modals 

🌴grammar

 The grammar of modal verbs is special in several ways:

🌿 The third person singular present has no -s.

It must be lunchtime. (❌Not it musts be )

o Questions and negatives are made without do.

Should she?(❌ not doe3s she should)

(It cannot be true'(Note the spelling of cannot,)

🌿 After modals (except ought) we use infinitives without to 

I can't sing. (❌Not i can to sing )

🌿Modals have no infinitives or participles. Instead we use forms of other expressions such as

be able to, have to or be allowed to.

I want to be able to travel. (❌Not I want to can ...)

I've often had to lend my brother money.

She's always been allowed to do what she wanted.

🌿 Modals have a special past form made with a perfect infinitive 

You should have told me.

 Lucy must have missed her train.

🌿infinitives after modals Modals can be followed by all kinds of infinitive, including perfect, progressive and passive (all without to).

I should be working, not playing computer game

The police must be informed as soon as possible

🌿ability: con and could

past: could not always possible 

We use could for general ability, to say that somebody was able to do something at any time, whenever he/she wanted.

When I was younger I could run 10km in under 40 minutes'

But we do not normally use could to say that somebody did something on one occasion.

Instead, we use other expressions:

 I managed to run10 km yesterday in 55 minutes.(❌Not I could run 10 km.. )

How much steak were you able to buy? (❌Not how much steak could you ... )

 🌿However, we can use couldn't to say that something did not happen on one occasion.

I looked everywhere, but I couldn't find my wallet

future:

 when can is possible We use can to talk about future actions which depend on present ability, circumstances, agreements, decisions etc. In other cases, we use be able to,

I can come in tomorrow evening if you like. (a present decision)

The doctor says I will be able to walk properly in three months.(❌not The doctor says I can walk... )

🌿can see etc

 Can is often used with see, hear, feel, taste, smell, understand and remember to give a progressive kind of meaning.

I can see Susan coming down the road

what's in the soup? I can taste something funny.

I (can) remember when there were no houses here.

Do/Can you understand why Alice left so suddenly?

🌵part 2

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