Faculty: Malik Rehmat Ullah English 1 (Proficiency Development)

Lecture No. 6
Topic: (Modals for Permission) & (Review of Present Tense)

Modals Auxiliary Verbs

In English, we have two types of helping verbs (which we also call auxiliary verbs):
1. Primary Auxiliary Verbs: There are three primary auxiliary verbs in English and they are ‘be, do and have’. As
an auxiliary verb, each of these exists in different forms. For example,
Forms of ‘be’: is,am,are,was,were, been, being
Forms of ‘do’: do, did, does
Forms of ‘have’: have, has, had
2. Modals Auxiliary Verbs/ Modal Auxiliaries/ Modal Verbs/ Modals: There are ten commonly used modal verbs
in English. They are can, could, shall, should, will, would, may, might, must and ought to.

Modal verbs can be used for different purposes. They may be used for possibility, probability, ability, necessity,
obligation, permission, suggestion, request, offer etc.

Since the modal verbs keep changing their meaning as per the mood of speaker, that’s why we call them modal
verbs. For example, ‘may’ is a modal verb. A speaker can use it for permission like ‘May I submit my assignment
tomorrow?’ similarly, a second speaker may use the same modal verb (may) for possibility like ‘It may rain today.’
So, because of this nature of depending upon speaker’s mood, we call them modal verbs.

The main verb which immediately follows a modal verb will always be written in its base form. For example;
I can drive faster. (‘Drive’ is the main verb here which is in its base/1st form.)
He can swims faster. (Incorrect – no addition of s/es with 3rd person singular)
He can played cricket. (Incorrect – no past form)
He can learning English. (Incorrect – no ing form)

Modals for Permission

Asking for permission:

We can ask for permission by using:

Can: (Can I make a phone call?)

‘Can’ is considered an informal way of asking for permission. It is mostly used for those people who we know very
well. When we are very frank with people, we use ‘can’ for seeking their permission. ‘Can’ is mostly used in
spoken communication however it can be used in written too.

Could: (Could you lend me you calculator?)

Could is considered a formal way of asking for permission. It is mostly used in formal gathering or with strangers.
It is a polite way of asking for permission.

May: (May I submit my assignment later?)

May is also considered a formal and polite way of asking for permission. It contains an extra element of respect
too. When we feel respectful towards people (generally our parents, teachers, elders), we use ‘may’. There is a
Faculty: Malik Rehmat Ullah English 1 (Proficiency Development)

very slight distinction between ‘could’ and ‘may’. Both are equally polite and formal. When we ask for permission
using ‘may’, we always use ‘I’ as a subject with it. (e.g. May I ……?) May you … (may you live long.) becomes a
wish rather than permission. Generally we use ‘may’ in written communication however it can be used for
spoken too.

Might: (Might I sit with you?)

Might is another way of asking for permission. It is considered highly formal and polite but least common in
written or spoken communication.

Replying for permission:

When someone has asked for permission and we need to reply them, we can reply them by using ‘can’ and ‘may’.
‘Could’ and ‘might’ are not used for replying permissions.

If we grant permission, we say:

Yes, you can. OR Yes, you can use my calculator.
Yes, you may. OR Yes, you may submit assignment tomorrow.

If we do not grant permission, we say:

No, you cannot. OR No, you can’t OR No, you cannot/can’t use my calculator.
No, you may not (contracted form of may not doesn’t exist) OR No, you may not submit now.

Repeat: We do not use ‘could’ or ‘might’ while answering permission.

Talking about permission:

Sometimes we talk about a rule or policy set by someone or an authority. In such cases, we talk about
permission. Whenever we talk about permission, we use ‘be allowed to’ with the base form of verb.

E.g. We are not allowed to smoke in campus. This is a policy which has been set by a concerned authority. While
discussing any such policy, we say that ‘we are not allowed to smoke in the campus.’

Be allowed to + verb (base form)

Be means one of its forms (according to subject)
I am allowed to / I was allowed to/ I will be allowed to
He/she/it is allowed to / was allowed to/ will be allowed to
We/You/They are allowed to/ were allowed to/ will be allowed to
Faculty: Malik Rehmat Ullah English 1 (Proficiency Development)

Present Simple
It is used for:
 thoughts, feelings, facts, repeated actions

Thought:
 I think she is right.
 She believes that we made mistake.
 They don’t understand our problem.
Feelings:
 I love fishing.
 They hate extra classes.
 Do you like history?
 I want something to eat.
Facts:
 We live in Karachi.
 Pakistan conducts matches.
 This mobile belongs to me.
Repeated Actions:
 We come to the campus once a week.
 I teach only on Monday.
 Students reach the campus at 8:30 am.
 He practices typing every week.

