NEW MIDDLE EAST INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL - RIYADH

ENGLISH GRAMMAR HANDOUTS FOR GRADES IX & X [CBSE]

ENGLISH TEACHERS:
MRS. RAHEEMA MRS. MYTHILI SRINIVASAN, MRS. REEM KHALID, & MRS. SHEEMA RAFAT
 CONTENTS

S. NO. GRAMMAR TOPIC PAGE NUMBERS

1. TENSES 2-9

2. DETERMINERS 10-17

3. MODALS 17 - 24

4. REPORTED SPEECH

5. SUBJECT- VERB CONCORD

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 NEW MIDDLE EAST INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL- RIYADH

NAME: GRADE: IX / X SEC: DATE:

SUBJECT: ENGLISH SUBJECT CODE:184 TENSES HANDOUT

TENSES
The word Tense is derived from Latin word ‘Tempus’ which means time. A verb indicates
time of an action, event and or condition by changing its form. The verb tenses can be
categorized according to the time frame.

 Present Tense
 Past Tense
 Future Tense
Verb tenses may also be categorized according to the aspect. Aspect refers to the nature of the
action described by the verb. There are four aspects:
 Indefinite or Simple
 Continuous or progressive
 Perfect or complete
 Perfect continuous
PRESENT TENSE
Simple Present Tense or Present Indefinite Tense:
Syntax: Affirmative : Sub + V1 (s/ es/ ies - 3rd person singular) + 0bj.
Negative : I/We/You/They + do not + V1 + Obj.
He/She/It + does not + V1 + Obj.
Interrogative : Do/Does + Sub + V1 + Obj?
Wh-family + do/does + Sub +V1 + Obj?
Uses : The Simple Present Tense is used:
 To express what is taking place at the present moment.
Eg. Shyam writes a letter.
 To express a repeated, customary or a habitual action.
Eg. I get up early in the morning.
 To express a universal / general truth.
Eg. The sun rises in the East.
 Express subordinate clause if the principal clause is the Simple Future

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 Eg. If she prepares well, she will score good marks.
 Used in commentaries for sports
Eg. Martin passes the ball, kicks it, Ah! It’s a goal.
 Key time words that are generally used for simple present:
Always, often, usually, regularly, often, every day, rarely, scarcely, (once, twice, three
times a day, a week, a month, a year), daily, weekly, monthly, yearly. General facts.
Present Continuous Tense:
Syntax: Affirmative : Sub + am / is / are + V-ing + 0bj.
Negative : Sub + is/am/are + not +V-ing + Obj.
Interrogative : Is /Am /Are + sub +V-ing + Obj ?
Uses : The Present Continuous Tense is used:
 To show that an action is in progress and is incomplete at the moment of speaking.
Eg. Raj is playing cricket.
 To express an activity happening around but not necessarily at that moment.
Eg. Ganesh is studying very hard for his exams these days.
 To express an action that will happen in the near future. Especially a planned future event.
Eg. India and Pakistan are playing one-day series next month. (Affirmative)
 Further Examples:
She is not going to the market. (Negative)
 Is he playing cricket? (Interrogative)
[Do all verbs have continuous/progressive form?
No! Verbs referring to mental states (emotions) like know, love, want, feel, desire……, the
senses like smell, taste, see……. Don’t have continuous/progressive form
e.g. I am respecting you. (incorrect). I respect you. . (correct)
 Key words / phrases : now, right now, at the moment, (this week, month, semester, term,
season, year), today, look, listen, be careful, be quiet… etc.

Present Perfect Tense:

Syntax : Affirmative : Sub + have /has + V3 + 0bj.
Negative : Sub + have/has + not + v3 + Obj.
Interrogative : Have/ Has + Sub + v3 + Obj ?
Uses : The Present Perfect Tense is used:
 To indicate completed activities in the immediate past.
Eg. I have done my homework. .
 To express past actions whose time isn't given and is not definite.
Eg. Ali has been to England.
 To express an action that began in the past and continued for the present moment.
Eg. I have lived in Riyadh for ten years. (Affirmative)

