Verbs – 5 – Modal Auxiliaries (can, could; may,
might.....)
Can
‘can’ expresses ability or capacity. (be able to do
something)
She
can drive very well.
Can
you speak Russian?
You can take one of these cakes,
if you like.
Can I come in, Sir?
COULD
‘could’ is used as the past tense of can in
reported speech.
He said, ‘I can’t do this work’
He
said that he couldn’t do that work.
They
said ‘we can help them’
They
said that they could help them.
‘could’ is the past tense of ‘can’. So it is used to indicate ability that existed in the past.
Till last year my grandfather could walk without walking stick.
Why couldn’t you attend the
function, last night?
They realized that they couldn’t
catch the train.
‘could’ is used to express possibility or uncertainty
in the unreal conditions.
You could get good marks, if you worked hard. (Possibility)
If I had enough money, I could buy this property. (Uncertainty)
‘could’ is also used to ask polite questions.
Could you please, take me to your manager?
Could you lend me your phone to make a call?
MAY
‘May’ is used to express permission.
May I come in, please? (Yes, you may.)
May I leave this place, now? (No, you may not)
‘May’ is also used to express possibility.
They may accept or they may not
You may catch the train if you leave now.
‘May’ is used to express a wish
May God bless you!
May his soul rest in peace!
‘May’ is used in
subordinate clause to express a purpose.
Obey and love your parents that you may prosper in your life.
Eat that you may live; don’t live that you may eat.
MIGHT
‘Might’ is used as the past tense of ‘may’ in reported
speech.
She said, ‘I may meet him there’
‘Might’ is used to denote a more doubtful
possibility than ‘may’
He may pass –
He might pass.
The patient may recover – The patient might recover
‘Might’ is used to express a gentle reproach.
Actually, John, you might have told me about this before.
In my opinion, she might have
paid the fee on time.
MUST
‘Must’, can be used in present, past and future
tenses. When it is used in past, it is
with the present perfect of the main verb.
You must see the manager now.
(Present)
We must reserve a seat in
advance. (Future)
They must have sent their
application before the last date. (Past)
‘Must’ is used to express a strong obligation
of compulsion.
We must be loyal to our country.
We
must help the needy and the poor.
We must get up early and complete everything in time.
They must build up a strong army
to defend their country.
‘Must’ expresses probability
or likelihood.
The calling bell rings. That must be the post man.
He must be mad to do this.
‘Must’ also expresses
strong determination.
You must insist on being given
your full share.
I must go to that place and help
him.
OUGHT
‘Ought’ is not as forceful as ‘must’ but it is
stronger than ‘should’. It is actually
the past tense of ‘owe’. It is followed
by ‘to-infinitive’. It points out
present and future tense.
‘Ought’ expresses duty, necessity, moral
obligation etc.
They ought to attend the office
regularly. (Duty)
We ought to help the poor.
(Obligation)
We ought to buy the necessary
medicine for him.
When ‘ought’ refers to past time, it is
followed by perfect infinitive.
He ought to have helped his brother.
They have done things that they ought
not to have done.
NEED
‘Need’ is used both as a principal verb
and as an auxiliary.
It means ‘require’ when it is used as a principal
verb.
She needs your help.
They needed some more time to
finish the work.
‘Need’ as an auxiliary is uninflected and is always
used with ‘not’
He need not wait any longer.
They need not make such a fuss over it.
Sometimes, ‘need’ is used with ‘hardly’
I need hardly add that you are
always welcome.
I need hardly say that I am very grateful to you.
Similarly, ‘need’ is also used with ‘only’
She need only say where she wants
to go and we will take her there.
You need only sign this paper and
I will do the rest.
‘Need’ is also used in questions without ‘not’
Need I wait any
longer?
Need
he come again?
He
need not pay any fine, need he?
(If the answer is ‘no’, he need not’ it
is allowable. But if the answer is
positive, it must be ‘Yes, he must’. The
opposite of ‘need not’ is not ‘need’, but ‘must’.)
When a past time is referred, ‘need’ is followed by
the perfect infinitive.
You need not have come all this
way to see me.
He need not have waited for the
reply.
DARE
‘Dare is used both as a principal verb and as an
auxiliary.
It means ‘defy’, ‘challenge’ or ‘face boldly’ when it is used as a principal verb.
He dares you to the fight.
She
dared to call him a liar.
There is nothing that John does not dare.
As an auxiliary, ‘dare’ is uninflected and is used
with ‘not’. But in questions it is used
without ‘not’.
He dare not do so.
I
dare not take such a risk.
How
dare he do such a thing?
The expression ‘I dare say......’ is now used with the
meaning ‘perhaps’
I dare say he will agree to our proposal
‘Do you think he will come?’
‘I dare say, he will.’
Some equivalents of Modal Auxiliaries
1.
Be able to
He is able to do this. (Can do)
They were able to help him.
(Could)
2. Had better
You had better
have some rest. (Should)
She had better consult a doctor. (Should or ought to)
3. Have to, Have got to
I have to be there at 10 O’clcok. (Must)
Do you have to go there? (Is it necessary?)
I have got to help them. (Must)
PROFICIENCY IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE (MALAYALAM) PART – 17 - VERBS - 5
---Thulasidharan . V
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