MODAL VERBS

Modal Example Uses

Can They can control their own Ability / Possibility

budgets. Inability / Impossibility
We can’t fix it. Asking for permission
Can I smoke here? Request
Can you help me?

Could Could I borrow your Asking for permission.

dictionary? Request
Could you say it again more Suggestion
slowly? Future possibility
We could try to fix it Ability in the past
ourselves.
I think we could have
another Gulf War.
He gave up his old job so he
could work for us.

May May I have another cup of Asking for permission

coffee? Future possibility
China may become a major
economic power.

Might We'd better phone Present possibility

tomorrow, they might be Future possibility
eating their dinner now.
They might give us a 10%
discount.

Must We must say good-bye now. Necessity / Obligation

They mustn’t disrupt the Prohibition
work more than necessary.

Ought to We ought to employ a Saying what’s right or

professional writer. correct

Shall Shall I help you with your Offer

 luggage?
(More common in the UK Shall we say 2.30 then? Suggestion
than the US Shall I do that or will you? Asking what to do

Should We should sort out this Saying what’s right or

problem at once.
I think we should check
everything again.
Profits should increase next
year.
correct
Recommending action
Uncertain prediction

Will I can’t see any taxis so I’ll Instant decisions

walk. Offer
I'll do that for you if you Promise
like. Certain prediction
I’ll get back to you first
thing on Monday.
Profits will increase next
year.

Would Would you mind if I Asking for permission

brought a colleague with Request
me? Request
Would you pass the salt Making arrangements
please? Invitation
Would you mind waiting a Preferences
moment?
"Would three o`clock suit
you?" - "That’d be fine."
Would you like to play golf
this Friday?
"Would you prefer tea or
coffee?" - "I’d like tea
please."

Will
 Exprima vointa, hotarare I will pay you as much as you ask for.

 Promisiune I will not make such a mistake again.

 Posibilitate, presupunere That girl will be his sister? (Fata ceea o fi sora lui?)
 Ceva inevitabil (expresii fixe) Children will be children.Accidents will
happen(accidentele sunt inevitabile)
 Inlocuieste prezentul simplu pentru actiune obisnuita, repetata I always
drink milk in the morning=I will drink milk in the morning
 Invitatie, cerere politicoasa Will you come and...?( Vrei sa...?)

Shall
 Hotarare The enemy shall not pass.
 Promisiune If you get a good mark you shall have a present.
 Refuz, insistenta, amenintare He shall pay for insulting my daughter.
 Exprima o interdictie in acte oficiale All the candidats shall not bring(may
not) the dictionaries into the examination room.
 Oferta, sugestie Shall I help you?

Can
 Abilitate fizica si intelectuala la prezent si viitor
 Exprima o continuitate alaturi de verbele de perceptie
 Exprima o permisiune (informal English)
 Exprima o posibilitate atunci cand imprejurarile o permit If you come
in my town we can swim (I have a swimming pool)
 Exprima o imposibilitate, neincredere: cu acest inteles

can poate fi urmat de un infinitiv prezent(pentru actiune simultana) sau infinitiv

perfect (pentru actiune anterioara )
Nu se poate/este imposibil sa faca o He can’t make such a mistake
asemenea greseala

Nu se poate sa fi facut o asemenea He can’t have made such a mistake

greseala
 Exprima o cerere politicoasa Can I help you?

Could
 Abilitate fizica si intelectuala la trecut.Cu acest inteles

can/could poate fi inlocuit cu echivalentul.Dar cand intelesul este de to

succid in, to manage, to achieve-se foloseste numai echivalentul, dar nu
si la negativ
 Cerere politicoasa, mai politicoasa deca

can Could I help you?

 May
 Exprima o permisiune(formal english).Cu acest inteles el poate fi
inlocuit cu echivalentul

 to be allowed to; to be permited to

 Exprima o posibilitate.Cu acest inteles el poate fi inlocuit cu it is
possible/maybe/perhaps

  It is possible for you to know her

Poate ca o cunosti Maybe/perhaps you know her

You may hnow her

May+infinitiv continuu=posibilitatea unei actiuni in momentul vorbirii  Ex: She

may be sleeping now.

May+infinitiv perfect=posibilitatea unei actiuni in trecut  Ex: She may have lost
the key.

 Exprima o urare, speranta May all your dreams come true! sau May
good luck attend you!
 In propozitia concesiva dupa: whatever, whenever, whereever, whoever,
thought, althought, no matter how No matter how much money you have
don’t spend it in one day1
 In completiva directa dupa to hope, to trust:

I hope that you may find tickets.

