MODAL AUXILIARIES

MODAL AUXILIARIES
 
 Will, would, shall, should, may, might, can, could, must, ought to, need dare, used to, have to, has to and had to are called Modal Auxiliaries because they are used to form certain modes for which English has no inflected verb forms. We can express such conceptions of the mind as ability (e. g. can, could), possibility (eg. may, might), permission (eg may, might, can, could) and obligation (eg must, ought, have to).
 
(Meta AI: Inflected verb forms refer to the changes made to a verb to indicate various grammatical functions, such as:
 
1. Tense (time): present, past, future
2. Aspect (duration): simple, continuous, perfect
3. Mood (attitude): indicative, imperative, subjunctive
4. Voice (perspective): active, passive
 
In Hindi, verb inflection is crucial to convey meaning. Here are some examples:
 
1. Tense:
    - Present: मैं जाता हूँ (I am going)
    - Past: मैं गया था (I went)
    - Future: मैं जाऊँगा (I will go)
2. Aspect:
    - Simple: मैं जाता हूँ (I go)
    - Continuous: मैं जा रहा हूँ (I am going)
    - Perfect: मैं जा चुका हूँ (I have gone)
3. Mood:
    - Indicative: मैं जाता हूँ (I go)
    - Imperative: जाओ! (Go!)
    - Subjunctive: मैं जाऊँ, तो अच्छा होगा (If I go, it will be good)
4. Voice:
    - Active: मैं किताब पढ़ता हूँ (I read the book)
    - Passive: किताब मुझसे पढ़ी जाती है (The book is read by me)
 
Understanding the Moods is essential to convey the intended meaning and attitude in language. It helps to express the nuances (tones/hints) and shades of meaning that would be lost with a single, flat statement.
 There are three main moods:
In Hindi, the moods are:
 
- Imperative mood
- Indicative mood
- Subjunctive mood
 
 
1. Indicative Mood: States facts, asks questions, or makes statements.
- Examples of statements:
    - I am studying for the exam.
Ram goes to school.
The Earth is round.
- Examples of questions:
    - Are you coming to the party?
    - What time does the movie start?
2. Imperative Mood: Gives commands, instructions, or advice.
    - Examples of commands
Write your name here.
 Close the door.
 Finish your homework.
    - Examples of requests:
Please close the door.
 Please pass the salt.
- Examples of advice:
    - Take a break, you need rest.
    - Don't forget to wear your coat.
 
3. Subjunctive Mood: Expresses proposal, doubt, uncertainty, possibility, or potentiality.
   - Examples of proposal:
    - I suggest that we take a break.
    - It's recommended that you consult a doctor.
 
- Examples of hypothetical situation:
- If I were you, I would not do that.
- If I were rich, I would buy a house.
 - If it rains, we will cancel the picnic.
 
- Examples of doubt/uncertainty:
    - I doubt that he will come.
    - It's unlikely that she will win.
 
- Examples of possibility/potentiality:
    - It's possible that he may come.
    - She may win the contest.
 
In addition to these three main moods, some languages have additional moods, such as:
 
- Conditional Mood: Expresses conditions or hypothetical situations.
- Optative Mood: Expresses wishes or hopes.
- Jussive Mood: Expresses commands or instructions in a polite or formal way.
 
- Examples of conditional Mood:
 
- Future hypothetical situations:
    - If I win the lottery, I will buy a car.
    - If it snows, we will go skiing.
- Present hypothetical situations:
    - If I won the lottery, I would buy a car.
    - If it were sunny, we would go to the beach.
- Past hypothetical situations:
- If I had studied harder, I would have passed the exam. (Contrary-to-fact condition)
- If she had taken a map, she wouldn't have gotten lost. (Unrealized possibility)
- If only I had known, I would have told you. (Regret)………………..The end.
 
- Examples of optative Mood
 
- Wishes/hopes:
    - May you succeed in your endeavors! (Expressing a wish)
    - I hope she gets better soon! (Expressing a hope)
 
- Examples of jussive Mood
 
- Polite/formal commands:
    - Let us begin the meeting. (Polite command)
    - Please, take a seat. (Polite request)
 
 
We shall now consider the use of Modal Auxiliaries one by one.
 
SHALL
 
33. In Assertive Sentences, Shall in the First Person simply gives information about the future action:
 
I shall help you. We shall go together.
 
I shall be rewarded. We shall pass.
 
I shall be sixteen on Monday.
 
I shall be much obliged to you.
 
We shall sing and dance together.
 
