MODAL AUXILIARIES

Modals: may, might, can, could, should, must, ought to, need, shall, will

 

They have no -s on third person singular, no “do” in questions and negatives, they have no infinitives and no past forms and they are followed by either present or perfect infinitives without “to”(except for ought to)

 

ABILITY:

I can park here. – mohu = I was given permission.

I can swim. – umím = I know how to swim or I have learned how to swim

I can lift the table. = I am strong enough =it´s physically possible

I can come tommorow.

I will be able to come tomorrow.=the ability only starts tomorrow          refers to the future

 

It´s pleasant to be able to swim. = infinitiv od “can”      opisné tvary

Not being able to swim is annoying.

“Can” is used for asking permission:

Can I use your phone? Could I possibly use your phone?

May / Might I use your phone? = more formal

 

PAST

“Could” is only used to express general ability (všeobec.schopnost); it is never used to speak about something done on one occasion:

She could speak five languages. = general ability in the past – uměla, ale nikdy jsme ji nemuseli                                                   vidět, jak mluvila

War could break out any moment. – mohla propuknout, nepopisujeme realitu, která se opravdu stala

You could get 50 points in the test. = člověk mohl dosáhnout 50 bodů, nepopisujeme realitu, která se

opravdu stala

×

I managed to get 40 points.

I succeeded in getting 40 points.                                                       skuteč.situace

I was able to get 40 points. – opis od can, popisuje reál.situaci

 

She was a good swimmer.

She could save people´s lives. =uměla –general ability – but we din´t know whether she                                                             used this ability

She was able to save people´s lives. = byla schopna, dovedla, dařilo se jí = the actual                                                              performance of her ability

She could have saved people´s lives. = byla by mohla zachránit = she didn´t use her ability

 

“Couldn´t“can express both general and particular ability:

He was so drunk that he couldn´t find the door.

 

POSSIBILITY – CERTAINTY

Asi bude pršet.

It may rain tomorrow.

It might rain tomorrow. = the possibility is even smaller

 

Questions:

Do you think it will rain?

Is it likely to rain?

May it rain. – nepoužíváme!!!

 

Asi je doma.

Perhaps / Maybe he´s at home. – not good English L                  tak pro

He´s possibly at home. It´s possible that he´s at home. K           začatečníky

He´s likely (+inf.) to be at home. He may / might / could be at home. J

=> may / might / could + present infinitives = ASI, MOŽNÁ

 

Asi není doma.

He may not / might not be at home. = ASI NE

 

On je určitě doma.

He´s certain / sure to be at home.

He´s bound to be at home (at noon -it is inevitable- nevyhnutelné).

with modals:

He should be at home. – měl by být = you an reasonably expect this

He must be at home. = I´m sure.                                                               URČITĚ ANO

He will be at home.= I´m sure.

Should / Must / Will + present infinitive

 

Určitě není doma.

He can´t be at home. = I´m sure he isn´t

He won´t be at home.                                         URČITĚ NE

 

ASSUMPTION (domněnka) IN THE PRESENT:

might       / could /    may    / should / must  / will

might not /   –      / may not /      –      / can´t / won´t

méně jisté                                                     jisté

=> “can” + “shall” není vyjádřením domněnky !!!

 

PAST

Asi zmeškala vlak.

She may / might / could have missed the train. – perf. inf.

You might have killed yourself.=it refers to stg. possible in the past, but fortunately it didn´t

happen

You might have warned me.=you show your annoyance that something didn´t happen-výčitka

She could have studied in Olomouc, but she left for Prague. = byla by mohla – udělala                                                                přijímačky do Ol. i do Prahy, ale rozhodla se pro Prahu

You must have lost it. = URČITĚ jsi to ztratil

You will have heard about it. = URČITĚ jste o tom slyšeli

× You can´t have noticed us.

He´s sure / certain / bound to have lost it.

 

OBLIGATION

The doctor said: “You must take this pills.” = the doctor is using his own authority

You see, I have to take these pills. = you´re reporting someone else´s authority

× I must wash my hair. = I´m telling myself, it´s necessary.

 

Negatives:

I don´t have to / needn´t / don´t need to take these pills. = NEMUSÍM

I mustn´t tell lies.

Visitors may not feed the animals.            NESMÍ (M, ĚJÍ…)

No one is to leave the room.

You ought to / should  take the medicine. = měl bys

You´d better take the medicine.  = radši bys měl – you want to prevent things going wrong

 

PAST TIME

I had to take the kids to school. = it was necessary

You should have told me earlier. (why didin´t you?) = a mistake was made

You had better – neexistuje v minulém čase

I didn´t have to take kids to school. × You needn´t have brought flowers. = something that was unnecessary happened

 

to be + inf.

He´s to graduate next year. Má končit.  / He was to graduate. = He was supposed.

You should have done your homework = ale neudělali jste

You were to do your homework =nevíme, jak to dopadlo, jestli to někdo udělal nebo ne-neutrál.věta

He was to have graduated last year. = měl, ale neskončil