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  • Hi. I'm Rebecca from engVid.

  • In this lesson you'll learn how to use modal verbs properly, and how to avoid making the

  • most common mistakes that students sometimes make when using these special helping verbs.

  • Now, even though modal verbs doesn't sound that exciting, when you see what they are

  • you'll realize that we use these verbs all the time, and so you need to know how to use

  • them correctly. Right? Okay.

  • So, let's look at what modal verbs are.

  • So, these are words that express different kinds of things.

  • For example, they might express ability, possibility, permission, obligation. Okay?

  • And some other things like that.

  • And they behave differently from regular verbs, and that's why they're sometimes a little

  • bit confusing.

  • But let's look at some examples of what modal verbs are.

  • "Can", "could", "may", "might", "should", "ought to", "must", "have to", "will", "shall",

  • and "would". Okay?

  • These are the most common ones.

  • All right.

  • So, I'm going to give you now three basic rules that you can follow to avoid most of

  • the mistakes that are usually made with the modal verbs. Okay?

  • So, first of all, make sure to use the modal verb as is.

  • That means don't change it in the present, or the past, or the future.

  • For example, we can say: "He can swim."

  • This is a correct sentence.

  • It would be wrong to say: "He cans swim."

  • Because, here, the student put an extra "s" there.

  • All right?

  • And we don't need to change that modal verb ever.

  • Okay? All right.

  • Second, use the base form of the verb after a modal.

  • Don't use "to".

  • What do I mean by that?

  • For example, you should say: "He might join us."

  • Not: "He might to join us."

  • Okay?

  • This is a really common error, so make sure you don't make this one.

  • So don't use the full infinitive to join after a word like "might".

  • Just use the base form of the verb, which is: "join".

  • "He might join us.", "He could join us.", "He should join us.", "He must join us." and

  • so on, without "to".

  • All right? Very good.

  • Now, the next point is if you need to, say, use the modal verb in the negative form, then

  • just use "not" after the modal.

  • All right?

  • Don't add any extra words most the time; there's one little exception, I'll explain that to

  • you, but for most of them, don't use words like: "don't", or "doesn't", or "isn't", "aren't",

  • "wasn't", "won't".

  • Okay?

  • So, with most of these modal verbs just say "not".

  • For example: "You should not smoke."

  • Not: "You don't should smoke."

  • All right?

  • So, here the student knows and learned all these lovely words: "don't", "doesn't", "isn't",

  • "aren't", all that and try to use it when using the modal verb, but that's wrong.

  • Okay?

  • So, the only exception is with the verb...

  • With the modal verb "have to", there if you want to make it negative, you need to say:

  • "You don't have to do this", okay?

  • But with the other ones, we just say: "You cannot", "You could not", "You may not", "You

  • might not", "You should not", "You ought not to", okay?

  • So there you have to be careful where to place it.

  • "You must not", this one I told you is an exception.

  • "You will not", "You shall not", and "You would not".

  • Okay?

  • And the other thing to keep in mind when you're using this word and "not", this is a really

  • common mistake, so the important thing to remember: This actually becomes one word.

  • Okay?

  • Only in that case.

  • You don't say...

  • You say: "cannot", but it's actually one word.

  • All right?

  • Most of the time, almost always "not" is a separate word with all of the modal verbs.

  • But not with "can".

  • With "can" it actually becomes one word: "I cannot arrive"-okay?-"on time", like that.

  • Okay?

  • So, now that you've got these basic rules and you've understood how it works, let's

  • do some practice to see how well you've understood.

  • Okay, so let's get started with our exercises.

  • Now, the rules are written at the top just in case you didn't remember them exactly.

  • First one, remember use it as it is, don't change the modal verb.

  • Second one, use with the base verb.

  • Don't use the full infinitive "to" something.

  • And the last one: Use "not" after the modals when it's negative.

  • Okay?

  • All right.

  • Try to keep those in mind, but most of all let's look at the actual examples and you

  • tell me what's wrong with them.

  • There is something wrong with each and every one of these sentences.

  • Okay.

  • Number one: "You must to finish your homework.

  • You must to finish your homework."

  • What's wrong there?

  • What did the person do wrong?

  • They added "to". All right?

  • This was our second rule.

  • Right?

  • You cannot use "to".

  • Just say: "You must finish your homework."

  • Okay?

  • That's it.

  • Number two: "I don't can drive. I don't can drive."

  • That's wrong.

  • What should it be?

  • "I cannot drive."

  • Okay?

  • That's what we said here in the third rule.

  • Right?

  • That just use "not" when it's negative.

  • All right?

  • And remember with the word "cannot", it's one word.

  • All right.

  • Number three: "You should not to smoke.

  • You should not to smoke."

  • What's wrong there?

  • Okay, again, we want to take out this "to".

  • The sentence should be: "You should not smoke."

  • So, again, you don't want to use the "to".

  • Just use the base form of the verb.

  • Don't use the full infinitive.

  • Okay, number four: "We not could call you.

  • We not could call you", some people say, but it's not right.

  • What should it be?

  • "We could not call you."

  • Remember?

  • "not" goes after the modal.

  • Okay? Not anywhere else.

  • Next: "He mights go to sleep.

  • He mights go to sleep."

  • It's not right.

  • It should be: "He might go to sleep."

  • Okay?

  • This was our rule number one, here, at the top.

  • And the rule was that we don't change anything.

  • Right?

  • We just say: "He might go to sleep."

  • We never change the modal.

  • Right.

  • Next, number six: "They can to stay with us."

  • Somebody says very kindly: "They can to stay with us."

  • It's a very kind suggestion.

  • It's not grammatically correct.

  • Let's make it correct.

  • What do we need to take out?

  • This, okay?

  • It should be just: "They can stay.", "They can go.", "They can leave.", "They can come."

  • Whatever.

  • But no "to".

  • All right?

  • So this was our rule number two.

  • Okay?

  • All right.

  • Number seven: "We would not to arrive on time.

  • We would not to arrive on time."

  • Again, you want to take out this "to".

  • And the reason why this keeps happening is because this is the most common mistake.

  • All right?

  • So that's why I have more of those here for you to review.

  • "We would not arrive on time."

  • Good.

  • And the last one: "She wills return soon.

  • She wills return soon."

  • Okay?

  • So what's wrong there?

  • The first rule up here, okay.

  • The rule says that the modal verb doesn't change, and here it did get changed, so we

  • have to take out the "s", and then it will become: "She will return soon."

  • which is correct.

  • Okay?

  • I know there are a few things to keep in mind, but the more you practice, the better you're

  • going to get at it.

  • So, please go to our website: www.engvid.com.

  • There, you can do a quiz on this and you can also watch lots of other wonderful English

  • lessons on engVid.

  • Okay?

  • And if you enjoyed this lesson, please subscribe to my YouTube channel so you can get a regular

  • dose of English lessons.

  • Okay? Thanks for watching. Bye for now.

Hi. I'm Rebecca from engVid.

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