34. Shall in the Second and Third Persons is used to denote:
 
(1) A promise You shall have a holiday tomorrow. You shall have medal if you win. He shall be rewarded if he stands first in English.
 
(2) A command Thou shalt not steal. [= Thou art commanded not to steal.] She shall carry out my instructions. [=She is commanded
 
to carry out my instructions]
You shall go at once. [= You are commanded to go at once) Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
 
(3) A threat, You shall regret this.
 
If you do this, you shall be dismissed He shall be punished if he does that again
 
(4) Determination You shall go there. You will be obliged to go there] He shall obey me [-He will be obliged to obey me] You shall apologize for that Everything shall be done according to law [=It has been determined that every thing must be done according to law]
 
(5) Compulsion You shall come to school at ten Members shall pay their fees by the 10th of every month
 
35. In Interrogative Sentences (1) Shall indicates simple futurity, permission or desire of the
 
person spoken to in the First Person
 
Shall I be wasting in despair? (Simple futurity)
 
Shall I open the window? [=Do you wish me to open the
 
window?]
 
Shall we go out? [=Do you permit us to go out?]
 
Shall I thread the needle for you? [=Do you want me to
 
thread the needle for you?] Shall we carry the box into the house for you? (2) Shall indicates simple futurity in the Second Person Shall you go there? (Simple futurity)
 
(3) Shall expresses the command or desire of the person spoken to in the Third Person Shall he go? [=Do you wish or command him to go?] Shall the porter carry your box upstairs? [=Do you want, or would you like, the porter to carry your box upstairs?] Shall the messenger wait? [=Do you want the messenger to wait?]
 
WILL
 
36. In Assertive Sentences, Will in the Second and Third Persons indicates simple futurity, without any reference to the wish of the agent
 
He will win the first prize You will be able to do it in no time Anyone will tell you the way to the Taj, if you ask The train will arrive at 7.40 PM
 
37. Will in the First Person is used to denote
 
(1) Determination
 
1 will do as I like. I = I am determined to do as I like] We will not submit [= V are determined not to submit.] I will succeed or die in the attempt
 
(2) A promise
 
I will help you [= I promise to help you ] I will behave better next time. I = I promise to behave better
 
next time] We will reconsider the matter and let you know tomorrow
 
(3) A threat
 
I will expose her. [= 1 threaten to expose her]
 
I will punish you if you don't behave yourself We will dismiss you from service if you come late again.
 
(4) A wish
 
I will go home [= I denotes wish on the part of the speaker] I will visit the Taj I = I wish to visit the Taj.]
 
(5) Willingness
 
I will lend you my pen [= 1 am willing to lend you my pen.] Well, I will do this for her sake
 
38. In Interrogative Sentences
 
(1) Will is not used at all in the First Person. Never sav. Will I ? Will we?
 
(2) Will denotes willingness, intention or wish of the person spoken to in the Second Person Will you sing at the concert tomorrrow evening Yes, I Will. Will you go there? [=Do you intend to go there?] Will you speak to her? [=Do you wish to speak to her?]
 
(3) Will denotes simple futurity in the Third Person Will he come today?
 
Will they help us ?
 
4) The most usual form of request is that introduced by Will ( you?
 
Will you open the window? [=Please open the window.] Will you be back by 10 o'clock? Will you have another cup of tea ?
SHOULD
 
40. Should is the Past Tense of shall and is used as such in
 
Indirect Speech
 
Direct: The Captain said, "Players shall assemble at the College at 4 P.M."
 
Indirect
 
The Captain said that players should assemble at the College at 4 PM
 
Direct
 
He said, "The villain shall be punished".
 
Indirect: He said that the villain should be punished.
 
41. Should is used
 
(1) To express duty or obligation in all persons
 
We should help the poor We should obey the laws of the country. You should control your temper. You should keep your promise. You should do your duty cheerfully. We should love our neighbours. You should come to school in time. You shouldn't quarrel with your friend He should not be allowed to neglect his studies. Children should obey their parents
 
NOTE: Duty in the past is expressed by should have:
 
1 should have attended the meeting yesterday, but I forgot all about it
 
You should have paid the money long ago
 
He should have used the money for paying his debts instead of for a new scooter
 
(2) When groing or asking advice
 
You shouldn't laugh at her mistakes.
 
How much should I contribute towards the relief fund?
 
Do you think she should apologize?
 
You shouldn't give the child a knife to play with
 
(3) To indicate disapproval of something that was done in the
 
past You shouldn't have laughed at her mistakes. She shouldn't have given the child a knife to play with.
 