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 I have lived in Riyadh since 2000. (Affirmative)
 Describe a past action which is important for its effect in the present and not in itself.
Eg. I have stopped smoking.
 Further examples:
I have not finished my work. (Negative)
Has Nisha read the novel? (Interrogative)
 Words often used with the Present Perfect tense are :
Yet, so far, never, ever, already, since, just, just now , several times

Present Perfect Continuous Tense:

Syntax: Affirmative : S + have / has + been + V-ing + since/ for + time.
Negative : Sub + have/has + not + been + v-ing + obj.
Interrogative : Have/ Has + sub + been +v-ing + obj ?
[since : suggests the ‘point of time’. for : suggests the ‘period of time’]
Uses : The Present Perfect Continuous Tense is used:
 To express an action which began in the past but is still continuing.
Eg. Hassan has been playing for two hours. (Affirmative)
You haven't been living in Riyadh since 2000. (Negative)
Have they been climbing the mountain for two weeks? (Interrogative)

PAST TENSE
Simple Past Tense or Past Indefinite Tense:
Syntax : Affirmative : Sub +V2 + 0bj.
Negative : Sub + did not + V1+ obj.
Interrogative : Did + sub + V1 + obj ?
Wh-family + did + sub +V1 + obj ?
Uses: The Simple Past Tense is used:
 To indicate something that happened at a specific time in the past. (we can say it using a
time adverb)
Eg. She arrived at the airport at 2 o' clock this morning.
We wrote a letter to our grandmother last week.
 To express an action completed in the past with reference to the time of speaking.
Eg. You reached school late on that day.
An accident took place in front of our house.
 To express habitual or regular action in the past.
Eg. I went out for a walk daily in the morning.
Vani worked hard to succeed.
 The habitual past can also be expressed by using 'used to'
Eg. When I was a student, I used to keep late hours.
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 We used to come to this library very often.
 To express an action which occupied a period of time in the past which is now ended.
Eg. We lived in this house for ten years. (do not live there ..now)
I stayed at the Taj Hotel for two months. (not staying now)
 Simple Past is used with time expressions such as these- yesterday, three weeks ago,
last year, in 2002, from March to June (past months), for a long time, for 6 weeks, in the
1980s, in the last century, in the past, …

Past Continuous Tense

Syntax: Affirmative : Sub + was /were + V-ing + 0bj.
Negative : Sub + was /were + not + v-ing + obj.
Interrogative : Was/ Were + sub + v-ing + obj ?
Uses : The Past Continuous Tense is used:
 To express an action that was happening in the past at the time of speaking
Eg. She was crying at the top of her voice. (Affirmative)
They were not making a noise. (Negative)
Were the milkmen milking the cows? (Interrogative)

Past Perfect Tense:

Syntax: Affirmative : Sub + had +V3 + 0bj.
Negative : Sub + had + not + v3 + obj.
Interrogative : Had + sub + v3 + obj?
Uses : The Past Perfect Tense is used:
 To express an action completed before another action took place.
(First completed action -Past Perfect Tense
Second completed action -Simple Past Tense)
Eg. When he came to me, I had posted the letter. (Affirmative)
The match had begun before I reached the playground. (Affirmative)
The maid didn’t leave after she had completed her work. (Negative)
Had the doctor arrived before the patient died? (Interrogative)
Past Perfect Continuous Tense:
Syntax: Affirmative : Sub+ had+ been+ V-ing + since / for + time / extension.
Negative : Sub + had + not + been + v-ing + obj.
Interrogative : Had + sub + been + v-ing + obj?
Uses : The Past Perfect Continuous Tense is used:
 To express an action that had been going on for some time in the past.
Eg. Children had been playing since morning. (Affirmative)
It had not been drizzling since morning. (Negative)

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 Had you been waiting for me for two hours? (Interrogative)

FUTURE TENSE
Simple Future Tense or Future Indefinite Tense:
Syntax: Affirmative : Sub + will / shall+ V1 +0bj.
Negative : He / She / It + shall / will not + V1 + obj.
Interrogative : Shall / Will + sub + V1 + obj ?
Wh -family + shall / will + sub +V1 + obj?
Uses : The Simple Future Tense is used:
 To denote an action that has still to take place.
Eg. We shall go to Dubai tomorrow. (Affirmative)
You will sing a song. (Affirmative)
I shall not work. (Negative)
Will you take part in drama? (Interrogative)
 To express announcements of future plans and weather forecast.
Eg. The flood water will continue to recede now.
 Words often used with the Simple Future are – tomorrow, next,…

