Modal Auxiliaries

Modal Auxiliaries (Modals)

 Points to remember :

·        Modals are special verbs used as helping verbs.

·        They are used with main/principal verb as helping verbs (Modals + V1)

·        They don’t change form according to tenses, persons of pronouns and number and   gender of noun.

·        For past reference there are different modal auxiliaries.

·        They express various moods and attitudes.

S. No.	Modals	Expressions / Moods / Attitudes
1.	Can	Ability, capacity, possibility
2.	Could	hopeful possibility, request, suggestion
3.	Will	strong possibility, assurance, determination
4.	Shall	Polite offer of help, wish, hope, formal expression
5.	Would	Formal and polite request, want, desire
6.	Should	Duty, obligation, advice
7.	May	Permission, possibility (less likely than will)
8.	Might	Least possibility, probability, doubt
9.	Must	Necessity, strong obligation
10.	Used to	Habitual action
11.	Need	Urgency, necessity
12.	Dare	Show courage
13.	Prefer	Choose option
14.	Ought to	Obligation with desirability
15.	Have to	compulsion

Compound Modal Auxiliaries – could have, would have, should have, will have, shall have, must have (These express similar moods in perfect tense.)

Video on Modal Auxiliary Part I

Examples :

1. Can        (Ability, capacity,  possibility)

This bag can contain 10 kg of apples. (capacity)

He can solve this sum in a minute. (ability)

Can you lift this heavy bag? (ability)

It cannot be true. (possibility)

2. Could     (past equivalent of can, hopeful possibility, request, suggestion)

She could have been little more polite? (suggestion)

You could help your friend. (hopeful possibility)

Could you pass me the dish? (request)

3. Will        (Certainty, strong possibility, assurance, determination)

They will visit a hilly station in summer. (certainty/decision)

I will score above 90% marks in the examinations. (determination)

It will rain next week. (strong possibility)

I will definitely attend the wedding. (assurance)

4. Would    (Formal and polite request, want, desire)

I would like to have coffee. (formal and polite form of want)

He would never ask for my help.  (strong possibility, past of will)

Would you please answer my query. (formal and polite request)

5. Shall       (Polite offer of help, wish, hope)

When shall we see you again? (wish/formal expression)

Shall I do it for you? (polite offer of help)

We shall overcome. (hope)

6. Should   (duty, obligation, advice)

We should obey our teachers. (obligation)

You should never tell lies. (advice)

7. May        (Permission, possibility (less likely than will))

You may sit wherever you want. (giving permission)

May I go now? (seeking permission)

It may rain today. (possibility)

8. Might     (Least possibility, probability, expression of doubt)

I might come for dinner tonight. (least possibility)

He might be at home now. (probability)

Video on Modal Auxiliaries Part II

9. Must       (Necessity, strong obligation)

We must follow traffic rules. (strong obligation)

You must practise hard for the examinations. (necessity)

10. Used to (Habitual action)

I used to walk a mile to go to school. (habitual action)

I used to play marbles when I was a child. (habitual action)

11. Need     (Urgency, necessity)

We need to perform our duties sincerely. (Urgency)

You need to work hard to pass the test. (necessity)

12. Dare    (Show courage)

How dare you contradict me? (Show courage)

He doesn’t dare speak to me. (Show courage)

13. Ought to    (Obligation with desirability)

We ought to love our neighbour. (Obligation with desirability)

We ought to help the needy. (Obligation with desirability)

14. Have to (compulsion)

You have to complete this work before you leave. (compulsion)

I have to reach home by 9 p.m.  (compulsion)

15. Prefer   (Choose option)

I prefer to live in plains. (Choose option)

I prefer coffee to tea. (Choose option)

Video on will or shall

Exercises :

Fill in the blanks appropriately.

a. I _____________ swim when I was young.

b. ___________ we go to some other place?

c. Arjun _______ eat with us tonight.

d. __________ you like to have a sandwich?

e. People _______ exercise regularly.

f. ______ you wait till I come?

g. He _______ come tomorrow.

h. You ________ take complete bedrest.

i. Rohan _________ improve his spelling.

j. We ________ help the poor.