4) To express supposition, possibility, condition (
 
If it should rain, the school will remain closed. Should danger come, we shall be prepared to meet it You will never learn it, though you should try your best If your parents disapprove of the plan, you should give it up
 
(5) To express purpose and result in the clauses introduced by in order that and so that
 
We put up a fence so that our neighbours should not overlook us.
 
Twenty copies of the book were bought so that each girl in the class should have one
 
We hid it carefully so that none should see it I did it in order that all should be satisfied.
 
(6) After lest to express a negative purpose
 
Take heed lest you should fall.
 
They shot the tiger lest he should escape.
 
He ran fast lest he should miss the train.
 
(7) In dependent clauses after verbs and phrases indicating determination or willingness, threats, orders or promises:
 
I promised my brother that he should have a new pen. I have ordered that he should (shouldn't) play today The officer gave orders that we should be well looked after Is your father willing that you should go abroad?
WOULD
 
42. Would is the Past Tense of will and is used as such in Indirect
 
Speech:
 
Bel
 
Direct The Manager said, "The bank will be closed on Wednesday"
 
Indirect The Manager said that the bank would be closed on Wednesday
 
Direct: She said, "I will not stay here any longer" Indirect She said that she would not stay there any longer.
 
43. Would is used-
 
(1) To express a wish:
 
I would know what my duty is.
 
A man cannot always do what he would. Do as you would be done by I would like to see that book.
 
Would you like to come to the library with me?
 
(2) To indicate refusal
 
She wouldn't (=refused to) answer any questions.
 
The engine wouldn't start.
 
The wound wouldn't heal.
 
(3) To express determination:
 
He would have his own way [He was determined to have his own way.]
 
He would not lie
 
(4) To express past habit
 
She would sit [=was in the habit of sitting] for hours in her garden and knit.
 
After lunch he would generally have a short nap He would talk upon the subject for hours together.
 
(5) To express willingness in the past:
 
She said that she would help me.
 
I would do as you bid.
 
(6) In polite speech:
 
Would you please lend me your book? [-Please lend me your book.]
 
Would you mind waiting here until I return?
 
Would you mind helping me to lift this box?
 
Would you mind not smoking in the dining-room, please?
 
Would you mind if I shut the window?
 
(7)Tis devote condition we wertandy If he should hear of your marriage, he would be surprised won do it unless you were to onder him to do Hen if you were to try you If you were to start early tomorrow morning, you d reach there before sunrise Had she met me. Twwwld have told her everything I seould go there, if I were allowed
 
Exercise 17. Fill in the blanks with should or would as required 1. Fhok an umbrella so that I not get wet.
 
2. You have done your best
 
3. you mind waiting here until I return? After lunch she usually have a cup of coffee.
 
4. 5. He worked hard lest he fail again.
 
6. Do you think she apologize?
 
7. He not listen to anyone
 
8. He not go unless you tell him to 9. We put up a check post that thieves
 
not enter our like to know what time he may call on you. Colony 10. He
 
CAN
 
44. Can is used. (1
 
) To express power or ability
 
He can speak French (He is able to speak French)
 
Can you speak Sanskrit? No, I can't.
 
He can walk ten kilometres without getting tired.
 
She can live on milk alone.
 
He is ten years old but can't read yet.
 
He can work this machine. He can outdo every competitor
 
I can beat you in the race
 
He is over eighty but can still read without glasses.
 
(2) Can is also used to denote ability resulting from circum-
 
stances Can you come (Are you in a position to come) to the meeting tomorrow?
 
Can you lend me Rs. 100? (=Are you in a position to lend me Rs. 100?)
(7)Tis devote condition we wertandy If he should hear of your marriage, he would be surprised won do it unless you were to onder him to do Hen if you were to try you If you were to start early tomorrow morning, you d reach there before sunrise Had she met me. Twwwld have told her everything I seould go there, if I were allowed
 
Exercise 17. Fill in the blanks with should or would as required 1. Fhok an umbrella so that I not get wet.
 
2. You have done your best
 
3. you mind waiting here until I return? After lunch she usually have a cup of coffee.
 
4. 5. He worked hard lest he fail again.
 
6. Do you think she apologize?
 
7. He not listen to anyone
 
8. He not go unless you tell him to 9. We put up a check post that thieves
 
not enter our like to know what time he may call on you. Colony 10. He
 
CAN
 
44. Can is used. (1
 
) To express power or ability
 
He can speak French (He is able to speak French)
 
Can you speak Sanskrit? No, I can't.
 
He can walk ten kilometres without getting tired.
 
She can live on milk alone.
 
He is ten years old but can't read yet.
 
