Английская грамматика: модальные глаголы

Министерство просвещения Российской Федерации 

Федеральное государственное бюджетное образовательное учреждение 

высшего образования 

«Липецкий государственный педагогический университет 

имени П.П. Семенова-Тян-Шанского» 

Кафедра лингвистики и межкультурной коммуникации 

И.С. Николаенко, А.А. Прибыткова 

ENGLISH GRAMMAR: 

MODAL VERBS 

Учебное пособие 

Липецк – 2020 

Министерство просвещения Российской Федерации 

Федеральное государственное бюджетное образовательное учреждение 

высшего образования 

«Липецкий государственный педагогический университет 

имени П.П. Семенова-Тян-Шанского» 

Кафедра лингвистики и межкультурной коммуникации 

И.С. Николаенко, А.А. Прибыткова 

АНГЛИЙСКАЯ ГРАММАТИКА: 

МОДАЛЬНЫЕ ГЛАГОЛЫ 

Учебное пособие 

Липецк – 2020 

   Рекомендовано к печати 
   кафедрой лингвистики и 

УДК 811.111 
ББК 81.432.1я73-3 
Н 63 
   межкультурной коммуникации 

     ЛГПУ имени  
     П.П. Семенова-Тян-Шанского. 

  Протокол № 1 от 31.08.2020 

Николаенко, И.С. Английская грамматика: модальные глаголы: учебное 
пособие / И.С. Николаенко, А.А. Прибыткова. – Липецк: ЛГПУ имени 
П.П. Семенова-Тян-Шанского, 2020. – 153 с.  – Текст непосредственный. 

ISBN 978-5-907335-58-5 

Настоящее учебное пособие представляет собой сборник упражнений для аудиторной и 
самостоятельной работы студентов над формированием грамматических навыков и 
совершенствованием грамматических умений. 

В пособие включены теоретические материалы и таблицы по функциональному 
использованию модальных глаголов в речи. Упражнения, представленные в пособии, дают 
возможность студентам прочно усвоить данное грамматическое явление и использовать его в 
речи. 
Пособие предназначено для студентов 2 года обучения, обучающихся по  направлениям 
подготовки  41.03.01 Зарубежное регионоведение (Регионоведение по странам Западной 
Европы), 45.03.02 Лингвистика (Перевод и переводоведение), 45.03.02 Лингвистика (Теория 
и методика преподавания иностранных языков и культур). Рекомендовано также слушателям 
программ дополнительного профессионального образования соответствующего направления 
подготовки. 

УДК 811.111 
ББК 81.432.1я73-3 
Н 63 

Рецензенты: 

Н.Н. Гладышева, канд. пед. наук, доцент, заведующий кафедрой романогерманских языков факультета Мировой политики ФГБОУ Государственный 
академический университет гуманитарных наук 

Е.А. Стурова, канд. пед. наук, доцент кафедры английского языка ФГБОУ ВО 
«Липецкий 
государственный 
педагогический 
университет 
имени 
П.П. Семенова-Тян-Шанского» 

ISBN 978-5-907335-58-5
 © ФГБОУ ВО «Липецкий государственный 

  педагогический университет 

    имени П.П. Семенова-Тян-Шанского», 2020 
  © И.С. Николаенко, 2020 
 © А.А. Прибыткова, 2020 

English Grammar: Modal Verbs 

33

M
MO
OD
DAALL  VVEERRBBSS

1. What is a modal verb?

The verb that doesn‟t express an action, but expresses the speaker‟s attitude to 
the action is called a modal verb. There are a lot of functions that modal verbs 
perform. They are: 

ability
advice
assurance
certainty
complain

doubt
instructions
obligation
invitation
offer

necessity
order
permission
possibility
probability

prohibition
promise
reproach
request
suggestion

threat
volition
warning
uncertainty

absence of necessity
absence of obstacles
asking for instructions
criticism of a past action

2. What modal verbs do you know?

There are 13 modal verbs in the English language. They are: 

can – could
may – might
shall – should
will – would

must
to have to
to be to
ought to
need

3. How do they differ from ordinary verbs?

Modal verbs have some features that make them different from ordinary verbs: 

 They have only one from (no ‘-s’ form for the 3d person singular of the
present tense), though to have to has its form has to;

 They do not have non-finite forms (gerund, infinitive, participle);
 All, except ought to, to be to, to have to are followed by bare infinitives (can
go, must speak, may stay; but have to go, ought to help, is to do);

 They are mostly used in 2 forms only (Present and Past Simple);
 They form negatives and questions without auxiliary verbs (except for to have
to):

cannot
must not

can‟t
mustn‟t

could not

don‟t have to
doesn‟t have to
didn‟t have to

 They go in front of the subject in questions (Can I help you?  Shall we go to
the cinema tonight?)

English Grammar: Modal Verbs 

44 

 

4. What intonation is usually used with modals? 

 in statements they are unstressed:  

'I can,do it ['aı kǝn,dυ ıt]; 

 in the beginning of the questions they are stressed: 
 

'Can we,go now? ['kæn wı:,gǝυ naυ]; 

 when they form a short negative they are stressed: 
 

He 'can‟t come. [hı: 'ka:nt k˄m]; 

 if they are not followed by another verb they are stressed: 

'Yes, you,can. ['jes ju:,kæn]; 

 
5. How do they form Past Tense forms? 

((oonnllyy  iinn  CCoonnccrreettee  M
Meeaanniinngg))  
((iinn  IIm
mppeerraattiivvee  aanndd  SSuuppppoossiittiioonnaall  M
Meeaanniinnggss))  

can – could
can/could do – can/could have done

may – might
may/might do – may/might have done

must – had to
must do – must have done

have to – had to
should do – should have done

be to – was to/ were to
needn‘t do – needn‘t have done

will – would
would do – would have done

shall – should
 
6. In what meanings are they used? 

Each modal verb, depending on the context it is used in, can have several 
meanings: concrete, imperative and suppositional.  

