hi I'm Stephanie welcome to Oxford
online English in this lesson you can
learn about English modal verbs
what are modal verbs what do they do why
do you need them you'll see answers to
all these questions in this class before
we start you should check out our
website oxfordonlineenglish.com
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study speaking prepare for IELTS improve
your pronunciation or whatever else you
want let's get back to our topic with
some basic points you should know to use
modal verbs correctly
shall we start yeah we probably
so can you tell me something about modal
verbs sure what would you like to know I
must know everything about them that
might take a long time you'll help me
though right
of course even though it may be
challenging there are nine modal verbs
in English you just heard a dialogue
with nine lines each line contains one
modal verb can you name the nine modal
verbs in English maybe you know them
already but if not you can go back and
try and find them in the dialogue the
nine modal verbs are can could may might
will would shall should and must what
the modal verbs do and how are they
different from other verbs also why are
they so important modal verbs add
information to other verbs that's their
job they can add ideas like possibility
uncertainty or obligation to another
verb grammatically modal verbs follow
their own rules let's see what this
means rule number one a modal verb is
followed by an infinitive verb without -
for example she can speak fluent Spanish
we shouldn't do anything until we know
more they won't be here before 10:00
you can't put a noun after a modal verb
or an ING verb or anything else only an
infinitive verb without - rule number 2
modal verbs can't be used in different
times or tenses modal verbs don't have
past perfect or future tenses like
regular verbs do there are some cases
where this isn't 100% true for example
could is the past tense of can in some
cases would sometimes acts like a past
version of will however could can also
have a present or future meaning it's
better to think about each modal verb
individually
number three modal verbs are auxiliary
verbs that means you can make negatives
by adding not to the end of the verb for
example can Kant would wouldn't might
might not negative modal verbs are often
contracted although might not and may
not are usually written fully without
contractions for will and she'll the
spelling changes in the negative will
won't shall shan't to make a question
move the modal verb before the subject
for example should I tell him what would
you do what about the other question why
are modal verbs important modal verbs
can express many basic concepts which
you will need regularly in any situation
modal verbs are used to express
obligation give advice talk about
possibility and probability ask for
permission and more next let's look at
the meanings which modal verbs can
express in more detail
can I ask you something sure I'm
thinking I might ask for a transfer to
the Singapore office I've always wanted
to live abroad and I think now is the
right time what do you think I think if
you've thought about it then you should
try it better to regret something you
did then something you didn't do that's
my view hmm will they agree though you
don't know till you ask anyway I'm sure
they'll agree you have a good track
record here and if you come back later
you'll have a lot of valuable experience
so they should say yes I'm just worried
because I know that Olga asked for a
transfer to Canada and they wouldn't let
her that's a totally different situation
Olga's a tax specialist she's
irreplaceable I wanted to ask one more
thing will you write a reference for me
no problem I'd be happy to there's one
more thing you must do before you apply
what's that talk to the Singapore office
I can put you in contact if you need
that's great
thanks so much for helping me out you
can use modal verbs to express 9
fundamental ideas maybe you're thinking
that's nice and easy there are 9 modal
verbs and 9 meanings so each verb must
have one meaning right nope
unfortunately it's more complicated than
that
first the 9 meanings are broad each
contains several smaller ideas secondly
every modal verb can have more than one
meaning anyway
we'll worry about that later for now
let's look at the nine fundamental ideas
which modal verbs can express asking
permission expressing possibility or
impossibility when you think something
could be true or not giving advice or
suggestions expressing certainty or
uncertainty when you're sure something
is true or not expressing probability
when you think one results is more
likely than another expressing
willingness or refusal for example when
someone lets or doesn't let someone else
do something
making a request or an offer expressing
an obligation when it's necessary to do
something expressing ability when
someone has the capacity to do something
or not in the dialogue there's at least
one example of each of these nine basic
meanings can you find them if you want
to challenge go back and listen to the
dialogue again try to find one sentence
with a modal verb which expresses each
of the nine basic meanings let's look
together
here are nine sentences from the
dialogue the first sentence is asking
permission
you use can to ask is this okay sentence
two is talking about possibility you're
saying something is possible but not
certain the third sentence is giving
advice number four is expressing
certainty you're sure that something is
true now or that something will happen
in the future in case you're wondering
possibility and certainty are closely
related we're separating them but you
could also see them as two sides of the
same idea however probability as in
sentence five is different here's a
question what's the difference between
probability and possibility probability
has different levels something can be
90% probable or fifty percent or twenty
percent or whatever possibility is
binary either something is possible or
it isn't it doesn't make sense to say
that something is 50 percent possible
this might sound abstract but it's
relevant to using modal verbs here
should expresses probability the
sentence they should say yes means it's
more likely they'll say yes than no the
sixth sentence expresses refusal
wouldn't here has a similar meaning to
refused to number seven is a request
when you ask someone to do
something for you the eighth sentence