He can work this machine. He can outdo every competitor
 
I can beat you in the race
 
He is over eighty but can still read without glasses.
 
(2) Can is also used to denote ability resulting from circum-
 
stances Can you come (Are you in a position to come) to the meeting tomorrow?
 
Can you lend me Rs. 100? (=Are you in a position to lend me Rs. 100?)
(3) To express possibility The Hindustan Times can be obtained in most big cities in India
 
(4) To express permission You can play now (You are permitted to play now) Stop! You can't do that! (You are not allowed or permitted to do that)
 
You can't play hockey in that park today. It's Sunday Can I go to the cinema tonight? No, you can't Can I see your telephone directory?
 
(5) To mean have the right to You are a member of the library and can borrow ten books a month
 
(6) With verbs of perception 'see', 'hear', 'smell', etc, as a subsitute for the continuous tenses. 1 can see a boy climbing a tree.
 
COULD
 
45. (1) Could is the Past Tense of carn and is used to indicate ability that existed in the past Even as a child she could sing well. She could speak French when she was ten years old Till last year I could read without glasses. The box was so heavy that I couldn't lift it He could write English before he came to school. I could not write English before I came to school
 
(2) Could is used as the Past Tense of can in Indirect Speech: She said that she couldn't help him
 
(3) Could is used to express past time I did everything I could to help her
 
(4) Could is used to express possibility An accident could easily happen.
 
(5) Could is also used to ask polite questions Could you lend me Rs. 100 for a week? Could I have that dictionary please?
MAY
 
46. May is used.
 
1) To express permission: (
 
May I go out? May I come in? Yes, you may.
 
May I borrow your toothbrush? No, you may not.
 
May I use your dictionary? You may go now (=You are permitted to go now.) You may go home when you have finished your work. 'May I go now, please?' 'No, you may not Members may not (=are not permitted to) borrow from the library more than five books at a time..
 
(2) To express doubt, uncertainty
 
She may reach the station in time if she hurries.
 
He may not have stolen the pen.
 
(3) To express possibility It may rain tonight (=It is possible that it will rain tonight) It may be true (=It is possibly true.)
 
She may come today. She may pass if she works hard. Meera may win the first prize in English. You may lead a horse to the water but you cannot make it drink
 
If I ask her again, she may refuse
 
Compare:
 
May I swim? (=Have I your permission to swim?) Can he swim? (=Does he know how to swim?)
 
(4) To express wishes, fears and hopes:
 
May his soul rest in peace! May you have a happy and long life!
 
May God bless you!
 
Long may you live to enjoy it!
 
May fortune smile upon you!
 
I hope you may succeed.
 
I'm afraid that something serious may happen.
 
(5) To express purpose:
 
He works hard so that he may become rich.
 
Use fertilizers so that you may have a rich harvest.
 
We eat that we may live.
 
He flatters that he may win tavour.
(6) To express concession Whatever faults she may have, she is not dull.
 
To ask questions
 
(7)
 
May I trouble you to pass the salt?
 
MIGHT
 
47. (1) Might is used as the past tense of may It may, therefore, be used for the same purpose as may in subordinate clauses where the verb in the principal clause is in the past tense
 
She told me that I might go home after I had done my homework
 
I asked her whether I might use her umbrella
 
We wondered whether she might not have done it. We hoped that she might succeed.
 
I was afraid that if I asked her again, she might refuse
 
He might not have come even if we had asked him He might not go tomorrow unless you wished.
 
(2) Might is used to express uncertainty concerning the future and improbability
 
I think you had better take your umbrella with you. It might rain
 
Who knows what might happen?
 
3) Might is also used to express purpose
 
(
 
He died so that others might live. I stepped aside so that she might go in.
 
We put up a fence so that others might not overlook us.
 
to (
 
4) Might is sometimes used to express gentle reproach: Really, Naresh, you might have told me this before.
 
5) Might (but not may) is used to make requests ( You might make a little less noise (=Please make a little less noise.)
 
48. Must is used
 
MUST
 
(1) To express compulsion or strong moral obligation We must keep our promises. We must obey the laws of the country Soldiers must obey orders without question. Candidates must (=are required to) answer at least five out of the ten questions.
 
We must not tell lies. You must not make a noise in the class.
 
Cars must not be parked in front of the gate [Here must not is used to express prohibition]
 
(2) To express fixed determination I must have my money back
 
I must have my say in the matter I must go to Kashmir this year, whatever happens.
 
