PROBLEMS WITH MODALS

AND MODAL RELATED

PATTERNS

6. Modal + verb wod

7. Logical conclusions events in the past
8. Logical conclusions events in the present
9. Logical conclusions events that repeat
10. Knowledge and ability know and know
how
11. Past caution used to an BE used it
12. Advisability had better
13. Reference would rather
14. Preference for Another would rather
15. Negative imperatives

MODALS
Modals are auxalary verbs. They used
with the main verbs to give additional
meaning to main verbs. The most
common modals are listed below,
along with some of the additional
meanings that they add to main
verbs

Can

Possibility , ability,
permission

Could

Possibility , ability in the past

May

Probability, permission

Might

Probability

Must

Necessity, logical conclusion

Shall

Future with emphasis

Should

Advise, obligation, prediction

Will

Future

would

condition

Modal + Verb word

S
They

modal
might

Verb word
visit

us

Examples
Incorrect : after you show me the way, I can to go by myself
Correct: after you show me the way, I can go by myself
Incorrect: Our friends might stopping to see us on their way to
California
Correct: Our friends might stop to see us on their way to California
Incorect: The flight should to be on time
Corect: The flight should be on time

Exercise
By the time a baby has reached his first
bithday, he should, without the help of an
adult ... sit up or even stand up
A. to be able to
B. able to
C. to be able
D. be able to
Many birds will, in the normal sourse of their
migration, flying more than three thousand
miles to reach their winter home

7. Logical conclusions events in

the past
Must followed by the verb word have and a
participle expression a logical conclusion
based on evidence
S

Must have

participle

Past time

My friend

must have

called

Last night

Examples
Incorrect: The street are wet; it should
have rained last night
Correct: The street are wet; it must have
rained last night

Incorrect: The ring that I was looking at

is gone; someone else must buy it
Correct: The ring that I was looking at
is gone; someone else must have
bought it
Incorrect: I dont see Martha anywhere;
she must be left early
Correct: I dont see Martha anywhere;
she must have left early

The theory of Continental Drift assumes

that there ... long term climate changes in
many areas during the past
A. must have been
B. must be
C. must have
D. must
When the weather becomes colder we know
that the air mass must originated in the
Arctic rather than over the Gulf of Mexico

8. Logical Conclusions events in

The Present
Must followed by be and an ing or an
adjective expresses a logical
conclusion based on the evidence.
The conclusion is about an event that
S
Must
be
-ing
Present time
is happening
now
My friend

must be

calling

now

Must be

adjective

Present time

He

must be

upset

now

Examples
Incorrect: The line is busy; someone should be using
the telephone now
Correct: The line is busy; someone must be using
the telephone now
Incorrect: Bob is absent; he must have been sick
again (now)
Correct: Bob is absent; he must be sick again (now)
Inccorect: he is taking a walk; he must have felt
better now
Correct: he is taking a walk; he must be filling better
now

Exercises,
The general public ... a large number of
computer now, because prices are beginning
decrease.
A. must buy
B. must have bought
C. must be buying
D. must buying
The American buffalo must be repreduce itself
again because it has been removed from the
endangered species list.

9. Logical Conclusions events that

repeat
Must followed by a verb word
expresses a logical conclusions based
on evidence. The conclusion is about
an event that happens repeatedly.
S

must

Verb word

Repeated
time

My friend

must

call

often

Examples
Incorrect: The light is always out in her room at ten
oclock; she must have go to bed early every night
Correct: The light is always out in her room at ten
oclock; she must go to bed early every night
Incorrect: Our neighbors must having a lot of money
because they are always taking expensive trips
Correct: Our neighbors must have a lot of money
because they are always taking expensive trips
Incorrect: He can like his job because he seems very
happy
Correct: He must like his job because he seems very
happy
Incorect: Her English is very good; she must spoken if
often
Correct: Her English is very good; she must speak if
often

Exercise :
Since more that 50 percent of all marriages in
the United States end in divorce about half of
the children in America must ... in singleparent homes
A. Grow up
B. To gow up
C. Growing up
D. Have grow up
Sheep must have mate in fall since the young
are born in early spring every year

10. Knowledge and ability know

and know how
Know followed by a noun expresses
knowledge
S

know

noun

know

the answer

Know how followed by an infinitive

expresses ability
S

know

how

infinitive

know

how

to answer

the
question

Examples
Incorrect: If she knew to drive, he would lend her his
car
Correct: If she knew how to drive, he would lend her
his car
Incorrect: I dont know to use the card catalog in the
library
Correct: I dont know how to use the card catalog in
the library
Incorrect: Until he came to the United State to study,
he didnt know to cook
Correct: Until he came to the United State to study, he
didnt know how to cook

