In English, as you know, there are four types of verbs: auxiliary, semantic, verbs connecting the subject with the addition, and modal. The latter are used extremely often in a huge number of languages. Their role is incredibly important in English, German and other languages. Therefore, mastering this topic is very important. As for the English language, the basic rule is that modal verbs cannot be used on their own. They are always used in conjunction with the usual semantic verb.
It must be remembered that modal verbs differ from others in that they do not have participles, gerund, infinitive or non-personal forms.
What modal verbs exist in English?
There are five main modal verbs: need, can, must, may, ought. They can mean the probability, possibility, ability, the need to perform some specific action, which is revealed in the semantic verb.
It is important to remember that after the modal verb, the to element is never put. But there is an exception, for example, the use of the particle to is necessary with the modal verb ought. Some modal verbs can take the form of the present and past tenses, while others can only take the form of the present tense. This category of verbs is often called Defective verbs, which translates to "insufficient verbs". They are so called because of the absence of other forms possessed by other verbs in the English language.
In English, there are five main modal verbs, the features of which will be discussed in this article.
Features
Modal verbs (need, can, must, may, ought) cannot denote specific actions or processes. Their task is the expression of the speaker’s attitude to what is happening, the assessment of a particular action or process.
But what kind of verbs have the past form, and which not? So, modal verbs that have two forms (past and present) include can, may. In the past tense, these verbs will look like this: can - could, may - might. The modal verbs need, must, ought have no past tense.
But how to build negative and interrogative sentences in which modal verbs are located? The rule of constructing negative and interrogative sentences is as follows: in interrogative, the modal verb is put in first place, and in negative it is only necessary to put the particle not after it, which carries negation.
The modal verb need in English
It is worth noting that need can be both a semantic verb and a modal one. However, there is a noticeable difference in use. First you need to know the meaning of need, the translation of which will sound like "need." If this verb is used as a semantic verb, then it can be safely put in the past tense, in the case of the modal verb need this will be considered a gross mistake.
We need your help / We need your help (need - a semantic verb).
Do I need to explain it again? Should I explain it again? (need - modal galgol).
In the role of an insufficient verb, need is usually used in negative sentences. In negative form, the verb need translation has the following: "not necessary" or "optional."
As for affirmative sentences, this verb occurs, as a rule, in a formal context, accompanied by some negative word.
Modal verb need: exercises
Exercises will help to strengthen skills and distinguish the use of the verb need from other modal verbs.
You can use test tasks or exercises for training in which you need to translate and determine which verb the need is:
- We have got plenty of time. We _____ hurry.
A) needn't
B) didn't use to
C) mustn't
D) didn't need to
- Need we go there? (Do we need to go there?) I'll need this magazine (I will need this magazine). You need to work harder.
The verb can and its features
As mentioned above, this verb has the form of the past tense. And it is important to note that it is used extremely often in English. You could even say that this is the most used modal verb of all the others.
But what is its feature? What does he mean? Can can be used in several situations. First, if you want to express the possibility or ability of a particular action. Secondly, using this verb, you can express doubt or surprise.
It is important to note that in the future tense, can, which translates as “be able,” is replaced by the construction to be able to, which has a similar translation.
Verbs may and might
These verbs cause the greatest difficulty for foreigners in learning English, because in different situations they are able to interchange each other or express the past or present. It is important to note that the may verb does not have a shortened negative form, but might easily be shortened to mightn`t. But this form of contraction is extremely rare.
Might is a past form of may, but it is important to note that this verb can also be used as a separate modal. They express uncertainty, the likelihood of any action. But the difference is that may has more confidence than might.
- It may rain today / Maybe it will rain today.
- He might come.
Modal verb must
This modal verb is most often used to express confidence, necessity, and obligation of something. The use of must in a negative form expresses the prohibition of something, and this verb has a fairly strict tint. In English, which is spoken by modern people, the equivalents of this modal verb are most often used to make sentences sound less categorical.
- I must make sure cargoes reach their destination. I must ensure that the goods reach their destination.
- We must build this house by autumn / We must build this house before the fall.
So, the verb must is used to express:
- categorical prohibition;
- confidence, certainty;
- strong recommendation;
- necessity.
It is important to understand the importance of mastering the topic of modal verbs. After all, they play a very important role in the English language.