Future Continuous Tense:

Syntax: Affirmative : Sub + will / shall + be +V-ing + 0bj.
Negative : Sub + shall /will + be + not + v-ing + obj.
Interrogative : Shall / Will + sub + be + v -ing + obj?
Uses : The Future Continuous Tense is used:
 To denote an action as going on at some time in the future.
Eg. I shall be giving a lecture on Google Meet tomorrow. (Affirmative)
He will be taking his exam next week. (Affirmative)
The farmers will not be watering the plants at this time. (Negative)
Will you be taking part in the debate? (Interrogative)

Future Perfect Tense:

Syntax: Affirmative : Sub + will / shall + have + V3 + 0bj.
Negative : Sub + shall / will + not + have + v3 + obj.
Interrogative : Shall / Will + sub + have + v3 + obj ?
Uses : The Future Perfect Tense is used:
 To indicate completion of an action by a certain future time.
Eg. David will have done his homework by the time I reach home.
I shall have revised my lesson by 9 pm.
The plane will not have landed by the time you reach the airport.
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 Will the boys have gone to their school? (Interrogative)
The order of her transfer will not have come by June. (Negative)
Future Perfect Continuous Tense:
Syntax : Affirmative: Sub +will / shall+ have+ been+ V-ing + extension + since/for + time.
Negative : Sub + shall / will + not + have been + v-ing + obj.
Interrogative : Will / Shall + sub + have been + v-ing + obj ?
Uses : The Future Perfect Continuous Tense is used:
 To indicate an action represented as being in progress over a period of time that will end
in the future. It is normally used with a time expansion beginning with 'by'.
Eg. By the end of the month he will have been studying here for ten years.
Note: This tense is not used in modern English. (Can be found in old novels)

Use of the 'be going to'

 The 'be going to' form always implies a premeditated intention and plan
(Preparations for the action are made)
Eg. I have bought some bricks and I am going to build a garage.
Qn: Why is he carrying his guitar? Ans: He is going to play it in the competition.
 If the intention is clearly unpremeditated, we must use 'will'
Eg. There is somebody at the hall door. I will go and open it.
This is a terribly heavy box. I will help you to carry it.
 The ' be going to' form is used for prediction. It can express the speaker's feeling of
certainty. The time is usually not mentioned, but the action is expected to happen in the
near or immediate future.
Eg. How pale that girl is! I'm sure she is going to faint.

VERB FORMS

Verb Forms : Three forms of verbs:

V1. = Infinitive/ Plain form of the verb
V2= Past form of the verb
V3=Past Participle form of the verb
[V- ing form = Present Participle form of the Verb]

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V1- Present Form V2- Past Form V3 – Past Participle Form
arise arose arisen
become became become
cost cost cost
do did done
go went gone
upset upset upset
hide hid hidden
outdo outdid outdone
see saw seen
meet met met

NOTES

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Page 9 of 25
 NEW MIDDLE EAST INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL- RIYADH

NAME: GRADE: IX / X SEC: DATE:

SUBJECT: ENGLISH SUBJECT CODE:184 DETERMINERS HANDOUT

DETERMINERS
Determiners are words such as - the, my, this, some, twenty, each, any, which are used
before nouns. Like adjectives, determiners also qualify the nouns that follow. The function
of determiners is to ‘express reference’ i.e. they clarify what a noun is referring to.
Examples: my uncle, the best students, every house, that book, some files, five green
chairs... etc.
Kinds of Determiners:
1. Demonstrative : This, that, these, those
2. Distributives : Either, neither, each, every
3. Quantifiers : Some, any, much, many, several, little, a little, the little, few, a few,
the few, both, all, a lot of, lots of, a large number of, a great deal of.
4. Interrogative : What, which, whose
5. Possessives : My, our, your, his, her, its, their
6. Articles : a, an, the
1. DEMONSTRATIVES :
This; that; these; those.
‘This – singular ; These -Plural’
 It refers to person(s) or thing(s) near the speaker.
Eg. This book is very interesting.
These flowers are very beautiful.
This is the best coffee I have had.
These magazines are very good.
‘That – singular ; Those – plural’
 It refers to person(s) or thing(s) far from the speaker.
Eg. Get that dog out of here.
Those houses are for sale.
 It is used to avoid the repetition of the preceding noun(s).
Eg. My bat is better than that of my friend.
Our soldiers are better equipped than those of any other country.
2. DISTRIBUTIVES:
Either; neither; each; every.
 Either has two meanings (1) one of two, or (2) each of two, that is both.