 

Use appropriate modal verbs to complete the sentences. 
(Sometimes several variants are possible). Try to state the 
functions of the modals in the sentences.

 
1) _______ I help you? 2) I think I _______ go now, otherwise I‘ll be late. 3) You 
________ do your homework. It‘s an order. 4) _______ I take this book, please?  
5) ________ you show me the way to the railway station, please? 6) - _______ we 
retell the story? - No, you ________ not do this. Just read it. 7) You _______ go to 
the doctor, you look sick. 8) Don‘t eat too much ice-cream or you _______ be sick. 
 9) Don‘t even try! This door ________ not open. 10)  _______ you like a cup of tea? 
11) You ________ have told me about it earlier. Now it‘s too late. 12) I _______ not 
have gone to the station, it was unnecessary. 13) No, you _______ not take this. It‘s 
mine. 14) He is absent. He _______ be ill. 15) I waited for you for 2 hours yesterday. 
You _______ have told me that you wouldn‘t come. 16) When I was small I _______ 
eat a lot of sweets. But now I ________ not, I don‘t like them very much now. 17) He 
works very hard at his English. I think in half a year he will _______ speak very 
fluently. 18) Yesterday I _______ not to do my homework, because I did everything 
the day before yesterday. 19) _______ you show me where Mr. Smith‘s office is, 
please? 20) You _______ find him there, perhaps, but I am not sure. 21) You 
_______ do it. It‘s your job. Nobody will do it for you. 

English Grammar: Modal Verbs 

55 

 

 

PPaarrtt  11  

  

CCAAN
N  

CCO
OU
ULLD
D  

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

English Grammar: Modal Verbs 

66 

 

  

CCoonnccrreettee  

  

IIm
mppeerraattiivvee  

  

SSuuppppoossiittiioonnaall  

1. Physical ability
Can you move it?

2. Mental ability
She could translate this text 
when she was at the 7th 
form.

3. Circumstantial ability
How can I get to the railway 
station?

4. Possibility in the present 

or future

(could do – МОГ БЫ …)
I think I could help you now.
I
could
come 
to 
you 

tomorrow

1. Asking for permission
Can I go for a walk now?

2. Permission
You can go home now.

3. Prohibition
You can‟t smoke here.

4. Request
Can (could) you pass the salt, 
please?

1. Strong doubt about the 
present 

(НЕУЖЕЛИ)

Can
smb
do
smth ?
Could
be doing

Can (could) she know it for sure?
Can (could) he be working now?

2. Strong 
doubt 
about 
the 
past

(НЕУЖЕЛИ)

Can

smb

have done

smth ?

Could
have been 

doing

Can (could) she have done it all by 
herself?
Can (could) he have been working when 
you called him?

English Grammar: Modal Verbs 

77 

 

5. Incomplete possibility in 

the past 

(could have done –

МОГ БЫ …)

I could have helped you if 
you had told me about your 
problems earlier

5. Offer
Can I help you?

6. Complaint
Can‟t you turn the sound down!
It‟s very loud.

3. Very strong doubt about the present 

(НЕ МОЖЕТ БЫТЬ)

Smb

can‟t
do

smth

couldn‟t
be doing

She can‟t (couldn‟t) speak English so well.
He can‟t (couldn‟t) be still sleeping.
They can‟t (couldn‟t) fail to understand you.

4. Very strong doubt about the past

(НЕ МОЖЕТ БЫТЬ)

Smb

can‟t
have done

smth
couldn‟t
have been 

doing

She can‟t (couldn‟t) have said such a thing.
He can‟t (couldn‟t) have been eating then.
They can‟t have failed to understand you.

5. Astonishment
How can (could) she have done it?
What can (could) he be doing there now?

English Grammar: Modal Verbs 

88 

 

 
 

CCA
AN
N  
  

CCO
OU
ULLD
D  

 
 
 
1.  We use the modal verbs can and could to express ability, possibility, permission, 

asking for permission, prohibition, request, offer, complaint, doubt, astonishment. 

 
2.  Can and could are interchangeable when they are used in imperative and 

suppositional meanings – they are equivalents. In concrete meaning could is a past 
form of the verb can. 

Could you give me a pen, please? 
Can you give me a book, please? 

I can swim well now. 
 
 
I could swim well when I was a child. 

 

3.  As an equivalent to the verb can – to be able to is also used. But it has its own 

peculiar meaning. Can usually denotes ability/possibility in general, while to be 
able to is used to show that a person is able to perform an action in a certain case. 

I can play tennis well, but I am not able to do it now, because my leg hurts. 
 

4.  To be able to is used to express ability in future. We can also use it in Perfect 

Tenses and with modal verbs. Can isn‘t used in such cases. 

I can't sing well, but I think I will be able to sing well soon, because I‟ve been 
practicing a lot recently. 
She has been able to add big numbers in her mind since childhood. 
I hope I might be able to join you a bit later. 

 
5.  Can and could are used to express doubt and in 
these cases they are used with different infinitives. 
When we want to express doubt about the present 
action we use simple and continuous infinitives, but 
to express doubt about the past action perfect and 
perfect continuous infinitives are used. 
 
She can‟t be studying now. It‟s too late. 
She can‟t have been studying then. It was too 
loud in the room.