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Modals

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Summary of Practices

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ModalsDiagnostic Quiz

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Modal Diagnostic: identify specific points that need review

This is a grammar diagnostic page with study links.

Quiz 1: beginning intermediate

Quiz 2: intermediate advanced

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ModalsDegrees of Certainty

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Will / Might: express varying degrees of certainty

BegInter. ESL
Is / Must be / Might be
Was / Must have / Might have
MustInference / Necessity
Word Order
Grammar Notes (show-hide arrow)
Practice 1 certain / uncertain
Practice 2 complete the sentence (MC)
Practice 3 edit sentences

Polar bears will perish. (100% certain)

They might not survive in the arctic. (< 50% certainty)

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ModalsIntent (Present, Future & Past)

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Will / Would: express attitudes of determination, unwillingness or

failure
BegInter. ESL
Will be determined (volition)
Won't be unwilling
Would haveFailed Intent
Willing vs. Future Modal
Common Mistakes
Grammar Notes (show-hide arrow)
Practice 1
Practice 2

I will win this singing contest!

I am determined to win this singing contest!
The judges won't let me sing another song.
The judges were unwilling to let me sing another song.
I would have done better, but my voice cracked.
I hoped that I would do well, but my voice cracked.

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Be going / Will: express immediate vs scheduled future events

BegInter. ESL
Intent / Prediction
Opinion Verbs
Memory Verbs
Repetitive Wording
Future Intent / Purpose
A Failed Plan
Word Order
Future Expressions
Common Mistakes
Grammar Notes(show-hide arrow)
Practice 1 complete the sentence
Practice 2 identify
Practice 3 edit

I am going to text Brad the news.

I will call Jill tomorrow to see how she is.
We are going to go to the movies.
We are going to come home.

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ModalsFuture Progressive

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Future Progressive: indicate temporary, ongoing, and background

activities
BegAdv ESL

Will be / Are going to be

Will / Will be
Will be going on
Will you be (inquiry)
Common Mistakes
Grammar Notes (show-hide arrow)
Practice 1 multiple choice
Practice 2 correct / incorrect
Practice 3 edit paragraph

We will be working in this area.

We are going to be working in this area.
We can be setting up a support here.
We should be getting a revised set of plans soon.
Will you leave now? request or inquiry?
Will you be leaving now? polite
Do you intend to be staying long?
Are you planing on staying long?

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ModalsScheduled Events (Present & Future)

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PresentScheduled: express planned activities and events

Beginning ESL
Scheduled Events
Observation & Prediction
Adverbs
Paragraph 1 multiple choice

Paragraph 2 multiple choice

Paragraph 3 multiple choice

On Thursday, I assist the librarian at the Public Library. (routine)

I am working at the preschool on Wednesday. (near future, personal plan)
I will get there around noon. (scheduled/ estimated)

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ModalsFuture Perfect
Will / Will have: express a future time as the "window" for viewing
the completion or progress of a second activity
BegAdv ESL, Native Speakers
Prediction
Future Prediction
Adverbs
Subject-Verb Agreement
Practice 1 multiple choice
Practice 2 multiple choice

By 9:00, we will have finished our meeting.

By 9:15, everyone will have left.

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By the time: view relative progress or completion (future perfect)

IntermedAdv ESL, Native Speaker

By the time v. When
By Complements
Tense Agreement
Future PerfectPassive
Punctuation
Common Mistake
Practice 1 multiple choice
Practice 2 correct / incorrect
Practice 3 read and edit
[adverbial clause, PP + clause]

By the time I leave work, the sun will be setting. (ongoing)

By the time I leave work, the sun will have set. (completed)

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ModalsPreference and Request

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Would: express preference, request, habit, or excuse

BegAdv ESL
Preference v. Request
Requesting & Stating Preference
Past Activity v. Habit
Excuse v. Past Preference
Practice 1
Practice 2 multiple choice

Would you like some coffee?

Would you rather have tea or coffee?
On Sundays, we would visit our relatives
I would have stopped smoking, but it was too difficult.
I would rather have found an easy way out, but I didn't.

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Rather than: express comparative preference

IntermedAdv ESL, Native Speaker
Prefer X to Y
Would rather
Rather thanpreference
Rather thanavoidance
Rather than Complements
Initial Clause Wording
Common Mistakes
Grammar Notes(show-hide arrow)
Practice 1
Practice 2

We would rather walk to work than drive. (X and not Y)

We walk to work rather than drive. (X and not Y)
We walk to work rather than get caught in traffic. (choosing X to avoid Y)

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ModalsExpectation (Present & Past)

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Should/ Should have: express expectation, convention or advice

BegAdv ESL, Native Speakers
Expectation
Convention
Advice
Past Expectation
Past Convention
Past Advice
Common Mistakes
Grammar Notes (show-hide arrow)
Practice 1 identify the meaning
Practice 2 complete the sentence (MC)
Practice 3 edit

The movie should be available next week.

The movie will be available next week. (expectation)
Should we wear black pants to work? (convention)
Are we supposed to wear black pants to work?(convention)
You should try ordering your movies online.(suggestion)
She ought not to talk on her mobile phone when she's with you. (advice)
We were supposed to receive a replacement.
The movie would have been available last week, but the stores ran out of it.

