hello and welcome back to english with
Lucy today I've got a grammar video for
you I know it's been a while since I did
a grammar video but a lot of you have
asked for a video on modal verbs so here
it is today I'm going to introduce you
to modal verbs i'm going to tell you the
rules how to use them when to use them
do note that there are a lot of
different situations in which you need
to use different modal verbs and it would
be impossible for me to go through them
all so this is an introduction and
hopefully you will leave the lesson
feeling a lot more comfortable when
using modal verbs let's get started
so firstly what are modal verbs well
they are part of a larger category
called auxiliary verbs and these are verbs
that add meaning to another verbnow modal
verbs are special because they follow a
strict set of rules and they are used in a
very specific way I'm going to talk
about the nine modal verbs today don't
get them confused with the semi models
that only follow some of the modal verb
rules now if I ask you right now to tell
me the nine modal verbs would you be
able to tell me them if you can
that's great but for those who can't
I've got a really easy way of
remembering them we've got 3 m's 2 w's
to c's and two s' so when you
write them out in a pattern it's much
much easier to remember them all
so we've got the 3 m's we've got must
might and may we've then got the 2 w's will
and would we then got the 2 c's can and
could and then the two S's shall and
should remember will and would our
special in spoken and informal language
they can be contracted so will can turn
into ' Double L i will i'll and would
can turn into apostrophe D so we have
she would she'd now the majority of
these modal verbs express different
meaning depending on
the context so you really have to
understand the sentence or question as a
whole
I'm going to help you with this today later
on in the video we can talk about the
different meanings that each modal verb
can express but firstly we need to go
through the rules
what can you do with them what can't you
do with them without these rules you're
going to find it very difficult to use
them but the good news is that all of
these rules apply to the nine modal
verbs that we're looking at in this
lesson so rule number one infinitives come
after modal verbs but without to ok so
we're saying i might eat pizza
I can play football rule number 2 modal
verbs take no s in the third person
singular she must leave or it might
happen
rule number three modal verbs do not
change their form according to tense so
they've got no past form and they've got
no future form it just stays the same so
the easy way of remembering it is modal
verbs don't change they stay exactly as
they are so rule number four we use
modal verbs in negative sentences like
we do with other auxiliary verbs ie
without the word do so the way we use
modal verbs in negative sentences is
subject modal verb not verb
let's look at some examples you must not
eat my food
you must not eat my food or i can not
speak French
I cannot speak French so it's always in
that order
just like we would with other auxiliary
verbs now remember you must learn the
contractions for the negatives which are
used quite frequently in spokane or
informal language might might not
mightn't must must not mustn't may may not
no contraction
can cannot can't could could not
couldn't will will not won't would would
not wouldn't shall shall not shan't
should should not shouldn't
ok so those were the negative
contractions number five
easy now we've looked at number four
with interrogative phrases modal verbs
are used like other auxiliary verbs
modal verb subject verb some examples
can you help me
can you help me will you let him will
you let him so those were the rules now
let's have a look at the individual
modal verbs and how and when we can use
them so firstly let's look at might
might can be used to show possibility
they might be eating lunch or she might
give us a discount then we have may may
can also be used to show possibility the
teacher may be late today and it can
also be used to ask for permission may I
leave now note that using may to ask for
permission can be seen as quite formal
then we have must must can be used to
show probability or to make a logical
assumption
she must be stuck in traffic must can
also be used to show necessity I must go
home right now and it can also be used
to show prohibition you must not smoke
here then we have will we'll can be used
to indicate future time i will leave at
seven o'clock
it can also be used to make a promise or
to show willingness i will give money to
charity this Christmas it can also be
used to ask a polite question will you
help me with this
for example then we have would
again would can be used to ask a polite
question would you help me with this
it can also be used for invitations or
preferences or desires i would like a
cup of tea or would you prefer apples or
oranges then we have can can can be used
to show ability i can speak English
it can also be used to suggest a
possibility or give an option for
example you can call him tomorrow it
could also be used to show impossibility
that can't be her and it can also be
used for a request can you help me could
on the other hand can show past ability
i could do trigonometry five years ago
it can also be used to ask a polite
question could i call you
it can also be used to show possibility
and impossibility
she could be here or she couldn't be
here and it can also be used to make a
suggestion
you could try doing this then we have
should-should is used to recommend you
should try this new bar
it can also be used to say what is
correct
or right for example we should deal with
this right now
it can also be used for an uncertain
prediction he should be home soon but
i'm not sure shall shall can be used to
make an offer
shall i help you with that it can also
be used for confirmation
I shall meet you there at midnight it
can also be used for promises you shall
be the first person to know
ok so that was my very condensed video
on modal verbs
so what can you do next well firstly
your homework is to comment below with
three sentences using modal verbs I want
one in affirmative one in the negative
and one in the interrogative and up
until midnight i will correct as many as
possible and then i would like you guys
to correct each other
don't forget to connect with me on all
of my social media remember I now upload
lessons on mondays
wednesdays and saturdays so i will see
you for another lesson very very soon mwah