MODAL VERBS

I. State the basic syntactic properties of modal verbs.

II. What are the characteristics of the two major classes of modals deontic and
epistemic?
III. Explain the differences between the following pairs:
.!hey might not reach agreement tomorrow."!hey co#ld not reach agreement tomorrow.
$.I m#st be there at % tomorrow."I have to be there at % tomorrow."We are to be there
by % o&cloc'. (.)o# may par' here.")o# can par' here. *. !hat will be +ohn at the
door."!hat sho#ld be +ohn at the door. ,.When I was yo#ng- I co#ld climb any tree in the
forest.".ltho#gh the pilot was badly h#rt- he was able to explain what had happened.
/.)o# co#ld have told me.")o# sho#ld have told me. 0.We m#st have a party to celebrate
yo#r engagement."We sho#ld have a party to celebrate yo#r engagement. 1.)o# needn&t
go on a diet b#t yo# m#st eat sensibly and yo# m#stn&t overeat. 2.I needn&t have written
s#ch a long essay."I didn&t have to write s#ch a long essay. %.She sho#ldn&t have stood
in a 3#e#e."She needn&t have stood in a 3#e#e. .She can&t come on 4onday."She can&t
be coming on 4onday.
I5. Identify the meanings of the modal verbs in the sentences below:
. I can resist everything except temptation. $. I ran and I was able to catch the b#s. (.
6igarettes can serio#sly damage yo#r health. *. 7e said I co#ld leave the next day. ,. )o#
can forget abo#t yo#r holiday. /. )o# can say that again. 0. )o# cannot leave now. 1.
4ay I have a 3#ic' word with yo#? 2. !his may be the last cigarette I smo'e. %. )o#
may lose yo#r way if yo# don&t ta'e a map. . )o# m#st find it 3#ite a change. $. )o#
m#st come ro#nd and see it. (. I thin' I m#st ma'e a confession here. *. She m#st be in
her middle thirties by now. ,. !he hall will seat five h#ndred. /. 8eople will tal'
there&s no preventing it. 0. !he 9rench will be on holiday today. 1. I will go so far as to
call it an interesting boo'. 2. Will the ice bear? $%. 7e shall be rewarded if he is patient.
$. 6andidates shall present their I:s when entering the classroom. $$. )o# sho#ld be
caref#l not to irritate her. $(. ;y heaven- this sho#ld be my boo'. $*. !he money<lender
said he wo#ld not renew the bill. $,. ;efore the new b#s started he wo#ld catch the 1
o&cloc' train.
5. =ephrase the following sentences #sing a modal verb :
. It is possible that S#e will be late this evening. $. I&m s#re :avid isn&t going to the
party tonight. (. !he g#ests are s#pposed to arrive at eight. *. It wasn&t necessary for
!oby to go to school today. ,. I advise yo# to boo' a table in advance. /. !hey are
obliged to wear helmets at wor'. 0. )o# are to wait here #ntil the manager arrives. 1.
Steve managed to repair the bi'e after trying for two ho#rs. 2. 8erhaps we will go to Italy
for a holiday next s#mmer. %. We are obliged to wear a #niform at school. . )o#
aren&t allowed to r#n in the corridor. $. 7ow abo#t inviting some friends over to
dinner ? (. It isn&t necessary for yo# to b#y me a present. *. :o yo# mind if I #se yo#r
telephone ? ,. Wo#ld yo# li'e me to clean the windows for yo# ? /. 7ow abo#t going
for a wal' this afternoon ? 0. 8erhaps !ony went to wor' early this morning. 1. It is
forbidden to so#nd the alarm for no reason. 2. I&m certain 4ary heard me calling her.
$%. I&m s#re 8a#l is an engineer. $. I&m s#re 4ary isn&t a teacher. $$. It wasn&t necessary
for +ohn to go to wor' beca#se it was S#nday. $(. !here is no need for yo# to feed the
dog. I have already done that. $*. I strongly advise yo# to ta'e legal action. $,. We
managed to do the p#>>le- altho#gh it was diffic#lt.
