Tamilnadu Samacheer Kalvi 12th English Grammar Modals
General Characteristics Of Modals
1. Modals are never used alone. A Principal verb is either present or implied;
as—
I can sing. He will help you.
2. Modals do not change according to the number or person of the subject;
as—
I can. We can. You can. He can. They can. etc.
I may. We may. You may. He may. They may. etc.
3. Modals have no Infinitive, Present Participle or Past Participle forms.
4. Modals cannot be used in all the tenses. When a modal does not fall in this pattern, it works as a Principal Verb;
as—
God willed so.
Henry needs a pen.
Malathi dared to go into the dark forest.
(Here will, need and dare are used as main verbs)
Relationship of Modals with Tenses
(i) May, can, shall and will are in present forms while might, could, should and would are their past forms.
The two forms express different meanings, but usually, no difference of time, e.g. the difference between may and might is often that of a degree of probability,
as—
Sheela may come today. {possibility/likely to happen)
Sandra might come today. (remote possibility/less likely)
(ii) However, if the verb in the main clause is in the past tense, the forms might, could, should and would serve as regular past tenses;
as—
1. He said, “I can help you.”
He said that he could help her.
2. You said, “She will come back soon.”
You said that she would come back soon.
3. Sheetal said, “May I use this pen, madam?”
Sheetal asked her teacher if she might use that pen.
(iii) When we want to express the past time in verb phrases involving modals, we use the Present Perfect Tense of the Principal Verb; as-
Senthil must have reached home by now.
You ought to have told me all the facts.
Quasi/Semi Modals
Quasi modals are also called semi-modals. There are four quasi modals: ‘used to’, ‘need to’, ‘dare to’ and ‘ought to’.
Question 1.
Supply suitable modal/quasi-modal verb for the following sentences.
(a) ________ I have that pen?
(b) We ________ perform our duties sincerely.
(c) I think you ________ learn it by heart.
(d) ________ I go for swimming every weekend.
Answer:
(a) Can
(b) must
(c) should
(d) used to
Question 2.
Supply suitable modal/quasi-modal verb for the following sentences
(a) ________ you mind if I borrowed your car for a day.
(b) He ________ win the race.
(c) ________ you come for a movie tonight?
(d) I ________ fly to Switzerland next week.
Answer:
(a) would
(b) can
(c) Will
(d) might
Question 3.
Supply suitable modal/quasi-modal verb for the following sentences:
(a) If you stopped shouting, I ________ get some work done.
(b) They knelt in front of the child who ________ one day rule their country.
(c) Life ________ be more interesting when I was a child.
(d) I ________ probably go out tonight.
Answer:
(a) might
(b) would
(c) used to
(d) will
Question 4.
Supply suitable modal/quasi-modal verb for the following sentences.
(a) There ________ be no food and drink on the premises.
(b) ________ we tell him about our idea?
(c) You ________ smoke in a gas station.
(d) They ________ go near the cage, that lion is very ferocious.
Answer:
(a) shall
(b) should
(c) mustn’t
(d) dare not
Question 5.
Supply suitable modal/quasi-modal verb for the following sentences
(a) You ________ drive rashly.
(b) I ________ attend the party tomorrow as my exams are starting.
(c) There are chances that it ________ rain by the time you reach there.
(d) You ________ take your umbrella. It is not going to rain.
Answer:
(a) shouldn’t
(b) can’t
(c) might
(d) needn’t
Fill in with quasi-modal verbs.
1. I ………………….. not go to office on alternate Saturdays.
2. He is getting ………………….. the new environment.
3. How ………………….. you ask me such a question?
4. We ………………….. arrive at the airport at 4.00 pm.
5. You ………………….. shout at Rahul. He is too young to understand things.
6. He doesn’t ………………….. argue with the company manager.
7. My mother ………………….. have called; I told her I would be late.
8. The manger ………………….. that report by tomorrow.
9. You ………………….. to read in such dim light.
10. He wasn’t ………………….. so much work.
Answer:
1. need
2. used to
3. dare
4. ought to
5. shouldn’t
6. dare to
7. needn’t
8. needs
9. ought not to
10. used to