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 Eg. You can read either of the books. (one or the other)
You can park your car on either side of the road. (both sides)
 Neither is the negative of either and means neither the one nor the other.
Eg. Neither France nor Belgium won the 2021 Euro Cup..
Hari answered neither of the two questions (did not answer both).
 Each means one of two things or one of any number exceeding two.
Eg. Each of them had a balloon in his hand.
Each of you can sit here.
 Every is used in speaking of some number exceeding two as :
Eg. Every student wants to take part in the beauty contest.
Every child is said to have his/ her own special abilities.
3. QUANTITATIVE :
Much; many :
 Much stands for quantity and many for number.
Eg. There is not much milk left in the fridge.
How many boys are present in the class?
Many people went to welcome the Indian Cricket team.
 For much the following words can also be used.
a great deal (of); a good deal (of); a large quantity (of); plenty (of); a lot (of).
 For many these expressions can also be used : a great many; a good many; a great
number ( plenty (of); lots of.
Little; a little; the little :
 Little means hardly any or not much. It is used in a negative sense.
Eg. There was little hope left for his survival.
He had little money left to buy food.
 A little means some at least (a positive sense).
Eg. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
A little tea was still left for him to drink.
 The little can be used both positively and negatively.
Eg. The little money he had, he kept safe for the future. (Positive sense)
He wasted even the little money he had. (Negative sense)
Few; a few; the few :
 Few means not many (negative meaning).
Eg. Few students attended the lecture.
There are few books on Geography in the library.
 A few means some at least (positive meaning).
Eg. A few books are still lying with him.
A few patients still waited for the doctor in the clinic.
 The few means not many can be used both ways.

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 Eg. His rudeness lost him the support of the few friends he had.
The above sentence means (i) He lost all the friends he had.
(ii) His friends were not many.

 Some is used for affirmative sentences.

Eg. There were some vegetables in the fridge.
 Any is used in negative sentences.
Eg. I do not have any books on political Science.
 Some and any are used in Interrogative and conditional sentences also.
Eg. Will you pass me some sugar?
Did you buy any fruits?
If you see any roses in the market; please buy some for me.
 More is used for Comparatives - comparing two things.
Eg. I tend to be more reluctant than my friends when trying new things.
 Less refers to quantity.
Eg. The less you eat, the better it will be for your health.
 Fewer is used with reference to number.
Eg. No fewer than fifty schools were closed down.
There are fewer cars here.
 Several is usually used to indicate an imprecise number that is not very large but
more than two.
Eg. There were several deaths during the floods in U.P.
There were several cases of fraud pending against him in the court.
Eg. Several books are missing from the library. (many)
 All is mostly used with a plural verb when followed by a countable plural noun. It
includes all the persons or things of a particular kind.
Eg. Have they all passed?
All children cannot be treated in the same manner.
 Both is mostly used to talk about two things of the same kind. It is used to show that
two persons or things are involved rather than one
Eg. Both Raman and Raghav went out for a movie.
He held oranges in both his hands.
 One is used when we are talking or writing about a group and we want to say
something about a particular member of the group. It is used in place of ‘a’ or ‘an’
and it explains things more clearly.
Eg. I know one restaurant where you can get amazing Chinese food.
One man was falsely framed in a murder case.
 Another can be used with a singular countable noun to talk about an additional
person or thing of the same type.
Eg. Can I have another cup of coffee?
He opened another branch last month.
 Other is used with plural nouns or sometimes with uncountable nouns.
Eg. Other people might not have thought like this.
The students are busy in other activities rather than participating in the math class.
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 Enough is used before uncountable nouns or plural nouns to say that there is
something that is sufficient and enough as much as needed.
Eg. The hotel had enough rooms for all the guests.
They did not have enough storage to store all that they had ordered for.
 Most is used to indicate nearly all of an amount or of a group.
Eg. Most of the people do not recover from this fatal disease.
Most of the people in India are working class.
4. INTERROGATIVE :
What; which; whose
Eg. What exercise are you doing now?
Which school do you go to?
Whose clothes are scattered on the bed?
5. POSSESSIVES :
My; your; his; her; our; their.
Eg. My friends are very punctual, but his friends always come late.
Their house is very close to the market but our house is a mile away.
Your dog barks too much, but her dog is well trained.
6. ARTICLES :
 A, an and the are called Articles. There are two Articles 1. a or an 2. the.
 A and An are called the Indefinite Article. It refers to an object not specifically
known to the person we are communicating with. Its used for the first time we
introduce an object. It’s used for objects that are not specific to one of several things
of a similar type. for the first time
I read a book yesterday.
The cook is wearing an apron.
 The is called the Definite Article. It usually precedes a specific or previously
mentioned noun. It is used when both the speaker and the listener know which noun
is being referred to. It particularises a person or thing ; as-
He ran after the thief. (some particular thief)
An Article is generally used before a Common Noun, Singular Number;
Here is a letter for you.
There comes an ox.
This is the book I want.
 But if the Common Noun in the Singular is used in a general sense, then no Article is
used ; as-
Woman is powerful.
USE OF THE INDEFINITE ARTICLE
The Indefinite Article is used:-
 In numeral sense meaning one ; as-
Seven days make a week.

