Shallow, will, can, could, should, ought, must

Modal verbs (could, should, need, etc.) always go first in the verb group. All of them, except for ought, are accompanied by a verb in the basic form.

I must leave fairly soon. / I must leave very soon.

I think it will look rather nice. / I think it will look pretty good.

Things might have been so different. / Things should be so different.

People may be watching. / People can watch.

Ought is always accompanied by a verb in the form of a to-infinitive.

She ought to go straight back to England. / She must go straight back to England.

Sam ought to have realized how dangerous it was. / Sam had to realize how dangerous it was.

You ought to be doing this. / You should have done this.

The form

Modal verbs can have only one form. Thus, the "-s-" form for the single third person of the present tense, the gerund, the present participle and the simple past "-ed" form are excluded.

There's nothing I can do about it. / I can not help it.

I'm sure he can do it. / I'm sure he can do it.

In conversational and informal written English, the modal verbs shall and shall shrink to 'll. In turn, would be shortened to 'd. In this form they are added to the pronoun.

I'll see you tomorrow. / I will see you tomorrow.

I hope you'll agree. / I hope you agree.

Posy said she'd love to stay. / Posey says that she really wants to stay.

The modal verbs shall, will, would never shrink if they are at the end of the sentence.

Paul said he would come, and I hope he will. / Paul said that he will come, and I hope he will do so.

In colloquial English, abbreviated forms 'll and' d can dock not only to pronouns, including nouns.

My car'll be outside. / My car will be at the exit.

The headmaster'd be furious. / The director will be angry.

Reading the abbreviation 'd, one must also remember that it is a short form for the auxiliary verb had.

I'd heard it many times. / I've heard this many times.

Time

As a rule, modal verbs do not indicate the time of occurring events. Nevertheless, there are a few exceptions. For example, modal verbs shall and will often indicate upcoming events.

I shall do what you suggested. / I will do what you suggested.

He will not return for many hours. / He will not be back in a few hours.

Could be used as a past form of can to express the ability for anything. Would be used as a past form of will, to express the future time.

When I was young, I could run for miles. When I was young, I could run miles.

He remembered that he would see his mother the next day. / He remembered that he would see his mother next week.

Negation

To make a sentence negative, you need to put a negative word directly behind the modal verb.

You must not worry. / You do not have to worry.

I can never remember his name. / I can never remember his name.

He ought not to have done that. / He does not have to finish this.

If the negative particle with can not be shortened, it is written as a single coherent word can not.

I can not go back. / I can not go back.

However, if can not be accompanied not only, then can and not do not merge.

We can not only book your flight for you, but also advise you about hotels. / We can not only book a plane ticket for you, but also give advice about the hotel.

In colloquial speech and an informal English letter, not usually is shortened to not, and modal verbs should, could, can (may very rarely), for example, attach them at the end: couldnt -> could not, should not -> shouldn ' T, must not -> must not, would not -> would not.

We could not leave the farm. / We can not leave the farm.

You must not talk about Ron like that. / You do not have to talk about Ron like that.

Modal verbs shall not, will not or can not abbreviate as shall; Will not; Can not.

I shall not let you go. / I must not let you go.

Will not you change your mind. / You will not change your mind.

We can not stop now. / We can not stop now.

Might not and ought not sometimes also cut, and it turns to might not and oughtn't. It should be noted that may not very rarely used in the shortened form of mayn't (at least in modern English).

Question

To formulate the question, put the modal verb in the position before the subject.

Could you give me an example? / Could you give an example?

Will you be coming in later? / Will you come later?

Shall I shut the door? / Will I close the door?

Do not forget that two modal verbs are never used simultaneously within the same predicate. For example, you can not construct a sentence like this: He will can come. Instead, you should say: He will be able to come.

I shall have to go. / I will need to leave.

Your husband will have to give up work. / Your husband may have to give up work.

Instead of using modal verbs, you can often use other verbs or turns to form questions, suggestions, suggestions, express your desire, or show that your treatment is polite. For example, be able to match can, be likely to - might, and have to - must.

All members are able to claim expenses. / All participants can apply for expenses.

I think that we are more likely to see more.

These turns can also be used after modal verbs.

I really thought I would not be able to visit you this week. / I really thought that I could not go to see you this week.

Dare and need sometimes also behave like modal verbs.

Should and ought

Modal verbs must, have to, should mean necessity, hypothetical. When you want to say what is probably true or can happen, you use should or ought. Should be accompanied by the basic form of the verb, and ought to-infinitive.

We should arrive by dinner time. We should arrive by lunchtime.

She ought to know. / She needs to know.

When you want to say that, in your opinion, something is wrong or, probably, will not happen, it should not be used or ought not.

There should not be any problem. / There should not be any problems here.

That ought not to be too difficult. / This should not be too complicated.

In case you need to express that you are definitely sure that this will happen, you can use should have or ought to have, accompanied by the past participle.

You should have heard by this time that I'm fine.

They ought to have arrived yesterday. / They were supposed to arrive yesterday.

If you want to say that you do not think that something has happened, you should not have, or ought not to have, followed by a verb in the form of a past participle.

You should not have had any difficulty in getting there. / You should not have any difficulties with getting there.

This ought not to have been a problem. / This should not have been a problem.

Should have or ought to have are also used to say that anything you expect will happen, but has not happened yet.

Yesterday should have been the start of the soccer season. / The football season was due to start yesterday.

She ought not to have been home by now. She should not have come home by this time.

Must

When you are sure that the event really takes place or happened, use the must.

Oh, you must be Sylvia's husband. / Oh, you must be the husband of Sylvia.

He must know something about it. / He needs to know something about this.

When you are certain that an event has not happened or does not have a place to be, use can not or can not.

This can not be the whole story. It can not be the whole story.

He can not be very old - he's about 25, is not he? / He can not be very old - he's 25, is not he?

In this sense, not must or must not be used.

When someone wants to say that he is almost certain about the occurrence of an event, he uses the must have, followed by a verb in the form of a past participle.

This article must have been written by a woman. / This article must have been written by a woman.

We must have taken the wrong road. / We must have chosen the wrong path.

To describe a situation in which someone does not think that some event has taken place, he uses can not have, also accompanied by a verb in the form of a past participle.

You can not have forgotten me. / You should not have forgotten me.

He can not have said that. / He could not say it.

Will

If you want to say that the event will exactly happen in the future, will will be used.

People will always say the things you want to hear. / People will always say things you want to hear.

They'll manage. / They will manage.

Will not or will not be used if it is necessary to say that the event does not exactly happen or does not have a place to be.

You will not get much sympathy from them. / You do not put them very close to you.

Other ways of expressing the probability

There are several ways to outline probability and certainty without using modal verbs. For example, you can put:

1) bound to, followed by the verb in the basic form.

It was bound to happen. / This must have happened.

You're bound to make mistake. / You were doomed to make a mistake.

2) An adjective, such as certain, likely, shure or unlikely, followed by a subordinate clause with a to-infinitive as a predicate or a union that.

They were certain that you were defeated. / They were sure that you were defeated.

I am not likely to forget it. / I'm not inclined to forget this.

Thus, the modal verbs describe the probability of action, the relation of the actor or author to the action, they go first in the verb group, although, as a rule, they do not take on the signs of time.