Modal Verbs in Junior High School English: Can, May, Must

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Junior High School English: Modal Verbs Usage Summary

Modal Verbs [can, may, must] Usage Summary

Point One: The usage of modal verbs such as can, may, must in declarative sentences:1. Usage of can:(1) Indicates ability, permission, and possibility. When indicating ability, it generally translates to “can” or “be able to,” meaning having an ability, especially one that is innate. For example: She can swim fast, but I can’t. 她能游得很快，但我不能。I can see with my eyes. 我用眼睛看。”Could” is the past tense of “can,” indicating past ability.“Be able to do something” often refers to being able to do something after effort, time, and labor. “Is/am/are able to do something” and “was/were able to do something.”(2) Indicates permission, often used in spoken language. For example: You can use my dictionary. 你可以用我的字典。(3) Indicates speculation or possibility, meaning “may,” often used in negative sentences and questions, where “can’t” translates to “impossible.”For example: Can the news be true? 这个消息会是真的吗？—Can it be our teacher? 那个人有可能是我们老师吗？—No, it can’t be our teacher. He is on a visit to the Great Wall. 不可能。咱们老师正在游览长城呢。[Example Question]—I think Miss Gao must be in the library. She said she would go there. —No. She __be there, I have just been there. A. can’t B. mustn’t C. needn’t D. wouldn’t[Analysis] Based on the following statement “I just went there,” it should be “impossible,” hence “can’t” indicates speculation. [Answer] AUsage of could:(1) The past tense of “can,” meaning “could,” indicating past ability. For example: He could write poems when he was 10. 他十岁时就会写诗。(2) In questions, “could” indicates a polite tone, and does not imply past tense. For example: Could you give me a hand? 你能帮我个忙吗？—Could I use your pen? 我能用一下你的钢笔吗? —Yes, you can. 可以。（When asking with “could,” do not reply with “could.”）2. Usage of may:(1) Indicates request or permission, more formal than “can.” For example: May I borrow your bike? 我可以借你的自行车吗？You may go home now. 现在你可以回家了。[Example Question]—_______ I borrow your MP3? —Sure. Here you are. A. May B.Should C.Must D. Would[Analysis] Here, it indicates a request, meaning “Is it okay to…?” Answer: A(2) Indicates speculation, discussing possibility, meaning “may,” generally used in affirmative sentences. For example: It may rain tomorrow. 明天可能会下雨。She may be at home. 她可能在家呢. “May not” translates to “might not.”(3) The past tense of “may” is “might,” indicating lower possibility than “may.” For example: He is away from school. He might be sick. 他离开学校了，可能是他生病了。(4) Indicates hope, prayer, or wish, often translated as “wish.” Usually used as “may + subject + verb,” for example: May you have a good time. 祝你过得愉快。May you be happy! 祝你幸福！May you succeed! 祝你成功！3. Usage of must:(1) “Must” indicates a subjective opinion, meaning “must” or “certainly.” For example: You must stay here until I come back. 在我回来之前你必须呆在这儿。 Must I finish my homework right now? 我必须现在交作业吗？ (Questions led by “must”)Affirmative answer: yes, you must.Negative answer: No, you needn’t/ don’t have to.(2) Its negative form “mustn’t” indicates “must not,” “absolutely don’t,” “prohibition.” For example: You mustn’t play with fire. 你不许玩火。You mustn’t be late. 你一定不要迟到。(3) “Must” indicates a confident speculation, used in affirmative sentences, meaning 100% certainty. For example: The light is on, so he must be at home now. 灯亮着，他现在肯定在家。(4) (1) “Must” and “have to” both mean “must,” but with different emphases:“Must” emphasizes the speaker’s subjective view (personal necessity). “Have to” emphasizes the objective necessity (external requirement) and can also be translated as “have to.”I must go to school and learn some knowledge. 我必须会学校上课学一些知识。（自己要回）I have to go to school because the holiday is over. 假期结束了我不得不回学校上课了。(2) “Must” does not change with person or number, while “have to” has third person singular forms:“has to” and the past tense: “had to”Future tense: “will have to”“Must not = mustn’t” indicates prohibition…When “must” is questioned, the affirmative answer uses “must.” The negative answer uses “needn’t” or “don’t have to.”4. Usage of need:(1) When “need” acts as a modal verb: indicates “need” or “must,” mainly used in negative sentences and questions, its negative form is “needn’t,” meaning “no need.”When asking with “need,” the affirmative answer is “must,” and the negative answer is “needn’t” or “don’t have to.” For example: —Need I do my homework now?