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 Not a word did he speak.
 To represent a class ; as-
A donkey is a beast of burden.
A subordinate should obey his boss.
 In the vague sense of a certain ; as-
One night a thief broke into his house.
In old days there was a king in India.
 To generalise the Proper Noun ; as-
He is a Newton. (as able as Newton)
USE OF ‘A’ AND ‘AN’
 A is used with a word having a consonant sound whether the word begin with a
Vowel or a Consonant.
A man, a book, a pen, a B.A., a useful book, a one-eyed donkey, a European,..
 An is used before a word beginning with a vowel sound ; as--
An eye, an elephant, an ox, an inkpot, an hour, an heir, an honest man, An M.A,
an S.D.O., an M.P.
USE OF THE DEFINITE ARTICLE ‘THE’
The is used :-
1. To particularise a person or a thing, or one well-known to us or one already
mentioned; as-
I have lost the pen that you gave me.
Let us go to the bazaar.
The thief was taken to the police -station.
He sent me a book. The book was interesting.
2. When a Singular Noun represents the whole class ; as -
The fox is a cunning animal.
The lion is the king of beasts.
Exception: Man is mortal. Woman is fickle.
3. Before Proper, Material and Abstract Nouns used as Common Noun ; as-
Kalidas is the Shakespeare of India. ·
Bangkok is the Venice of the East.
Always speak the truth.
The cotton of Egypt is superior to that of India.
4. With names of seas, Oceans, gulfs, rivers, groups of islands and mountains; as-
The Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean, the Persian Gulf, the Ganges, the East Indies,
the Himalayas.
5. Before the names of sacred books, newspapers, magazines, ships and well- known
buildings; as- The Gita, the Tribune, the Indian Review, the Delhi (ships), the Taj.
6. Before the descriptive names of countries and provinces ; as--
The Punjab, the Uttar Pradesh, the U.S.A., the Deccan.
7. Before the names of unique objects ; as-
The sun, the moon, the earth, the sky.

