MODALS VERBS

MODALS VERBS

1. PAST MODALS

   • USES
     • 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 abou a (missed) opportunity
         • We could have taken an earlier flight. We were at the airport three hours early!
     • CERTAINLY
       • To say that 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.
     • UNFULFILLED OBLIGATION, REGRET OR CRITICISM
       • To say that something required or desired didn`t happen
         • You should have told me about tim and you splitting up
       • based on experiencie
         • I ought to have known thet he`d forgeet our arrengtment.
       • to show annoyance
         • She could/might have replied to my email!
     • PREDICTIONS
       • basewd on know information
         • The plane should have landed by now beacuuse it was only a 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
   • NEED
     • We can use need to as a main verb in the pas to say that it was/wasn´t neccesary to do something
       • i needed to get som help with my research, so I asked Sally
         • We use needn´t have + past participle to say that something was done unnecessaarily
           • I needn´t have hurried to finish my assigment because the teacher is away for four days
   • DARE
     • to mean " have the courage
       • In the past as a main vrb
         • i never dared to go into the study without permission
       • in the negative, as a modal
         • I dard not go any further in the car, the road was too icy

2. REPORTED SPEECH

   • VERBES TENSES IN SEPORTING
     • change the tense of the original verb and change the time expressions and pronoouns as necessary
       • we spoke to him yesterday-->they said that they has spoken to him the day before
     • not change the tense if the situation we aare reporting still exists
       • She´s working in Paris-->He says she´s working inn Paris
   • MODAL VERBS IN REPORTING
     • We usually change modal verbs in reported speech
       • will-->would can-could may-might needn`t-didn´t have to must-had to
     • modal verbs are often reported using other verbs
       • You should ask for herp-->he advised me to ask for help
   • REPORTING VERBS
     • A that clause.
       • he told us taht 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
   • 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 askes (us) for our opinion
   • main clauses connected with and/but
     • if two main clauses are conected with and or but we need to put that after the conjuction
       • i`ll come, but i´ll be latee-->he sasid that he wouls come but that he would be late
     • if the subject is left out in the second clause, then we do not use that
       • i used to be software designer and worked for myself-->he said he used to be/had been a software designer and had worked for himself