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ModalsOptions & Advice

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Could / Should: offer options and advice

BegAdv ESL, Native Speakers
Offering Options / Advice
Grammar Notes
Practice 1
Practice 2
Practice 3

You could look where you saw it last. (option)

You should cancel your credit cards. (advice)

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Could / Should have: offer past options and late advice

IntermedAdv ESL, Native Speakers
Options & Advice Not Taken
Could have
Could have 2 Meanings
Should have
Practice multiple choice

Passengers could have taken other smaller transatlantic ships.

The captain could have chosen a more southern transatlantic route.
The owners should have supplied enough lifeboats for everyone.

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Past Unreal Conditionals 2: analyze an accident

Inter.Adv ESL, Native Speakers
Hypothetical Statements (analysis activity)
Sentence Structure
Clause Punctuation
Practice multiple choice

If the night watchmen had had binoculars, they would have been able to spot the iceberg
earlier.
The captain could have steered directly into the iceberg causing less damage.
The Titanic should have had more lifeboats.

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ModalsDegrees of Advisability

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Should/ Must: express advisability, necessity, and requirement

BegAdv ESL, Native Speakers
Should / Must
Ought (to)/ Have (to)
Not have to / Have to not
Had Better
Relative Advisability
Should have / Needed to
Is / Are to
Modal Word Order
Practice 1 correct incorrect

Practice 2 complete the sentence (MC)

We should protect the environment. It makes good sense.

We had better protect the environment. It makes good sense.
We must protect the environment. It's necessary.
We have to do more.
We don't have to drive all the time.

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ModalsConclusion & Inference

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Might / Must have: express varying degrees of certainty about past

events
BegAdv ESL, Native Speakers
Guessing / Concluding
Conclusion / Necessity
Word Order
Practice 1 multiple choice
Practice 2 correct / incorrect
Practice 3 edit

The car driver might have tried to pass between two buses.
The bus passengers must have heard a crunch. (sound)
The insurance company had to total the car.

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ModalsAbility

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Can/ Could: express physical, mental, past or potential ability

BegAdv ESL, Native Speakers
Physical vs Mental Ability
Past Success vs Future Potential
Could vs Was Able
Word Order
Grammar Notes (show-hide arrow)
Practice 1 multiple choice
Practice 2 multiple choice

"Watson" can access 200 million pages of information in seconds. (physically able)
Ken Jennings can speak on a wide variety of subjects. (knows how to)
IBM engineers were able to design a computer that uses "natural language". (managed)
One day, IBM could build a computer with cognitive power. (potentially)

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ModalsPermission

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May / Can: express permission, request, suggestion, invitation

BegAdv ESL, Native Speakers
Permission
Request
Suggestion / Invitation
Lets allow vs. suggestion

Grammar Notes (show-hide arrow)

Practice 1 formal / informal
Practice 2 complete the sentence (MC)
Practice 3 edit the sentences

May I smoke here?

Can I smoke here?informal
Would you mind if I smoke(d) here?
Is it a problem if I smoke here?
Could you smoke outside please?
Why don't you smoke outside.
Why do they let people smoke inside? (allow)
Let's sit outside. (Shall we?)

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ModalsClause Agreement

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Modal Agreement: maintain timing relationships with embedded

clauses
BegInter. ESL
Subordinating Connectors
Back-shifting Verbs
Back-shifting Modals
Other Sub Clauses
Grammar Notes (show-hide arrow)
Practice 1 complete the sentence
Practice 2 edit the paragraph

Apple said that it would introduce more functionality with the newer software.

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ModalsReview

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Modal Review: compare relative strengths of modal meanings

BegInter. ESL
Obligation weak/strong
Possibility weak/strong
Freedom to Actweak/strong
Modal Meaningpresent to past
Modalspresent/past (backshifting)
Grammar Notes (show-hide arrow)
Practice 1 correct / incorrect
Practice 2 complete the sentence (MC)

You could try to be a little nicer. (an idea, an option)

You ought to try to be a little nicer. (mild suggestion)
You should try to be a little nicer. ( suggestion)
You had better try to be a little nicer. (strong suggestion)
You must try to be a little nicer. (strong suggestion)
Be a little nicer. (order)

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Modal Quiz: determine which modals to use in sentences

Inter.Adv ESL

auto-correcting quiz multiple choice

Finding an apartment in San Francisco ____ be very difficult.

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ModalsRelated

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Would / Used to: report past behavior vs. past habits

Inter.Adv ESL
Would v. Used to
Would / Used to Differences
Word Order
Common Mistakes
Grammar Notes (show-hide arrow)
Practice 1 multiple choice
Practice 2 correct / incorrect
Practice 3 edit

We would go to the beach after school.

We used to go to the beach after school. (earlier stage of life)
She used to have a surf board. (state of possession)
She would have an amazing tan by the time summer ended. (conditioned outcome)

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Omitting if: offer advice on hypothetical situations

Inter.Adv ESL, Native Speakers

Were/ Had/ Should
SubjVerb Inversion
If / In case
Practice multiple choice

If I were/was you, I wouldn't get involved.

Were I you, I wouldn't get involved.
Had I known, I would have said something.
Should you see him again, call me immediately.