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8. Before a Proper Noun when qualified by an Adjective or defining Adjective
Clause; as- The great Ashoka, the immortal Tagore.
9. With an Adjective to represent a class ; aa-
The rich should not look down upon the poor.
10. With the Superlative and in certain cases with Comparative Degree ; as-
Mahatma Gandhi was the greatest man of the world.
She sings the better of the two.
The more, the merrier.
11. To lay emphasis ; as-
He is the man for the work.
12. Before Ordinals ; as-
The second girl in the first row is my sister.
13. Before the Nations and Communities ; as-
The Hindus, the English, the Burmese.
14. In place of a Possessive Adjective ; as-
He held me by the arm.
15. Use “the” with dates, decades, and centuries. Don’t use an article with years,
months, days, or hours.as-
I shall come back on the 13th of May.
in the 20th Century, in the 1980’s
16. With the Cardinal points ; as-
The sun rises from the East and sets in the West.
17. Before the Adjectives 'same' and 'whole' and after the Adjectives 'all' and 'both'; as-
This is the same pen you gave me.
The whole class was absent.
All the boys are present.
Both the friends are jolly.
18. We also say :
In the end, all the same, by the way, to go to the dogs, to go to the wall, in the nick
of time, in the face of, out of the question, on the one hand, on the whole, on the
eve of, etc.
OMISSION OF THE ARTICLE
1) The Article is not used before :-
Proper, Material and Abstract Nouns when they are used in general sense; as-
Ram is the monitor of our class.
Coal is not found in Pakistan.
Patience is a virtue.
[Note :
 When Proper, Material and Abstract Noun are particularised. The is used before
them; as-
Prem is the Newton of our class.
The sugar of Java is not superior to that of India.
The beauty of the garden is unique.

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 The is used before Proper Nouns preceded by Adjectives as-
The honest Kishan.]
2) The Common Nouns in the Plural ; as-
Children like sweets.
3) The Common Nouns used in the widest sense ; as-
Man is a social animal.
4) A Common Noun preceded by 'kind of ; as-
What kind of a man is he?
5) Common Noun used in pairs ; as-
Both husband and wife are poets.
6) Nouns used as complements; as-
They selected him President.
He was appointed monitor.
7) A title used in Apposition to a Proper Noun ; as-
R. Venkataraman President of India.
Elizabeth, Queen of England.
8) The names of lakes, capes, countries, continents, cities ;days, months, languages
etc.; as- Lake Sambher, Cape of Good Hope, England, Europe, Sonepat,
Monday, March, English etc.

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NOTES

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 NEW MIDDLE EAST INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL- RIYADH

NAME: GRADE: IX / X SEC: DATE:

SUBJECT: ENGLISH SUBJECT CODE:184 MODALS HANDOUT

MODALS
An Auxiliary verb / Helping verb helps the main verb of the sentence by adding tense, mood,
voice, or modality to the main verb. Auxiliary verbs cannot stand alone in sentences; they have
to be connected to a main verb to make sense.

KINDS OF AUXILIARY VERBS

The Auxiliaries are two kinds: Primary Auxiliaries and Modal Auxiliaries
1. Primary Auxiliaries: Primary auxiliary verbs include “be,” “do,” and “have,” and
they can be conjugated to form different tenses, voices, and moods. These verbs can
also function as action verbs. Primary Auxiliaries are used as main verbs to denote
time (present, past and future).

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2. Modal Auxiliaries: Modal auxiliary verbs are verbs that add functional or
grammatical meaning to the clause in which it occurs, so as to express tense, aspect,
modality, voice, emphasis, likelihood, ability, permission, request, capacity,
suggestions, order, obligation or advice, possibility etc. It gives additional
information about the main verb that follows it.

LIST OF MODAL VERBS

1. can 2. could 3. may 4. might 5. will 6. would 7. shall 8. should 9. must 10. used to
11. ought to 12. need 13. dare ( and their negatives)

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF MODALS:

1. Modals are never used alone. A principal verb is either present or implied: as
Eg. I can sing. He will help you.
Principal verb Principal verb

2. Modals do not change according to the number or person of the subject; as-
I can. We can. You can. They can. etc.
I may. We may. You may. They may. etc.
3. Modal verbs are called defective verbs- as they don’t have Infinitive, Present
Participle or Past Participle forms.

4. Unlike be forms- [is, am, are, was, were] have forms- [have, has, had] and do forms-
[do, does, did], the modal auxiliaries cannot function as main verbs except in a few
cases. Modals cannot be used in all the tenses. When a modal does not fall in this pattern,
it works as a Principal Verb; as--
Eg. God willed so. He needs a pen. My brother dared to go into the dense forest.
main verb main verb main verb
(Here will, need and dare are used as main verbs)

RELATIONSHIP OF MODALS WITH TENSES

1. May, can, shall and will are in present forms while might, could, should, and
would are their past forms. The two forms express different meanings, but usually no
difference of time, Eg. the difference between may and might is often that of degree of
probability as –

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 Eg. Rohit may come today. ( possibility / likely to happen)
Rohit might come today. ( remote possibility/ less likely)

2. To form past tense of modals, use could, would, or should followed by have, followed
by a past participle verb [ could / would / should / might + have + V3] Use have for all
pronouns; never use has or had to form a past modal. Here are some examples:
Eg. She could have gone to any college she wanted to.
I would have gone to the party, but I was tired.
He should have told the truth about what he saw.
You ought to have told me all the facts.

