English A2 · Modal verbs
Anglais A2 Sujet 9 4:19 Narration en anglais · Sous-titres anglais + 中文 incrustés
Chapitres
Transcript
Can was one verb; now meet the whole family. The modal verbs: can, could, may, might, must, should, will, would. Family rules: one shape for all persons, and the next verb is always the base form. The memory hook: modals are remote controls. The verb does the action; the modal chooses the channel — ability, permission, duty or possibility. Ni yinggai duo he shui: you should drink more water. Every grandmother in both languages agrees on this one.
The family table. Can and can't: ability and informal permission; I can swim, you can't park here. Could: polite requests and past ability; could you open the window; I could swim at five. May and might: formal permission and possibility; may I come in; it might rain. Must: strong duty; you must wear a uniform. Should: advice; you should sleep more. Would: polite offers; would you like some tea. The politeness ladder climbs can I, could I, may I: the longer the word, the higher the politeness.
Pause and choose. May I leave early? The formal top of the ladder. Could I is polite, can I is friendly, and I must leave early is an announcement, not a question — a bold move at any school.
The most important collision in the topic, and exams love it. Mustn't means forbidden: you mustn't smoke here; do not do it; the door is locked. Don't have to means not necessary: you don't have to come early; your choice; the door is open and nobody cares. You mustn't tell anyone keeps the secret; you don't have to tell anyone sets you free. Mixing them changes a safety rule into a suggestion, or a free afternoon into a prison.
Pause and choose. You don't have to come early; the doors open at nine anyway. Not necessary, your choice. Mustn't would ban the early birds, shouldn't advises against it, and can't claims the doors have opinions. Only don't have to frees your morning.
Must and have to are neighbours with different accents. I must go sounds like your own strong feeling, your decision, your urgency. I have to go sounds like duty from outside: the rules, the parents, the timetable. Have to is not a modal, but it works beside them, and it is what people actually say in questions: do you have to go? Must you go is correct and sounds like a period drama.
The workshop rules. Must to go is wrong: modal plus base verb only. She shoulds sleep is wrong: no s, ever; the ego letter is banned from the whole family. Do you must go hires a helper the family never uses: the modal flips alone, must you go. And I will can swim tries to run two channels on one remote: two modals never share a verb, so I will be able to swim.
Give the class three rules, two pieces of advice and one polite request. Rules: you must do your homework; you mustn't eat in the lab; and the kind one, you don't have to enjoy it. Advice: you should drink more water; you shouldn't read in the dark; grandmothers everywhere approve. And the request: could you lend me a pen? Would you like one of mine instead? The politest offer in English.
Pause for four checks. You mustn't smoke here: forbidden, the locked door. You don't have to come early: your choice, the open door. Could you lend me a pen: one rung up the politeness ladder. And she could swim at five: past ability takes could. Next topic, the last of A2: prepositions and connectors, the little words that glue sentences together.