Section 2. Modal verbs in communication

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SECTION 2

There is no communication among people without expressing their attitudes to what they say and to one another. It means that we cannot manage without modals in everyday life. But those who speak English as a foreign language may have great difficulty choosing the correct modal verb to express exactly what they want to. These are the most common situations in which modals are helpful:

1. Asking for permission:

Can I ask you a question, please? (informal)

Could I (possibly) ask you a question, please? (more polite)

Can’t / Couldn’t I ask you a question? (if you want to put extra pressure on someone to give a positive answer)

I wonder if I could ask you a question. (very polite)

May I ask you a question, please? (formal)

Might I ask you a question, please? (very formal)

2. Giving / Refusing permission:

You can park your car here. (informal)

You may park your car in this area. (formal – usually written)

You can’t / mustn’t park your car here (informal, prohibition)

You may not park your car here (formal – usually written)

You needn’t do it. (permission not to do)

3. Making requests / instructions / orders:

Can you explain this to me? (informal)

Could / Would you explain this to me? (more polite)

Will you explain this to me? (polite instruction)

You must explain this to me. (very strict)

Can I have some water? (informal)

Could I have some water? (polite)

 May I have some water? (formal)

Might I have some water? (very formal)

What shall I explain to you? (asking for instruction)

4. Making offers:

I’ll help you.

Can I help you?

Could I help you? (less certain that the offer will be accepted)

Shall I help you? (= Do you want me to help you?)

Would you like me to help you? (on a specific occasion)

5. Making and asking for suggestions:

Shall we visit Grandma this weekend?

We can / could visit Grandma this weekend.

We may as well visit Grandma this weekend. (because there’s nothing else to do)

Where shall we go? (=What’s your suggestion?)

Would you join us tomorrow? (invitation)

6. Giving advice:

You should / ought to study harder.

You really must come to see us (very strong and emphatic).

7. Criticizing:

You should / ought to have been more careful.

You might be more careful (= Be more careful now).

You might have been more careful (= You should have been more careful).

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