MODAL VERBS

Modal Example Uses

Can They can control their own Ability / Possibility

budgets. Inability / Impossibility
We cant 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 mustnt disrupt the Prohibition
work more than necessary.

Ought to We ought to employ a Saying whats right or

professional writer. correct

Shall Shall I help you with your Offer

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

Should We should sort out this Saying whats right or

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

Will I cant see any taxis so Ill Instant decisions

walk. Offer
I'll do that for you if you Promise
like. Certain prediction
Ill 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?" - "Thatd be fine."
Would you like to play golf
this Friday?
"Would you prefer tea or
coffee?" - "Id 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 cant make such a mistake
asemenea greseala

Nu se poate sa fi facut o asemenea He cant 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
dont 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 Im

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

Dont have to
 Havent got to Lipsa de obligatie

Neednt

Must not Interdictie, prohibitie (regula)

Eprima deductie, concluzie logica, probabilitate

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

Im sure/certain/positive

Certain/obviously

Its 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

Didnt need to... actiune care nu a fost necesara

si nu a fost facuta

Neednt 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:

dont think why, see no reason why, cant 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 wouldnt.

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)