Modals: Permission, Obligation, and Advice

Modals: Expressions of possibility, permission, obligation, advice, requests, and offers

• Permission: "Could I use your phone please?" and "May I borrow your dictionary?" express permission requests.

• Requests: "Could you tell me the way to the station please?" is a polite request for directions.

• Slight possibility: "We might win a prize but I doubt it." expresses a slight chance of winning a prize.

• Past form of 'may' in reported speech: "The President said he might come." reports a possible future action.

• Obligation: "Dogs must be kept on a lead." indicates a mandatory requirement.

• Logical deduction: "You must be tired after your long journey." is a logical conclusion.

• Prohibition: "You mustn't tell Nisredin. It's a surprise!" prohibits revealing a surprise.

• Advice: "I've revised so I should be ready for the test." is advice on exam preparation.

• Logical deduction: "You ought to write to your grandmother." suggests a logical action.

• Advice: "You should do your homework every day." is advice regarding daily tasks.

• Logical deduction: "100 Birr ought to be enough for the taxi." implies a sufficient amount for a taxi.

• Future tense: "I shall be in Nekemte on Monday." indicates a future event.

• Offers/suggestions: "Shall we begin the meeting tomorrow?" proposes a future meeting time.

• Future tense: "The ticket will cost about 10 Birr." states a future financial action.

• Invitation/offers: "Will you join us for coffee?" invites someone to join in a social activity.

• Early skill: Zeberga could swim at the age of four.