USES OF MODALS
1. CAN / 2. COULD

'Can' is used for all persons in the ‘Could' is the Past Tense of ‘Can’
present tense.  To express the Past Tense of can' in the
 To express permission: Reported Speech:
You can take my pen She said that I could also sing.
 To express ability: He asked me if I could help him.
I can play the guitar.  To express ability:
He can read Japanese language. I could answer all the questions.
 To express possibility: She could not win the watch.
Anyone can make mistake.  To express a polite request;
Accidents can happen to anyone. Could you show me your pen?
 ‘Can't help' means can’t avoid. It is Could I consult you in this matter again?
used in an idiomatic sense.
It is so funny. I can't help laughing.

3. MAY / 4. MIGHT

‘May’ is used for all persons of the  To express the Past Tense of 'May' in the
present and future tense. Reported Speech;
 To seek or grant permission; I said that he might take my bicycle.
May I call on you tomorrow? Yes, He asked me if he might come in.
you may.

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 You may go home now.  To express a doubtful possibility;
 To express possibility; Might' expresses greater doubt than may.
She works hard now. She may pass. Might' suggests remote /distant possibility;
You may not reach there in time. The Inspector might visit the school.
 To express a wish or prayer;  To express a purpose:
May you be happy and prosperous! I saw the Principal so that I might seek his
May God have mercy on you! permission to go home.
She worked hard so that she might pass.
 To seek permission:
‘Might I’ can be used instead of ‘May I’
when asking for permission and 'Might I' is a
more polite form. The use of ' might' shows
that the speaker is rather hesitant or doubtful
about making the request; as-
1. May I use your phone?
2. Might I use your phone?
Both express the same idea, but the second
sentence is more polite.
 To put forward a suggestion or offer an
advice.
You might try again. [you are a little hesitant
about it]
 In conditional sentences:
May/Might can be used instead of shall / will and should / would in the
conditional sentences respectively to express a possible result; as-
If you run fast, you may win the gold medal. (possibility) ,
If she had left early, she might have reached by now.

5. WILL / 6. SHALL

 With the second and third persons, 'will'  With the first person, 'shall' is used
is used to express simple future: to express simple future;
He will assign the task tomorrow. We shall leave for Delhi tomorrow.
Lata will sing a song. I shall go for a long drive this
You will study in the evening. evening.

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 With the first person ‘will’ expresses  To express an offer or suggestion;
determination, promise, threat, offer or Shall I shut the window?
willingness; Shall we sit in the lawn?
I will return your book tomorrow. (Promise)  With the second and third persons,
We will fight to the last. (Determination) 'shall' is used to express a command;
I will punish you, if you do not speak the You shall do it.
truth. (Threat) You shall remain here till he comes.
l will carry that parcel for you.(offer) He shall report for duty at 8.30 a.m.
I will help you as far as possible. tomorrow.
(willingness) To express a threat;
 To express an invitation or request. You shall die for it.
Will you care for a cup of tea? You shall not study further if you fail.
(Invitation ) She shall be punished for her misdeeds.
Will you please lend me your pen? He shall be sacked for his negligence.
(Request)  To express a promise;
 To express something that happens again You shall get leave today.
and again and is likely to recur; You shall have a scooter, if you pass.
The old woman will sit in the park and He shall get a reward for his
sing songs. faithfulness.
Some people will walk in the middle of the  To express command or wish
road. if used with the third person
 To express quantity or capacity and Shall he carry your luggage?
prediction; Shall he wait outside for you?
This jug will hold two litres of water.  When shall is used in questions, it
Two hundred persons will be seated in this asks the will or desire addressed:
tent. Shall I accompany you to the market?
It is too cloudy, it will rain. Shall we enjoy boating in the lake?