Exercises
In a liberal arts curriculum, it is assumed that
graduates will ... about English, language,
literature, history, and other social science.
A. know
B. know how
C. knowledge
D. knowing
The impressionists like Monet and Manet knew
to use color in order to create an image of
reality rather than reality itself

11. Past custome used to and be

used to
Used to with a verb wod means that a
custome in the past has not
S
Used to
Verb word
continued.
He

used to

live

in the country

BE used to with an ing form means to

BE
Used to
-ing form
beSaccustomed
to
He

was

used to

living

in the
country

Examples
Incorrect: I used to was studying at the
University of Southern
California
before I transfered here
Correct: I used to study at the
University of
Southern California
before I
transfered here
Incorrect: She was used to get up early
Correct: She was used to getting up
early

Exercises
Harvard ... a school for men, but now it is
coeducational, serving as many women as men
A. was used
B. used to be
C. was used to
D. was used to be
As TV images of the astronauts showed, even for
trained professionals who are used to move
about in a lessened gravitatonal field, there
are still problems

12. Advisability had

better
Although had appears to be a past,
had better expresses advise for the
S
Had
Verb
future
better

word

You

had better

take

Had
better

not

Verb
word

You

had better

not

take

chemistry 600 this semester

chemistry 600 this

semester

Examples
Incorrect: You had better to hurry if you dont
want to miss the bus
Correct: You had better hurry if you dont
want to miss the bus
Incorrect: We had better made reservations so
that we will be sure of getting a good table
Correct: We had better make reservations so
that we will be sure of getting a good table
Incorect: You had better dont go alone
Correct: You had better not go alone

Exercises
To check for acidity, one had better ... litmus
paper
A. Use
B. Using
C. To use
D. Useful
In todays compatative markets, even small
businesses had better to advise on TV and
Radio in order to gain a share of the market

13. Preference would

Rather
Although word athe appears to be a
past, it expresses preference in
present and future time.
S

Would rather

Verb word

Would rather

(not) drive

Examples
Incorrect : She told me that shed rather not to
serve on the committee
Correct: She told me that shed rather not serve
on the committee
Incorrect: If you dont mind, Id rather not going
Correct: If you dont mind, Id rather not go
Incorrect: Greg would rather has a Pepsi than a
beer
Correct : Greg would rather have a Pepsi than a
beer

Exercises
Rhododendons would rather ... in shady places, and
so would azaleas.
A. To grow
B. Growing
C. Grown
D. Grow
The Amish people, descended from the Germans and
Swiss, would rather using horses than machines
for transportation and farm work because they
believe that a simple life keeps them closer to God

14. Preference for Another Would

Rather That
Remember that when the preference is
for another person or thing, would
rather that introduce a clause. The
other person or thing is the subject of
the clause.
Although the verb is past tense, the
S
Would
S
Didnt
V (past)
preference
is that
for present
or
future.
rather

Would rather

that

you

Would rather

that

You

Drove
Didnt

drive

Examples
Incorrect : Id rather that you dont do that
Correct: Id rather that you didnt do that
Incorrect : The dean would rather that students
make appointments instead of dropping by
Correct: The dean would rather that students
made appointments instead of dropping by
Incorrect : Wed rather that you should come
tomorrow
Correct: Wed rather that you came tomorrow

Exercises
A good councelor would rather that patient ... his or
her own decisions after being helped to arrive at
general understanding of the alternative.
A. makes
B. making
C. will make
D. made
It is said that the American flag has five-pointed
stars because Betsy Ross told General
Washington she would rather that he changing
the six pointed ones

15. Negative Imperatives

Remember that an imperative is
expressed by a verb word
Please dont

Verb word

Please dont

tell

anyone

Avoid using dont after would you

Would
you please
Verb word
please
not

Would you please

not

tell

anyone

Exercises
Incorrect: Would you please dont
smoke
Correct: Would you please not smoke
or
Please dont smoke
Incorrect: Would you please dont be
late
Correct: Please dont be late
or

Exercises
Please ... photocopies of copyrighted material
without the permission of the publisher
A. no make
B. dont make
C. not make
D. not to make
Please dont parking in those spaces that
have signs reserving them for the
handicapped