More Modal Verbs to Use in Your Conversations September 25, 2013

Taking English courses (ESL) at PC TECH will help you communicate in a very polite way with New Yorkers, using special “helping” verbs called modals.  The first set appears in the blog posting of September 4, 2013.  Here are some more examples:

Use be supposed to when you expect something to happen:  It’s supposed to rain this afternoon, isn’t it?

This modal verb in the past tense expresses an expectation that wasn’t fulfilled:  Her plane was supposed to have arrived at 6:00 PM, but it was very late.

Must  is used with requirements:  The doctor warned me, “You must take your medicine regularly.”

It is used in a negative manner to express something forbidden: You must not walk on the subway tracks!

It can be used to make a statement that would be over 90% true:  Julia must be sick, or she would be in class today.

Have to  also expresses necessity:  You have to practice more often.  Have got to is similar, only a little stronger:  I have got to get to the supermarket.  I don’t have any more food.

Will  makes a future statement with 100% certainty:  “I’ll [I will] be back.”

You would be willing to do something when you promise, “I will carry your bags for you.”

(Look for even more of these modal verbs in upcoming blogs.)

           PC TECH: English Language School in New York City