 ‘Shall’ or ‘will’ used in interrogative sentences shows intention or wish of the

speaker-
Will you please show me your box?
Will he accompany me to the railway station?
Shall I take the test again?
Shall we go for a picnic on Sunday?

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 7. SHOULD / 8. WOULD
'Should' is the Past Tense of 'shall' ‘Would’ is the Past Tense of ‘will’
 To express the Past Tense in the  To express the Past tense of all or shall in
Indirect Speech; the Indirect speech;
He asked me if I should help him. You said, “I shall take the test tomorrow." –
The Principal told the teachers that Direct
they should reach school at ten on You said that you would take the test the next
Sunday. day. - Indirect
 To express duty or obligation; She said that she would also fly kites
We should respect our elders.  To express a habitual activity in the Past;
He should speak the truth. In her village she would sit by the river and
 To express logical necessity or watch the rippling waves.
probability; In winter he would study till late at night.
She should be by her ailing mother at After dinner he would go out for a stroll.
this time.  To express a suggestion or polite request;
My shirt should be ready by now. Would you mind opening the window?
 To express probable condition: Would you please show me your bank?
Should he come here, give him my  To express a wish or desire;
message. Would that he were here at this time?
Should they play well, they will win. I would like to explain my point of view.
[If they should play well, they will
win.]

9. OUGHT

 It means the same thing as "should," and is used in the same ways, although
"ought" is less forceful . It is followed by the Infinitive with 'to';
 ‘Ought to' is used to express a sense of duty or moral or social obligation.
Students ought to prepare well for their examinations. (Duty)
We ought to maintain communal harmony. (Social Obligation)
We ought to love our neighbours. (Moral Obligation)
We ought not to use unfair means in the examination (Advice)
 To express strong probability :
She ought to pass this time
He has burnt midnight oil. He ought to win a scholarship. (A strong probability)
 The past tense of ought is expressed with ought to + have + V3
You ought to have obeyed your teacher. (Past Tense)

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 10. MUST
 To express obligation, compulsion, necessity or emphatic advice;
You must run fast to catch the train. (Necessity)
The case is serious. You must consult the doctor. (Necessity)
She must attend the class regularly (Emphatic Advice)
We have taken rest now. We must begin our work. (Obligation)
You must beg pardon of your teacher. (Compulsion)
 To express determination;
I must reach the playground in time.
We must cross the river to attack the enemy.
 To express possibility;
She must have reached home by now.
There must be a mistake somewhere.
 To express logical necessity:
It is drizzling. You must take your umbrella with you.
You are tired now. You must be feeling hungry.

MUSTN’T [MUST NOT]

 To express prohibition ( of very strong obligation or necessity) or negative command:
You mustn’t jump the traffic lights.
One mustn’t smoke in the presence of ladies. (Negative command)
You mustn’t leave home without mother’s permission. (Prohibition of strong obligation)
You mustn’t bring cameras inside the hall. (Prohibition of necessity)

11. USED TO
 Used to expresses a habit in the Past. It has no Present Tense form. It is always used in
the Past;
I used to go out for a walk, but now I don't.
He used to drink at night daily; now he doesn't.
 'Used to' means ‘to be habituated’. In such sentences ‘used to' is preceded by
be / seem /get / become etc.
Lucy is used to staying up late.
She is not used to such treatment.

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 12. DARE
 As a Principal Verb 'dare' means 'to challenge' and its forms are dare (dares),
dared, dared. It is used in all tenses and requires 'to' to complete it;
I dare to say that you are a liar.
She dares to go into the dark.
He dared to risk his life.

 As a modal auxiliary 'dare' means ‘to take courage' or venture and admits of forms
dare, durst (dared), durst (dared). It is used only in the negative an interrogative
sentences. To is not required to complete it.
He dares not say so. (Present)
She durst not oppose me. (Past)
How dare you enter the room? (Present)
How durst he abuse you? (Past)

13. NEED
 As a Principal Verb, 'need' means 'to stand in need of’ or 'require';
She needs money. (Present)
I needed your help. (Past)
He needs to consult you. (Present)
You will need my help. (Future)
She does not need your help. (Negative)

 As a modal auxiliary verb it implies necessity or obligation. It is used only in the

Present Tense.
Need she stay here more?
You need not work now.
He need not wait for me.

NOTES

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