Grammar (No.:06.01.03.

001)

GRAMMAR
MODALS

Series : Grammar (No.:06.01.03.001)

Skill :-
Level : Intermediate
Time : 45 minutes

You will learn how to:

a. use “can”, “could”, and “be able to”,
b. use “must” and “have to”,
c. use “should” and “ought to”, and
d. use “may” and “might”.

INDEPENDENT LANGUAGE LEARNING

CENTER
CENTER FOR LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
YOGYAKARTA STATE UNIVERSITY
2012

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 Grammar (No.:06.01.03.001)

1. HINTS/TIPS
Modals
 can – could – (be) able to
We use “can” to say that something is possible or that somebody has the ability to
do something.
Sometimes, “could” is the past of a “can”.
“Could” is also used to say that somebody had the general ability or permission to
do something.
“(be) able to” is used to say that somebody did something happened in a particular
situation.
Terkadang, “could” adalah bentuk lampau dari “can”.
“could” juga digunakan untuk menyatakan bahwa seseorang memiliki kemampuan
atau ijin untuk melakukan sesuatu.
“(be) able to” digunakan untuk menyatakan bahwa seseorang melakukan sesuatu
pada situasi tertentu.

 must – have to
We use “must” to say that we feel sure about something is true.
We also use “must” and “have to” say that it is necessary to do something.
The negative forms are “must not” (musn’t) and “have not to” (haven’t to).
For the past, we use “must have” (done).
Kita menggunakan “must” untuk menyatakan bahwa kita yakin tentang kebenaran
sesuatu.
Kita juga menggunakan “must” dan “have to” untuk menyatakan bahwa sesuatu
perlu dilakukan.
Bentuk negative dari “must” adalah “must not” (musn’t) dan “have to” adalah
“have not to” (haven’t to).
Untuk bentuk lampau, kita menggunakan “must have” (done).

 should – ought to
We can use “should” or “ought to” to give advice or to give an opinion.
“should” is not as strong as “must”
kita menggunakan “should” atau “ought to” untuk memberi saran atau pendapat.
“should” memiliki makna harus yang lebih lemah dari “must”

 may – might
We use “may” or “might” to say that something is a possibility.
We also use “may” or “might” to talk about possible actions or happenings in the
future.
The negative forms are “may not” or “might not”.
Kita menggunakan “may” atau “might” untuk menyatakan bahwa sesuatu itu
mungkin terjadi.
Kita menggunakan “may” atau “might” untuk menyatakan tindakan atau kejadian
yang mungkin terjadi di masa yang akan dating.
Bentuk negative dari “may” dan “might” adalah “may not” dan“might not”.

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 Grammar (No.:06.01.03.001)

2. TASK 1
Complete the sentences using can or (be) able to. Use can if possible;
otherwise use (be) able to. Number one and two have been done for you.

1. Gary has travelled a lot He …can... speak five languages.

2. I haven't ...been able to... sleep very well recently.
3. Nicole ……………….. drive, but she hasn't got a car.
4. l used to ……………….. stand on my head, but I can't do it now.
5. I can't understand Martin. I' ve never ……………….. understand him.
6. I can't see you on Friday, but I ……………….. meet you on Saturday morning.
7. Ask Catherine about your problem. She might ……………….. help you.

3. TASK 2
In some of these sentences, must is wrong or unnatural. Correct the sentences
where necessary. Number one and two have been done for you

1. It's later than I thought. I must go…………… OK ……………..

2. I must work every day from 8.30 to 5.30.…….I have to work…….
3. You must come and see us again soon……………………………….
4. Tom can't meet us tomorrow. He must work…………………………….
5. 1 must work late yesterday evening……………………………….
6. I must get up ea rl y tomorrow. I have lots to do……………………………
7. Julia wears glasses. She must wear glasses………………………………….
since she was very young.

4. TASK 3
Complete the sentences using should + a word in the box:
ask be leave listen say worry

1. It's strange that he …should be… late. He's usually on time.

2. It's funny that you ................................. that. I was going to say the same thing.
3. It's only natural that parents ................................. about their children.
4. Isn't it typical of Joe that he ................................. without saying goodbye to
anybody?
5. I was surprised that they ................................. me for advice. What advice
could I give them?
6. I'm going to give you all some essential information, so it's important that
everybody................................. very carefully.

5. TASK 4
Complete the sentences using might + the following:
bite break need rain slip wake

1. Take an umbrella with you when you go out. It ...might rain... later.
2. Don't make too much noise. You ................................. the baby.
3. Be careful of that dog. It ................................. you.
4. I don't think we should throw that letter away. We ................................. it later.
5. Be careful. The footpath is very icy. You .................................
6. Don't let the children play in this room. They ................................. something.

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 Grammar (No.:06.01.03.001)

6. TASK 5
Read, cover, write, and check.

Read and cover Write and check Write and check Write and check
careful /ˈkeə.f ə l/ careful careful careful
adjective
giving a lot of
attention to what
you are doing so
that you do not
have an accident,
make a mistake, or
damage something
(hati-hati)
essential /ɪˈsen.tʃə
l/ adjective
necessary, needed
(penting)
icy /ˈaɪ.si/
adjective
covered in ice
(ber-es)
necessary
/ˈnes.ə.ser.i/
adjective
needed in order to
achieve a
particular result
(butuh)
noise /nɔɪz/ noun
sound, especially
when it is not
wanted, unpleasant
or loud
(suara berisik)
recently /ˈriː.s
ənt.li/
adverb
not long ago, or at
a time that started
not long ago
(beberapa waktu
lalu)

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 Grammar (No.:06.01.03.001)

surprised
/səˈpraɪzd/
adjective
feeling or showing
surprise because
something has
happened that you
did not expect
(terkejut)
throw /θrəʊ/ verb
to send something
through the air
with force,
especially by a
sudden movement
of the arm
(melempar)
travel /ˈtræv. ə l/
verb
to make a journey,
usually over a long
distance
(bepergian)
wake /weɪk/ verb
to (cause someone
to) become awake
and conscious after
sleeping
(membangunkan)

7. SUGGESTED FURTHER LEARNING

Next series to learn

8. REFERENCE(S)
Murphy, R. 2005. Essential Grammar in Use: A self-study reference and
practice book for intermediate students of English. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.

9. ANSWER KEY

A. Task 1
1. can
2. been able to
3. can

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 Grammar (No.:06.01.03.001)

4. be able to
5. been able to
6. can
7. be able to
B. Task 2
1. OK
2. I have to work.
3. OK
4. He has to work.
5. I had to work late yesterday evening.
6. OK
7. She had to wear glasses since she was very young.
C. Task 3
1. Should be
2. Should say
3. Should worry
4. Should leave
5. Should ask
6. Should listen
D. Task 4
1. Might rain
2. Might wake
3. Might bite
4. Might need
5. Might sleep
6. Might break

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10. USERS
This material has been used by:
Identity
No Name Date Comments
Student Lecturer Other

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