5I. !ranslate into English #sing a modal verb :
. ?<am p#t#t niciodata intelege ce o facea sa se poarte asa. $. S<ar fi p#t#t casatori c#
oricine ar fi vr#t. (. S<ar p#tea sa n# fi# prea destept- dar sti# ce vrea#. (. 4i<ai fac#t #n
mare servici#. Stiam ca ma pot ba>a pe tine. *. 4a gandeam ca s<ar fi p#t#t sa iti sp#na
ceva despre no#a l#i sl#jba. ,. E posibil ca aceasta batrana sa fie @o#ise ? ?# se poate se
se fi schimbat asa de m#lt A /. ?<am sti#t ca pot sa f#me> aici. 0. ?#<mi vine sa cred.
.cesta sa fie oare fratele l#i ? 1. :#pa ce a petrec#t trei ore in maga>ine- a re#sit in sfarsit
sa gaseasca ce ca#ta : o pereche de man#si albe. 2. .m a#>it ca e bolnav. !reb#ie sa ma
d#c sa<l vad neaparat. %. !reb#ie sa ma d#c acolo chiar ac#m ? ?#- n# este nevoie. .
?# ar fi treb#it sa<i telefone>iB ac#m s<a s#parat pe tine. $. !reb#ie sa<mi contin#i
temele. !reb#ie sa preda# ese#l maine. (. ;ea niste apa. 8robabil ca ti<e sete d#pa atata
plaja. *. ?ormal ca te dor ochii daca plangi tot timp#l. ,. Sa aprind l#mina ? /. .r fi
treb#it sa<l aj#te pe +ohn. 0. 5a plati pentr# ca mi<a ins#ltat fiica. 1. !rec#se de mie>#l
noptii si am prop#s sa plecam- dar el nici n# voia sa a#da. 2. ?# se deschide fereastra A
.r treb#i s<o repari A $%. ?# a indra>nit sa le povesteasca prietenilor intamplarea de
teama sa n# rada de el. $. ?# era nevoie sa il s#ni B stia deja despre ce e vorba.
5II. !ranslate into English:
Sta# deseori pe #n sca#n in carci#ma mea preferata sa bea# #n pahar de bere si sa
citesc >iar#l de seara. .bia da c# ochii de mine- cand !om isi si trage sca#n#l langa al
me# si incepe: C8oate am dreptate- sa# poate gresescC- sp#ne el- Cdar e #n l#cr# pe care
treb#ie sa<l admit- Elena este sig#r cea mai drag#ta fata din l#meAC
=areori ma iarta de povara de a<l asc#lta. 6ateodata imi vine sa<i >ic: C7ei-
batrane- mai c#rand mi<as citi >iar#l decat sa te asc#ltC- dar de obicei n# ma lasa inima sa<
i sp#n. Imi >ic doar mie: C6hiar treb#ie sa vorbeasca atat de m#lt despre ea? :e ce #ita ca
exista o limita a drept#rilor prieteniei si ca prietenii n# ar treb#i sa devina groa>nic de
plicticosi? .r treb#i sa existe o lege impotriva acest#i l#cr#AC
6at despre mine- daca sta# sa<l asc#lt de fiecare data cand ma d#c la carci#ma-
n#<mi ramane decat #n l#cr# de fac#t- sa<mi schimb carci#ma. Si apoi nici n# ma
interesea>a fr#m#setea Elenei. Sig#r- n# indra>nesc sa<i sp#n toate astea l#i !om. S#ntem
prieteni si n#<mi permit sa fac nimic care i<ar rani sentimentele. In orice ca>- n<as dori.
:ar de ce n<ar fi si el mai atent? Si<ar p#tea pierde toti prietenii altfel. Ei n# s#porta asta-
mai c#rand ar ren#nta la prietenia l#i. 6el mai bine e sa<i sp#n- asa- ca intre prieteni- sa<si
pastre>e emotiile pentr# el.