ago"
   • Unfulilled obligation, regret or criticism
     • To say that something required or desired didn't happened:
       • "You should have told me about Tim and you splitting up"
   • Predictions
     • Based on known information:
       • "The plane should have landed by now because it was onlya two-hour flight"
   • Reduced conditionals
     • To speculate or give an opinion without giving the full conditional form
       • "You would have had a great time at the gig"

2. Semi modal verbs

   • Need:
     • Need to
       • Main verb in the past to say that it was/wasn't necessary to do something:
         • "I needed to get some help with..."
     • Needn't have
       • Needn´t have + past participle to say that something was done unecessarily:
         • "I needn't have hurried to finish my ..."
   • Dare
     • In the past as a main verb:
       • "I never dared to go into the study without permission"
     • In the negative as a modal:
       • "I dared not go any further in the car. The road was too icy"

3. Reported speech

   • Verb tenses in reporting
     • Change the tense of the original verb:
       • "We spoke to him yesterday", they said --> They said that they had spoken to him the day before
     • Not change the tense if the situation we are reporting still exists and if the reporting verb is in the present tense:
       • "She's working in Paris" --> He says she's working in Paris
   • Modal verbs in reporting
     • A "that" clause:
       • "He told us that he was going to be late"
     • A -to infinitive:
       • "They decided to plan the presentation at the weekend"
     • A preposition + -ing:
       • "She insisted on going out to dinner with him"
     • A preposition + a noun phrase:
       • "They hoped for better weather"
     • Express point of view:
       • "He allaged he was innocent"
   • Main clauses connected with and/but
     • Use that:
       • "I'll come, but I'll be late". --> He said that he would come but that he would be late"
     • Not use that:
       • "I used to be a software designer and worker for myself". --> He said he used to be/had been a software designer and had worked for himself
   • Reported questions
     • If or whether:
       • "They wanted to know if/whether we were going to help them"
     • Wh- question words:
       • "They asked what our intention was"
     • For:
       • "They asked (us) for our opinion"
     • NOTE: We invert the subject with wh- questions
       • "Who is she?" --> I asked who she was