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Question
Indira and Mary are discussing their holiday plans. Read the dialogue and fill in the blanks by using suitable modals.
Indira : I'm so thrilled the exams are over.
Let's go to the North-East this time.
Mary : Yes. I'd love that. Where exactly do you want to go?
Indira : I'd like to go to Cherapunji.
Mary : That's hardly the place to go to. You see, it________ raining
there, especially at this time of the year. Let's go to Shillong instead.
Indira : Why Shillong?
Mary : Indira, I've lived in that place. You'll love it and the weather _______
really perlect now.
Indira : Okay, it's Shillong then. But tell me, do I need to carry woollens?
Mary : Not really. It's quite pleasant, but the nights ________ chilly, so bring a sweater.
Indira : And what about getting there?
Mary : Well ....... you could fly to Juwahah, and then you can catch a bus to
Shillong.
Indira : How far is Shillong?
Mary : It ________ about 80 kilometres. It a three hour ___________ drive by taxi.
Solution
Indira : I'm so thrilled the exams are over.
Let's go to the North-East this time.
Mary : Yes. I'd love that. Where exactly do you want to go?
Indira : I'd like to go to Cherapunji.
Mary : That's hardly the place to go to. You see, it could be raining
there, especially at this time of the year. Let's go to Shillong instead.
Indira : Why Shillong?
Mary : Indira, I've lived in that place. You'll love it and the weather might be really perlect now.
Indira : Okay, it's Shillong then. But tell me, do I need to carry woollens?
Mary : Not really. It's quite pleasant, but the nights may be chilly, so bring a sweater.
Indira : And what about getting there?
Mary : Well might be you could fly to Juwahah, and then you can catch a bus to
Shillong.
Indira : How far is Shillong?
Mary : It must be about 80 kilometres. It a three hour may be drive by taxi.
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RELATED QUESTIONS
Now complete the following dialogues using only one word for each blank on the basis of the pictures given above.
a) Manav: Suma is playing the violin very well.
Priya Yes; _________you play any musical instrument?
Manav: I ________. But I have learnt vocal music.
b) Peter : It's suddenly become dark.
Nandiya : Yes; Thick clouds have gathered in the sky. It
_______ rain this evening.
c) Abdullah : Ma'm , I'm a little late.
________I enter the class?
Teacher : You _________I'm afraid late coming has become a habit with you.
d) Father : Take this. You_______ not forget to wear your helmet while riding your motorbike.
Son : Thanks, Dad. I forgot to pick it up.
The words that you have used to fill in the blanks denote certain attitudes and functions. Match column (A) with column (B) for the dialogues that you have completed.
|
A Attitudes and Functions |
B Dialogues |
|
|
| The words that you have used are called MODALS. They belong to a large category of auxiliary verbs, i.e. helping verbs that cannot be used on their own, but to be used in conjunction with other main verbs. |
Given below are some dialogues. Circle the modals and underline the main verbs in the italicised portions of the dialogues :-
a) A: Raju has fractured his arm.
B: But still he can write.
b) A: I have still some shopping to do. May I leave my bag in your store?
B: Yes, but please collect it before 8.00 pm.
c) A: The coffee is rather bitter. Would you please pass some sugar?
B: No, you must not take any sugar.
Have you forgotten your doctor's advice?
d) A: I'll not be able to finish my assignment in time.
B: Shall I do the drawings for you?
e) A: Jamilahasn'tcomeyet. It'salreadyverylate.
B: She may come tomorrow.
f) A: Someone is knocking on the door.
B: I'll open it- it'll be the maid.
g) A: My feet get swollen in the evening.
B: Then you must consult a doctor.
Match the highlighted portions or the dialogues with the attitudes and functions denoted by the modals used in them.
Dialogue Attitudes and functions
a) ...... he can write offering (help)
b) ....... would you please pass .... . necessity
c) ........ you must not ......... . requesting
d) shall I do .......... . asking for permission
e) she may come ......... . advising
f) ....... It'll be the maid. logical deduction
g) ........ you must consult ....... . ability
h) May I leave ............. . possibility
Look at the following sentences:
a) He needn't come to office tomorrow.
b) He needed permission to take a day off.