Video on Integrated Grammar

Answers :

a. Used to    b. Shall       c. may         d. would     e. should     f. will         

g. may         h. must        i. needs to    j. ought to

11 Golden rules to crack English board exam

11 golden rules for scoring 95% and above in English Exam

·        Always put your best foot forward –

Attempt the sections in order as per your strength.

Attempt reading section at first as it demands focus and in the beginning there is              no stress of time running out.

If you are good at creative writing and grammar, first of all, attempt section B.

Otherwise, attempt Literature part, as it is the best prepared section.

If you are confused, attempt A, B and C in the order it is given in the paper.

·        Distribute your time wisely –

Writing -         40-45 minutes 

Grammar –     15-20 minutes

Literature –     60 minutes

Reading –       40-45 minutes

Revision –     15-20 minutes

·        Find time to draw margins at right hand side in the beginning and align your answers to the left and right margins; don’t leave space here and there. Make your answers look neat. Underline important points/information in your answers.

·        Leave at least 3 lines between two answers.

·        During revision if you feel like adding any information or point or correct some sentences, you will have space to do so.

·        After completing your paper neatly draw a line between two answers.

·        Don’t do cutting of the answers or overwriting, instead neatly rewrite them. If you require cutting some word or answer, strike it off once or twice neatly and rewrite it.

·        Read the questions carefully to understand them and attempt the ones which you can do best according to your information and abilities, when there is a choice. Never try to attempt both.

·       For Reading comprehension read questions first and then read the passage. While reading quickly underline difficult words, important terms and sentences and then try to pick answers from these lines and words.

·        Never forget to write question number.

·        Practice a lot. Solve at least 10 sample question papers and at least 3 sample papers after setting the watch for 3 hours.

     

     Wish you all the best for your exam!

 

Present Tense at a Glance

 Present Tense - Overview

Exercise :

The students ___________ very well. (speak)    
 Mr. Smith _________ us Spanish. (teach)
 Mona ______________ how to swim. (not know) 
 Which film _____________ in Ansal Plaza? (run)
 I _______________ tuitions for three years. (give)
 We ___________ to have dinner in Yuturn tonight. (go)
 They _______________ a doubt till now. (not raise)
 My granny _________ very beautiful. (be)
 We _________ every day for an hour. (play)
 My children ______________ the best so far. (perform)

Video on Present Tense

Simple Past Tense

TENSES

The word ‘tense’ is derived from Latin word ‘tempus’ and it means time. Basically tense conveys the time of action.

Tenses are mainly divided into parts – Present, Past and Future. They are further subdivided into three categories – Indefinite, Continuous, Perfect and Perfect Continuous.

Simple Past Tense

Simple Past Tense is used to describe or denote an action that started in the past and ended in the past. It could be something that happened many years ago or something that happened some moments before. This tense is used to talk about a completed action in a time before now. Action duration as well as time of action is not important in this tense as it emphasizes that the action is finished that’s why this tense is also known as Past Indefinite Tense.

Usage of Simple Past Tense

1. This tense is used to indicate or describe an action/actions completed or happened in past. The time of the action can be in the recent past or the distant past.

Examples –  

My friend, Sneha left the school last year.

We shifted to this place last month.

I didn’t attend the school yesterday as I was not well.

2. Simple Past is also used to talk about a past state of being or sentiments about something that happened in past. This is often expressed with the simple past tense of the verb ‘to be’.

Examples –

I was proud of my students’ brilliant performance on stage.

The engagement ceremony was a moment to be cherished.

3. Simple Past is used to describe past conditions and wishes.

Examples –

He could get a new job if he really tried.

I wish it wasn’t true.

4. Simple Past is also used to denote past habits or the habitual actions which discontinued in present time. Such actions or habits are also expressed with the modal auxiliary ‘used’.