—Yes, you must. 是的。—No. you needn’t /don’t have to. 不， 你不必。(2) “Need” can also act as a main verb, in which case it changes with person, number, and tense.If the subject is a person:sb. need(s) sth. 某人需要某物sb. need to do sth. 某人需要去做某事“Need” in third person singular is “needs.” Past tense is “needed.” To negate, use “don’t/doesn’t/didn’t.”For example: I need to pass the exam. 我需要通过这次考试。He needs to learn English. 他需要学习英语。If the subject is a thing:sth. need doing 某事需要被做 = need to be doneIn this case, two points should be noted:(1) The active form of the gerund “doing” has a passive meaning;(2) This gerund can be changed to its infinitive passive form without changing the meaning of the sentence. For example: Your car needs washing. = Your car needs to be washed. 你的车需要洗了。5. Usage of shall:Shall indicates seeking the opinion of the other party (mostly used in first and third person), for example: Shall we go out for a walk? 我们出去散步好吗？In English, we can use various ways to make suggestions or seek the opinion of the other party.Shall means “Shall we…?” or “Is it okay…?” when used in the first person, indicating the future, while “will” can be used for any person.(1) Use “Let’s do…” to make a suggestion. For example: Let’s go for a walk after supper.(2) Use “What/How about…?” to make a suggestion; “about” is followed by a noun or verb in the -ing form. For example: What about/How about a drink? What about/How about taking Tom with us?(3) Use “Why not…?” to make a suggestion, meaning “Why not…?” “not” is followed by the base form of the verb. “Why not…?” is actually a shortened form of “Why don’t you/we…?” For example: Why not meet at the school gate at eight? Why don’t we stay here another day?(4) Use “Would you like…?” to make a suggestion, meaning “Would you like…?” “Would you like” can be followed by a noun or infinitive. For example: Would you like a cup of tea? Would you like to go and see her?Thus, if we say: “Shall we go swimming?” in English, we can express it in several ways:Shall we go for a swim? Let’s go for a swim, shall we? What about/How about going swimming? Why not go for a swim? Would you like to go for a swim? What do you think of going for a swim?6. Usage of should:Should means “should” and can indicate advice, suggestions, obligations, responsibilities, etc. For example: We should protect ourselves. 我们应该保护我们自己。“Should not = shouldn’t” + base form of the verbUsage of had better:Had better means “had better” and has no person changes, followed by + base form of the verb, its negative form is: had better not. For example:We had better go home now. 我们最好现在回家。You had better not go home now. 你最好现在不要回家。“Should” and “had better” can be interchangeable.“Should not = shouldn’t” and “had better not” can be interchangeable.7. Usage of will:Will indicates willingness, intention, or plans, and can be used for various persons. For example: I will help you if I’m free this afternoon. 今天下午如果我有空，我就会帮你。② It is the marker for the simple future tense.Will + base form of the verb.Note:1. The form of “will” in there be sentences and its sentence transformation.Since the structure of the “simple future tense” can be expressed using “will + base form of the verb,” the general future tense form for “there be” sentences is “there will be.” (You must not say “there will have.”)For example: There are many students in our school. →There will be many students in our school. There will be a sports meeting next week. 一定不能说：There will have a sports meeting next week.2. Differences between “will” and “be going to do something”:(1) “Be going to” indicates plans, arrangements, or intentions to do something or a sign that something is about to happen, while “will” indicates a more distant future time, for example: He is going to Beijing on National Day.He will write a book someday.(2) “Be going to” indicates something that will certainly happen in the future based on subjective judgment, while “will” indicates something that is bound to happen objectively in the future.For example: I am going to be a teacher.He will pass the exam because of hard work.