What is the difference in the use of 'need' between the above sentences?
• In sentence (a) 'need' is used as a _____ verb because ______
• In sentence (b) 'need' is used as a _____ verb because ______
a) are followed by a main verb in its bare infinitive form (e.g. I must go) |
Look at the picture. What do you think is happening? Discuss in small groups. Use the modals given in the box.
| could be , might be, must be may be |
'Can' and 'Could' also denote ability. Rewrite the following sentences as shown in the example using 'Can' or 'Could'.
Example: Parents who are able to support their children should not apply for scholarship. Parents who can support their children should not apply for scholarship.
a) After proper investigation, the police were able to nail the culprit.
________________________
b) After the examinations, I shall be able to go home for a week.
________________________
c) In spite of the sincere efforts of the coach, the team is not able to win a single trophy.
________________________
Have you noticed that 'can' is used to denote ability in the present and future and 'could' is used to denote ability in the past? However, remember that 'could' refers to past time only when the context makes the time clear.
Read the following report or a school cricket match and underline all the modals and the verbs accompanying them. Underline the modals red and the verbs green.
Our school cricket team is practicing really hard for the zonal matches. I have no doubt that we will beat the local teams vecy easily, but when it comes to the outside teams, I am not as confident. Our boys must work vecy hard. Perhaps they could do some yoga exercises to improve their concentration. They need not worcy about their fitness at this stage, but they should follow a strict routine.
Last year they had to struggle to reach the finals. The draw might have been a little unfavourable to them but they shouldn't have neglected their fielding. This landed them in trouble in the quarter finals. This year our team should tcy and do better in the field. We lost the finals last year mainly because of floored catches! A casual approach to this aspect must have been the cause of our failure at the crucial stage. So our team ought to improve its fielding and get its batting to click
You will have noticed in Cl that modals are used with a main verb to refer to the past, present or future. In pairs, look at the modals you have underlined and complete the table below. You may have noticed sometimes that the same modal is used to refer to the present as well as the future.
| Present | Past | Future |
|
Must ______________ ______________ |
______________ ______________ |
will ___________ ___________ |
Complete the following paragraph on a school sport meeting by ruling in the blanks with could not have, might not have, should not have or would not have.
At this year's sports meeting, many records were broken but the reigning sports champion, Ravi, surprisingly could not make it to the finals in any of his favourite events. Perhaps he_______ missed so many of his practice sessions. His coach tends to think that he __________ had the time to get fit enough because of his special classes in the evenings. Even if he had tried, he_________beaten Ramu, who was much better prepared. If it had not been for Ramu, our school___________ gained a place in the draw of the inter school tournament.
Anant has retumed from an interview. Read the dialogue, that takes place between Anant and his father. In pairs, ml in the blanks using any suitable modals. To help you, the number of words you need to use is given in brackets.
Father : Well, Anant, how was the interview ?
Anant : Father, it was a real nightmare. Just about everything went wrong. I was late. I didn't have the required papers and the GK questions ........ !
Father : Really I Anant, please don't think I'm lecturing you, but I'd like to say something about how you ________(2) handled the whole business better.
Anant : Father, I wish you ________ (2) say that. You ______ (2) seen the amount of effort I put in.
Father : Well .... I have my doubts about that. First, let's take up this business about being late.
Anant : Please remember I only got six days' notice.
Father : No, my dear, it was more than that. Ifl'm not mistaken, you got the interview call on Saturday itself. Ifl'd been you, I______ (2) begun my preparation on Saturday itself. Honestly you (3) gone off on that weekend trip.
Anant : Father you know I'd been planning to go on that trip for ages.
Father : Well ..... if you had stayed home you _______ (2) made a list of the papers required and filed them systematically.
Anant : Yes, perhaps you're right, but father- those GK questions .... ?
Father : What about them? Haven't you been reading the papers regularly?
Anant: Yes of course. But those questions were so outdated. I ______ (3)
answered them even if I had read the paper every single day for the past 10 years.
Father : Anant, there is no point complaining now. You _______ (1)/ (2) be
prepared to be more alert about these things.