 In propozitia de scop dupa

so that: I sit on the first row so that I may see and hear well.

Might
 Exprima o permisiune la trecut
  Exprima o posibilitate in prezent, viitor si trecut (o posibilitate mai
indepartata)

Might+infinitiv continuu=posibilitatea indepartata a unei actiuni in momentul

vorbirii

Might+infinitiv perfect=posibilitatea indeparata a unei actiuni in trecut

 Exprima indignare, iritare, repros You might look in to my eyes when I’m
talking to you.
 In propozitia concesiva dupa

: whatever, whenever, whereever, whoever, thought, althought, no matter

how
 In completiva directa dupa

to hope, to trust
 In propozitia de scop dupa

so that

Must
 Exprima obligatie, comanda, necesitate.Cu acest inteles el poate fi
inlocuit cu echivalentul

to have to

Must=obligatie impusa de vorbitor(regula)

Have to=obligatie externa impusa de autoritati sau imprejurari externe pe care

vorbitorul nu le poate controla

Don’t have to  

Haven’t got to Lipsa de obligatie

Needn’t

Must not Interdictie, prohibitie (regula)

 Eprima deductie, concluzie logica, probabilitate

NOTA: cand must exprima probabilitate el poate fi inlocuit cu:

 I’m sure/certain/positive

Certain/obviously

It’s likely/probable

Is likely

Need
A.verb notional, obisnuit= to be need of (dupa care apare un pronume, substantiv,
verb la gerunziu sau infinitiv lung)

Ex: Mother needs a pair of shoes.The windows need washing.

B.Verb modal auxiliar=to have to apare mai mult in interogativ si negativ; poate sa
apara si in afirmativ alaturi de never, hardly, barely

Ex: She need hardly mention her name, since I know it.

Diferenta dintre prezent si trecut:

Prezent

Do I need...? actiune obisnuita, repetata

Need I...? ocazie speciala

Trecut

Didn’t need to... actiune care nu a fost necesara

si nu a fost facuta

Needn’t have+V (forma a III a) actiune care nu a fost necesara,

dar a fost facuta

Should
 Exprima obligatie, sfat, recomandare(obligatia este mai slaba decat cea cu

must)
 Exprima surpriza in intrebare retorica Ex:Why should I go there?
  Exprima presupunere, deductie logica
 In completiva directa dupa:

to suggest, to propose, to insist, to recommend, to advise, to urge...that

 In propozitia subiectiva dupa constructii impersonale:

it is/was
advisable/essential/better/fair/important/natural/necessary/right..that
 In propozitia de scop dupa:

so that, in order that, lest(ca sa nu..., ca sa nu cumva...), for fear that

 In propozitia conditionala tip I si II (intamplare)
 Dupa verbe de emotie:

to feel sory, to be delighted, to be annoyed, to be shocked

 Dupa:

don’t think why, see no reason why, can’t think why

Ought to (ar trebui, s-ar cuveni)

 Exprima o datorie, obligatie morala
 Ought to

+ Infinitive Perfect= datorie, obligatie neimplinita Ex:You ought to have

waited until the light were green.

NOTA: According to the wheather forecast it ought to rain today.He worked here
for 5 years. You ought to know him.

Would
 Exprima o cerere politicoasa

Would you pass...

Would you please...

Would you be so kind...

Would you mind+ V (-ing)

# Would like/care=want
# Would care nu se foloseste in afirmativ

Would rather (arata preferinta) +infinitiv scurt (pentru acelasi subiect)

Would better/had better (mai bine)  

Would sooner (mai degraba) +past tense (pentru subiecte diferite)

 Exprima o actiune repetata in trecut si incetata prezent (obisnuiam sa...)
 Diferenta dintre

used to si would+infinitiv este ca al doilea se foloseste narativ

 Apare dupa

wish si if only pentru o dorinta in viitor

 Exprima o probabilitate Ex: That girl would be his sister!
 Exprima o vointa la trecut iar la negativ refuz Ex:She had to go there
whether she would or wouldn’t.

Used to
 A nu se confunda cu

to use= a folosi
 Used to

modal auxiliar cu forma numai de trecut

 Desi e un modal auxiliar formeaza interogativul cu

did si negativul cu did not (formal english)

 A nu se confunda cu:

to be/get accustomed to dupa care urmeaza un substantiv sau un verb la

gerunziu Ex:I am not used to drinking tea in the morning.

Dare
 La afirmativ e un verb notional obisnuit
 La interogativ si negativ el poate fi atat verb modal cat si verb obisnuit
Ex:How dare you contradict me? (modal) I dared her/I challenged him to
run in the street(a provoca)