(3) In the main clause of conditional sentences, “be going to” is generally not used, while “will” is often used, for example: I will go to school if I feel better.Point Two: Responses to questions with modal verbs:1. For questions introduced by may, the following responses can be used: Yes, you may. Yes, of course. Yes, certainly. Sure.No, you mustn’t. No, you can’t.2. For questions introduced by must, the response is: Yes, …must. No,… needn’t/ don’t have to.3. Could in questions indicates a polite tone, and does not imply past tense. For example: Could you do me a favor? 你能帮我个忙吗？—Could I use your pen?—Yes, you can. 可以。（Responses should not use “could”）4. Shall questions are used in the first person to seek the opinion of the other party or make polite requests. The responses can be:Yes, please. All right. No, thank you.5. Responses to would you… questions can be: Yes, I will. (No, I won’t.) Sure. (I’m sorry, I can’t.) All right/ OK/ With pleasure. Certainly. (No, thank you.) Yes, please.[Example Question]—Would you give me a hand and pass my thanks to Lily? —________.A. That’s right B. With pleasure C. It doesn’t matter D. No trouble[Analysis] A means “That’s right,” B means “Glad to help,” C means “No problem,” D means “No trouble.” Answer: B6. Will you ………? question responses can use either yes, …../no…… or I’d be glad to….Point Three: Different negative meanings of modal verbs:1. (1) can’t can be translated as “cannot,” for example: I can’t play basketball. 我不会打篮球。(2) When the sentence indicates speculation, “can’t” expresses “impossible,” for example: He can’t be ill. He is playing chess with Tom. 他不可能病了，他正和Tom 下棋呢。(3) “Can’t” can also be used to respond to questions like “May I…?” For example: May I come in? 我可以进来吗？No, you mustn’t. / can’t. 不，你不能。(4) “Can’t” can also be used in fixed expressions. “Can’t help doing” means cannot help but do, “can’t wait to do something” means can’t wait to do something, for example: She can’t help crying. 她不禁大哭起来。The children can’t wait to open the box. 孩子们迫不及待地想打开盒子。2. May’s negative form is “may not,” translated as “might not,” for example: He may not be at home. 他也许不在家。3. (1) Mustn’t means prohibition, for example: He mustn’t leave his room. 他不许离开他的房间。You mustn’t talk in class. 你们不可以在课上说话。(2) “Mustn’t” can also be used in negative responses to requests made with “may.” For example: —May I stand here? 我可以站在这里吗？—No, you mustn’t (can’t). 不，不行。4. Needn’t means “no need.” For example: You needn’t meet him unless you’d like to. 你不需要见他，除非你愿意。5. Shouldn’t means “should not.” For example: You shouldn’t feel so unhappy over such little things. 对于这种小事，你不应该感到这么不高兴。Point Four: The usage of modal verbs indicating speculation:1. “Modal verb + base form of the verb” indicates speculation about the present.1. Must indicates certain speculation, 100% certainty, generally used in affirmative sentences.For example: He must be at home because the light is still on.2. Should indicates a high possibility of speculation, less than “must.”For example: It is already 10 o’clock now they should be there.3. Can generally indicates speculation in negative sentences or questions.For example: Who is knocking at the door? Can it be the postman?Could indicates speculation, with a weaker tone than “can,” leaving room for uncertainty.—Could it be an animal?—It could not be, because it is not moving.4. May indicates speculation, used in affirmative sentences. Might can also indicate speculation, but with lower possibility than “may.”For example: The man may be your new teacher..—Where is Mr. Li? —He might be working in his office.【Summary of Confusing Points with Modal Verbs】Confusing Point One: “Can” and “be able to”:Both indicate ability in the same way, but “can” has only the base form “can” and the past tense “could.” In other tenses, use “be able to” to express ability. Moreover, “be able to” often refers to being able to do something after effort, time, and labor.For example: Jim can’t speak English.吉姆不会说英语。He could speak English at 5. 他五岁时就会说英语。We’ll be able to see him next week.下星期我们将会见到他。He has been able to drive. 他已经会开车了。I’m sure you’ll be able to finish it quickly.我相信你能迅速地完成。We were able to reach the top of the mountain at noon.我们能在中午到达山顶。Confusing Point Two: “Can” and “may”1. “Can” and “may” can both be used to ask for permission, meaning “can,” and are generally interchangeable.For example: Can/ May I help you? 我能帮助你吗？2. The difference in expressing speculation/possibility between “can” and “may”:“Can” indicates certainty, while “may” indicates uncertainty.1) In affirmative sentences, use “might,” “may,” “must,” not “can,” for example: She may be in the classroom. 她可能在教室里。2) In negative sentences, use “can’t” (impossible), not “may” or “must.”3) In questions indicating speculation, use “can,” not “might,” “may,” or “must.”Where can they be now? 他们现在可能在哪儿？That can’t be true. 那不可能是真的。Confusing Point Three: “May be” and “maybe”