expresses an obligation must here means
that it's necessary to do something
finally the ninth sentence expresses
ability so there's a lot of information
here
what should you take away let's look at
two key points first not every modal
verb was used in these nine sentences
there's no could no shell and no May
what does this tell you it shows you
what we told you before every modal verb
can have more than one meaning also it
shows you that every idea like
obligation certainty and so on can be
expressed by more than one modal verb
let's look at this point in more detail
can you look at something for me sure
what's up it's my laptop it's acting
weirdly I know you're good with these
things so what's the problem exactly it
keeps freezing and I can't do anything
for a while sometimes it's just a few
seconds but sometimes it goes on for
half an hour it's really annoying older
laptops can get like that sometimes but
I only bought it six months ago
do you have an anti-virus program yes
and I do scans regularly it can't be a
virus I'm not so good with technology
but I'm pretty security conscious hmm
that's probably not the problem then can
I take it for an hour or so I'll need
your login password too that way I can
take a proper look okay here thank you
so much in this dialogue there were five
different sentences using the modal verb
can do you remember them here they are
and each sentence can has a different
meaning think about the nine basic
meanings of modal verbs which you saw in
the section too can you explain the
meaning of can in each of these
sentences can you see how they're
different can you look at something for
me
it's a request I can't do anything for a
while expresses ability older laptops
can get like that sometimes expresses a
general possibility it's like saying
it's common for older laptops to get
like that it can't be a virus expresses
certainty it's like saying I'm sure it
isn't a virus can I take it for an hour
or so is asking permission to do
something this is just one modal verb
can is an extreme example because most
modal verbs don't have five different
meanings actually can has a sixth
meaning it can be used to make an offer
as in can I help you with anything
however every modal verb has at least
two different meanings and most have
three or four so what's the point here
point one really don't try and
understand modal verbs by translating
them into your language of course this
is true generally but it is especially
important with modal verbs because they
don't translate cleanly between
languages if you think that Canon
English translates to one verb in your
language you'll create problems for
yourself point two to understand a modal
verb in a sentence you need to
understand the context again this is
general advice but again it's especially
important with modal verbs the meaning
of a modal verb can be completely
different in different contexts point 3
the different meanings of a modal verb
are unconnected look at two sentences
with must it must be late it's dark
outside you must read this article it's
so interesting
what does must mean in these two
sentences in the first sentence must
expresses certainty you're saying I'm
sure it's late because it's dark outside
in the second sentence must expresses
strong advice most English learners will
first learn must to express obligation
in sentences like employees must keep
records of all expenses often they'll
think about must by translating it into
their language then when they see the
word must they think about the verb in
their language if you do this you might
think that other meanings of must are
somehow connected to the idea of
obligation or whatever you learned first
but there's no connection it's just
coincidence that you use the word must
in these sentences the meaning is
completely different in each case
there's no connection except that the
word is the same now let's look at one
more thing you should know about modal
verbs
what time were we supposed to be there
10 I think but I think we ought to aim
to arrive at least 15 minutes before so
that means we have to leave here at what
9:00 we'd better leave earlier there's a
metro strike tomorrow so the traffic
will be terrible are we going to drive
or take a taxi I'm not sure we'll be
able to find a taxi so I think driving
is best in the dialogue you had several
examples of semi modal verbs do you know
what these are
here are the sentences you heard so what
are semi modal verbs semi modal's have
some of the features of modal verbs but
not all most importantly semi modal
verbs do the same thing as modal verbs
they add information to other verbs they
can express many of the same ideas like
obligation or giving advice they don't
follow all the grammar rules of regular
modal verbs for example have to is a
semi modal and you can use it in
different tenses it has a past tense had
to you can use it in present perfect I
have had two and so on often modal's and
semi modal's can be used with the same
meaning look at two sentences it'll rain
this afternoon it's going to rain this
afternoon here you use going to which is
a semi modal to express certainty in the
same way that you can use will it
doesn't matter which were PU use in this
case however in some cases semi modal
verbs have their own specific meaning
for example supposed to is similar to
should but not the same look at two
sentences we are supposed to be there at
ten we should be there at ten the basic
meaning is similar but not the same if
you use should you're saying that you
think this is important if you use
supposed to you mean that other people
think that this is important we're
supposed to be there at 10:00 suggests
that someone else has told you to be
there at 10:00 and maybe it's not so
important to you maybe you're thinking
at this point how many semi modal verbs
are there can you give us a list not
really because it's not entirely clear
what makes something SME modal verb many
textbooks will say that need or dare are
semi modal's but they're rarely used in
this way in modern English the most
common semi modal's are all in the
dialogue at the beginning of this
section if you understand how to use
these six semi modal's you are doing
well finally a question which modal verb
is most difficult for you to understand
and use in English why do you think that
is please share your thoughts in the
comments thanks for watching
see you next time
you