For Positive/ simple sentences:

 1st person/ 2nd person/ 3rd person plural  get (verb in base form)
 3rd person singular  gets (verb with s/es)

Normally ‘es’ is added after the verbs ending with ss (pass – passes), sh (wash – washes), ch (catch – catches), x
(mix – mixes).
Some verbs end at o (go – goes)
The verbs ending with consonant + y are changed into ‘ies’ (hurry – hurries)
The verbs ending with vowel + y are not changed into ‘ies’. Instead, only ‘s’ is added. (enjoy – enjoys)

Negative Sentences:
 1st person/ 2nd person/ 3rd person plural  do not OR don’t (they do not visit frequently)/ (they don’t
visit frequently.)
 3rd person plural  does not OR doesn’t (she does not lie) / (Ali doesn’t speak
ill.)

Interrogative Sentences:
 1st person/ 2nd person/ 3rd person plural  do (Do they visit frequently?)
 3rd person plural  does (Does she lie?)

An interrogative and negative sentence can be made in two ways:

 Do/does + subject + not + verb (Do you not play?)
 Don’t/ doesn’t + subject + verb (doesn’t she attend classes?)

Always:
Faculty: Malik Rehmat Ullah English 1 (Proficiency Development)

 The word ‘always’ gives the meaning of ‘every time’ in this tense. (They always come late. = Every time
they come late.)

Present Continuous
It is also called ‘progressive’.

It is used for:
 Something happening now (I am speaking live from Singapore.)
 In the middle of an action (A photographer is taking photographs.)
 Temporary situations (short period of time) (whereas present simple is used for permanent situations)

Form:
Present form of be + ing
 I am looking. OR I’m looking. (Contracted form)
 He/she/it/singular noun is laughing.
 We/They/ plural noun are playing. OR They’re playing. (Contracted form)

Negative Form:
 I am not looking.
 He/she/it/singular noun is not (isn’t) laughing.
 We/They/ plural noun are not (aren’t) playing.

We can also use present simple for the things changing over a long period.
 The number of cars on the road is increasing.

Phrases like ‘very often’ and ‘always’ can be used to show actions happening very often. (Ali is always inviting his
friends. = Ali invites his friends very often.)

State verbs are usually not used for continuous structure. However, sometimes they can be used if we are talking
about temporary period.
 The picture looks nice. (simple)
 The picture is looking nice. (continuous)

Sometimes we can use either the simple or the continuous with no difference in meaning.
 You look well. OR You are looking well.

For future meaning:

When we arrange to do something in the future, we use present continuous.
 I am meeting my teacher coming week.
 She is going to Paris next week.

Moreover, we use ‘be to’ for future event.

 The queen is to visit next week.
 I am to meet my teacher.
 They are to build a school.

Be about to is used for near future.

The plane is about to take off.
They are about to leave.
Faculty: Malik Rehmat Ullah English 1 (Proficiency Development)

Present Perfect
It is used for:
 Something happened in the past but we have got the result now. (I have washed the dishes = they are
clean now.

Form:
 Has/ have + past participle form

 I/we/you/ they/plural noun  have completed.

 He/she/it/singular noun  has completed.

For negative:
 I/we/you/ they/plural noun  have not/ haven’t
 He/she/it/singular noun  has not/ hasn’t

For interrogative:
 have + I/we/you/ they/plural noun  completed (verb 3rd form)
 Has + He/she/it/singular noun  has +subject + completed (verb 3rd form)

Time Phrases:
Present perfect is also used with time phrases like ever, never, it’s the first/second time, this week, this morning,
this year etc
e.g.
 Have you ever played cricket?
 I have never given books to vendors.
 This is the first time we have met.
 It’s the fourth time I have seen her.
 I haven’t watched any movie this week.
 Have you had a holiday this year?

Present Perfect Continuous

It is used for:
 Any action that has happed over a period of time and is still happening.
 Repeated actions up to now. (Natasha has been playing the piano since she was four.)

Form:
 I/We/You/They  have been waiting for/since
 He/She/It  has been waiting for/since

Negative
 I/We/You/They  have not (haven’t) been waiting for/since
 He/She/It  has not (hasn’t) been waiting for/since

Interrogative:
 I/We/You/They  have + subject + been waiting for/since
Faculty: Malik Rehmat Ullah English 1 (Proficiency Development)

 He/She/It  has + subject + been waiting for/since

Examples:
 We have been waiting here for twenty minutes.
 Alarm has been ringing since eight o clock in the morning.

For/Since:
 We use for to say how long something has continued. (We have known about it for forty years.)
 We use since to say when something began. (Maheen has been living here since Monday.)

How long for question:

We very often use how long in making questions of present perfect continuous.
 How long have you been staying there?
 I have been staying there for three nights.