Examples

I used to bite my nails, when I was a child.

I couldn’t sleep well when I was giving class XII board examinations.

He never fared well in studies during school time.

Time expressions (adverbs/adverb phrases used)

The most common time expressions used for the past simple are: yesterday, a week ago, a year ago, long ago, last month, last year, last weekend, last Monday, last night, day before yesterday, when I was a child, etc.

Note : Time expressions appear either at the beginning or at the end of the sentence.

Sequence with Past continuous Tense

Past Continuous Tense  is used as a time expression or time reference with Simple Past Tense to describe when some action took place some other work was going on/happening.

For example –

When we were going to Nainital, we were stuck in a hail storm.

He fell asleep while he was driving and met with an accident.

Video on Integrated Grammar

Verb Form used ( V2 – second form of verb )

Past Simple Tense is usually formed by adding ‘d’, or ‘ed’ to the base form of the verb. However, there are many irregular verbs that take on a completely different form in past tense. For irregular verbs, things get more complicated. The simple past tense of some irregular verbs looks exactly like the root form. They remain unchanged in all the three forms. Such as :

Put, Cut, Set, Cost, Hit, Cast, read

For other irregular verbs, including the verb to be, the simple past forms are more erratic.

Here goes the list :

see – saw - seen

build – built - built

go – went - gone

rise – rose – risen

hide – hid - hidden

meet  - met – met

bring – brought - brought

begin – began - begun

break – broke - broken

choose – chose - chosen

come – came – come

hold – held - held

eat – ate – eaten

write – wrote – written

win – won - won

Auxiliaries

have – had - had

(be)am/is/are - was/were – been

do – did – done

Examples –

1.       She completed her work at seven o'clock.

2.       I received his letter last week.

3.       Mr. Bhaskar Reddy met his wife in 1983.

4.       Ms. Meenakshi Pandit worked in this firm for 20 years.

5.       I lived abroad for ten years.

Video on Present Tense

Sentence structure in the tense

Affirmative – Subject (noun/pronoun) + Verb 2 (second form of verb) + object + time expression

Negative – Subject (noun/pronoun) + did (second form of helping verb ‘do’) + not + V1 (first form of verb) + object + time expression

Interrogative – Question Word + did (second form of helping verb ‘do’) + Subject (noun/pronoun) + V1 (first form of verb) + object + time expression

Examples –

1.       I visited my grandparents yesterday. (Affirmative)

2.       My boss did not sign the document. (Negative)

3.       Did they go to Spain for holidays? (Interrogative)

More examples –

4.       Joseph Priestley discovered Oxygen.

5.       Sujoy and Meeta got married in 2011.

6.       We watched Avengers Endgame last month.

7.       Long time ago, people lived in caves.

8.       She ate pizza everyday, when she was a child.

6.       She always carried an umbrella with her as she was scared of rain.

7.       Mahatma Gandhi was born in 1869.

8.       My cousin missed the train and could not join us in my birthday celebration.

Video on Integrated Tense Practice

Complete the following sentences by using correct form of verb given in the bracket.

1.     I__________ ‘Ignited Minds’ last week. (read)

2.     It _______ raining while we  _______ Football match. (start / play)

3.     Why _______ you__________ for me at the bar in the evening? (not wait)

4.     I __________ for over an hour, but you never _________ up. (wait / turn)

5.     My friend _________ for Mumbai yesterday to enjoy the weekend. (leave)

6.     Teresa ___________ even the last train. (miss)

7.     The sunset _________ so beautiful after rain. (be)

8.     What time_______ they ________to meet the doctor yesterday? (go)

9.     Which year _____  you  _________ ? (bear)

10.              I ________ to contact you, but your phone  _______ unreachable. (try/ be)

Answers:

1.     read

2.     started – were playing

3.     didn’t – wait

4.     was waiting – turned

5.     left

6.     missed

7.     was

8.     did – go

9.     were – born

10.             tried – was

Video on past tense