Материал: doichik_oia_modal_verbs_theory_and_practice

Typical offers can be formed with the help

of the following modals:

Can I help you?

Can

(neutral)

We could do that for you

Could

(more tentative than can)

May I help you?

Shall

(very common)

Might I be of some assistance?

May

(formal)

Shall I open the window (for you)?

Might

(the most formal one)

Yes, please / No, thank you.

or the following modal phrases:

Will / Won’t you have?

Would / Wouldn’t you like?

Will you have some sandwich?

Would you like some coffee?

Typical responses are:

Yes, please / No, thank you.

Yes, I‟d love one, please.

Yes, I’d like / love some / one, please.

*Typical requests are formed with the help

*

of the following modal verbs:

Can / could / may / might I have some

Can (informal)

coffee (please)?

Could (more polite than can)

May (formal)

Of course you can/may

Might (very formal, polite)

No, you can’t / may not, I‟m afraid

Typical responses

Of course you can/may

No, you can’t / may not, I’m afraid

**

**To ask someone to do something we use:

Can you close the window?

Can / Could you (please)…? (ability)

Could you pass the salt?

Will you (please)…?

(willingness,

Will you bring me some milk from the

informal)

fridge?

Would you (please)…?

(willingness,

Would you fill in this form, please?

more polite than will )

Would you mind opening the window

Would you mind + V-ing?

(for me)?

To sound more polite we may use:

Can you possibly open that window?

Will / Would you kindly…?

Will you kindly remove this chair?

Can / Could you possibly…?

Typical responses:

Yes, of course I will

No, I‟m afraid I can’t (at the moment)

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***We can make a request by using will

***

you as a question tag (when we expect the

Come with us, will you?

positive answer)

Bring those books next time, will you?

To make (or to ask for) a suggestion which

Shall we go out for a pizza tonight?

includes the speaker we use shall

What shall we do about this dog?

We can also use can / could / might to

Shall we go for a swim?

suggest actions

You can / could / might go for a swim.

To make a polite suggestion we use would

Would you like to join us?

It would be great to come together.

* Note

*

In US English should is often used for

Let‟s decide about tonight. Should we

suggestions

go bowling?

**Note

**

In question tags after Let’s we use shall.

Let’s visit her tomorrow, shall we?

Typical responses:

Yes, let’s, (shall we)?

Yes, let‟s, (shall we)?

No, I’d rather not

No, I‟d rather not

No, I’d rather we didn’t

No, I‟d rather we didn‟t

To express an order or formal instruction

You shall all stay and clean the room!

we use the following modals:

When he comes, nobody shall say a

word!

shall

Everyone is to write a 5-page essay.

be to

You are to test your blood pressure

every day.

***Note

***

Shall can also express threat, promise,

You shall pay for your words (threat)

determination

You shall have this watch for your

birthday (promise)

They shall not pass! (determination)

**** Note

You really must come and see us some

Must is used in pressing invitations

time

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To express habits we use:

Past habits:

When I was young, I always got up at 6

Will

(characteristic habits or behavior)

When I was young, I used to get up at 6

would (past habits / characteristic habits)

When I was young, I would (always) get

used to (past habits or states)

up at 6

* used to refers only to the past habits or

* I used to smoke, but I don‟t now

states. We speak about the habits someone

He never used to smoke, but he does

no longer has.

now

He used to live in Lviv

Did he use to live in Lviv?

He didn’t use to live in Lviv

He never used to live in Lviv

** would can be used to talk about regular

**

activities, particularly in telling stories or

“When I was a boy we always spent /

some memories. Would is never used at

we used to spend our holidays in the

the beginning of a story: it should start

village. We would get up at 6 and we‟d

with used to or simple past.

help our grandma…”

***

***

will can refer to someone‟s characteristic

In summer he will often sit in the sun

habits or behavior in the present.

for hours (present)

would

can

refer

to

someone‟s

In summer he would often sit in the sun

characteristic habits or behavior in the

for hours (past).

past.

We can use will / won’t to talk about

Every class is the same: he‟ll come in,

routines or predictable actions

he won’t greet us, but he’ll start giving

us instructions.

We can use will / won’t to talk about the

The hall will hold 500 people (can hold)

characteristics of capacity or ability /

Water won’t boil at under 100°C

describe natural tendency (can is also

possible here)

To speak about

annoying

habits or to

She will leave her things everywhere

criticize someone‟s behavior we use:

He won’t switch off the lights when he‟s

Will / won’t

(present reference)

last out of the office!

Would / wouldn’t (past reference)

Dad would always tell me how I should

live.

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