(3) To express duty
 
A judge must be upright
 
A soldier must fight for his country. Everyone must do his duty
 
(4) To express certainty or strong likelihood:
He must be up by this time
 
He must have reached home by this time. Your father must be nearly eighty now They must have been enjoying themselves He must be mad to do this You must be hungry after your long walk
 
) To express an inevitable result (5 We must all die. Mr. Sharma has been earning Rs. 10,000 a month. He must be very rich.
 
OUGHT TO
 
49. Ought is used to express desirability, moral obligation, and
 
duties. Ought is a defective verb. It can indicate present or future time
 
It takes an Infinitive as Object We ought to love our neighbours. [=It is our duty to love our neighbours.]
 
You ought to get better marks. (desirability)
 
You ought to help your poor friends. (moral obligation)
 
We ought to work hard.
 
I ought to visit my sister tomorrow
 
He ought to be ashamed of his rude behaviour.
 
Everybody ought to love his country
 
We ought not to walk on the grass.
 
We ought not to abuse a beggar
 
We ought not to make a noise in the class.
 
Ought we to go there? Yes, I think you ought (to). I told her that she ought to do it, so she did it.
 
50. Ought to have with a Past Participle is used to indicate a past obligation that was not fulifilled or carried out You ought to have helped her (but you did not). He ought to have been more careful. [=He was not careful
 
enough.] She ought to have obeyed her husband. [=It was her duty to obey her husband.]
 
He ought to have worked hard.
 
I ought to have visited my sister yesterday.
 
51. Ought not to have is used to indicate disapproval of something that was done in the past
You ought not to have laughed at her mistakes.
 
She ought not to have treated her husband like that.
NEED
 
52. "The anomalous finite need is not used in the affirmative It is used only in the negative and interrogative. It forms its Third Person Singular, Present Tense, without s, and takes as its Object an Infinitive without to:
 
He need not copy out the whole page [=It is not necessary for him to copy out the whole page.]
 
She need not come here tomorrow.
 
He need not worry at all about us
 
She need not answer all the questions, but she must answer at least four of them.
 
Today is a holiday. So the children needn't go to school. Need he work so hard?
He needn't work so hard, need he?
 
Need she apologize to him?
 
NOTE The regular verb can be used in the Past Tense with a
 
fo-infinitive.
 
They didn't need to hurry [=It was not necesary for them to
 
hurry 1
 
E
 
53. Need not with a Prefect Infinitive may refer to the past; as, We need not have waited for her arrival
 
He need not have lost his temper. They need not have come all the way
 
USED TO
 
54. Used is anomalous. It has the negative used't and the interrogative used we (he, she etc.) In tag-questions and responses, however, did often replaces used.
 
The past tense used expresses what was repeatedly seenor done
 
during a period of time in the past
 
There used to be a train at 9.20. Α.Μ.
 
She used to play chess before her marriage People used to think that the sun travelled round the earth.s
 
Life is not so hard as it used to be
 
We used to enjoy their pleasant company
 
They used to go swimming every morning.
 
She used to go to the temple every morning
 
I used not to smoke; I took it up only a year ago. You used to smoke a pipe, usedn't you?
 
But didn't use to is also found
 
I think I know that man. Didn't he use to keep a car?
 
It may also express a permanent state in the past.
 
There used to be a cinema house here before the war
 
When I lived here, many years ago, there used to be a well near
 
the temple
 
55. Used to be accustomed to
 
He's not used to hard manual labour.
 
I'm not used to a hot climate
 
I am not used to this kind of treatment.
 
I am not used to walking long distances.
 
They soon got used to living in the country.
 
I am not used to drinking tea without any sugar in it.
DARE
 
56. Note the following uses of the verb 'dare'
 
(1) Present Tense
 
I dare to declare that what she says is not true I never dare to say things like that, do I? I am surprised that he dares to play jokes on the Head-
 
master.
 
He does not dare to refuse what you ask
 
Does she dare to jump out of the window?
 
He doesn't dare to ring her up again, does he? No, he doesn't.
(2) The verb dare (=venture, have courage) has the form dare for the third person singular, present tense, when it is
 
followed by a negative:
 
He dare not take such a foolish step.
 
He dare not oppose us.
 
He dare not punish the child
 
He dare not ask her again, dare he? No, he dare not.
 
She dare not go out alone on a dark night.
 
(3) Past Tense:
 
They dared not say such things again.
 
The roads were covered with ice yesterday. They dared not take their car out.
 
They were afraid of an accident. They dared not go very fast
 
(4) Interrogative sentences
 
How dare you ride a cycle without brakes?
 
How dare you speak against your teacher?
 
How dare you insult your mother like that?