MODAL VERBS

expressing
ABILITY,
PERMISSION,
PROHIBITION

Modal verbs are special

verbs which behave very
differently from normal
verbs. Here are some
important differences:

1. Modal verbs do not take "s" in the third person.

Examples:
Examples:
He
Hecan
canspeak
speakChinese.
Chinese.
She
Shemay
maysit
sitdown
down..

2. You use "not" to make modal verbs

negative, even in Simple Present and
Simple Past.
Examples:

You

may not park the car here.

I could not ride the bike when I was
little.

3. Modals do not use do and did to

form questions. Questions are
formed by placing the modal
before the subject.
Examples:

Can she speak Spanish?

May I go out?

CAN
Expesses:

presen
t
ability

Exemple:
She

can speak two

foreign languages.

can swim.

He

can climb to the

top of the mountain.

CANNOT / CANT

of
ability

Example:

Lack

Sue cant
dance.

Tom

cant play
the violin.

COULD - Past ability

Example:
He

could read
when he was
four.

could ski when

I was little.

EXPRESSING PEMISSION
CAN
Asking for permission:

(informal)
Can I ask you a
question, please?
Can I sit down?
Giving pemission:

You can use this

phone.

MAY
Asking for permission:

(formal)
May I ask you a
question, please?
May I sit down?
Giving pemission:

You may not use this

phone.

EXPRESSING PROHOBITION
CANNOT / CANT
Example:
You can't smoke
here.
You cant sit here.
(informal spoken
English)

MAY NOT
Example:
You may not smoke
here.
You may not sit
here.
(more polite, very
formal)

Lets
have
fun with
Modal
Verbs

GOOD LUCK!