For example: He may be wrong, but I’m not sure. 也许他错了，但我也不确定。Confusing Point Four: “Can’t” and “mustn’t”1. “Can’t” can be translated as:(1) Cannot. For example: I can’t speak English. 我不会说英语。(2) Cannot, indicating impossibility in speculation. For example: The man can’t be our teacher because he is much younger than our teacher. 那个人不可能是咱们老师，他年轻得多。2. “Mustn’t” means prohibition, used to express commands with strong tone. For example: You mustn’t play football in the street. It’s too dangerous. 你不可以在街上踢足球，太危险了。Confusing Point Five: “Must” and “have to”1. “Must” emphasizes personal will and subjective necessity. “Have to” emphasizes objective necessity and can be used in various tenses.For example: I know I must study hard. 我知道我必须努力学习。My brother was very ill, so I had to call the doctor in the midnight. 我弟弟病得厉害，我只得半夜里把医生请来。I haven’t got any money with me, so I’ll have to borrow some from my friend. 我身上没带钱，只好向朋友借点了。He said they must work hard. 他说他们必须努力工作。2. “Have to” can be used in various tenses, while “must” is only used in the present or future tense.For example: The composition is due to hand in this morning, so I had to finish it last night. 作文今天早晨到期，因此我不得不昨天晚上完成。[Modal Verb Example Question Analysis]1. —________ you pass me a pen? I’d like to write down the phone number. —Sure. Here it is.A. Can B. Need C. Might D. Must[Analysis] Based on the question, this sentence indicates a request for permission. Answer: A2. —May I go to the cinema, mum? — Certainly, but you ________ be back by 11 o’clock.A. can B. may C. must D. need[Analysis] According to the question, this does not indicate speculation, but rather a requirement from the mother to the child, hence the answer is C, meaning “must.” Answer: C3. You ______ get there by bus. A. don’t need B. needn’t to C. don’t need to D. need don’t to[Analysis] From option A, “need” acts as a main verb, so “to” should be added for correctness. Option B, “needn’t” is a modal verb, thus “to” should be removed, so the answer is C.4. You _______ worry about me. It’s nothing serious. A. can’t B. mustn’t C. needn’t D. won’t[Analysis] From the statement “It’s nothing serious,” it can be inferred that the first sentence means “You needn’t worry about me,” hence the answer is C. This question is often mistakenly selected as B, “mustn’t” means prohibition, hence it is incorrect. Answer: C5. —Excuse me. Is this the right way to the Summer Palace? —Sorry, I’m not sure. But it _______ be.A. might B. mustn’t C. can’t D. must[Analysis] This tests the usage of the modal verb “might” indicating speculation. “I’m not sure” indicates that the speaker’s tone is uncertain, so “might” should be used. Answer: A6. The man in the office___be Mr. Black, because he went home just now.A. mustn’t B. may not C. can’t D. needn’t[Analysis] From the following statement “he went home just now,” it can be inferred that the person in the office cannot be Mr. Black. “Mustn’t” means “absolutely not,” “may not” means “might not,” “needn’t” means “no need.” “Can’t” means impossible, hence the answer is C.7. —Can you go surfing with us this afternoon?—I’d like to, but I __ look after my sister at home, because my mother is ill.A. need B. must C. have to D. should[Analysis] Based on the statement “my mother is ill” indicating an objective requirement, the answer is C.8. —May I take this book out of the reading room? —______. Please read it here.A. Certainly B. No, you needn’t C. No, you mustn’t D. No, you may not[Analysis] The negative response to “May I…?” is “No, you can’t/ mustn’t;” The negative response to “Must I…?” is “No, you needn’t/don’t have to;” The negative response to “Can I…?” is “No, you can’t.” In conversational communication, it is important to understand the emotional differences in the sentences. Answer: C^{Previous Recommendations}