Modal verbs

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Modal verbs help other verbs to express if something is likely to happen, or certain to have happened; whether or not something is possible, or whether or not we have the ability to do something; whether or not we have the permission to do something; and whether or not we have the obligation or requirement or need to do something.

All the auxiliary verbs except be, do and have are called modals. But unlike other auxiliary verbs, modals only exist in their helping form; they cannot act alone as the main verb in a sentence.

Thus they do not change their form (spelling) and have no infinitive or participle (past/present).

Notice that be, do, and have can also serve as ordinary verbs in a given sentence.

The modal verbs are: can, could, will, would, shall, should, must, ought, may, might. Below is a list showing them according to the idea meant to be expressed:

Now watch carefully this video and take notes.

Next click here for a quiz on modal verbs.

Modals verbs are an extensive area of English grammar. Learners are usually introduced to them all at once, and they should certainly start checking each one, but most of all, they should notice the context, to feel which modal is necessary to express the idea. A lot of times, there will be more than one possibility. Don’t worry! This comes with time, exposure, practice and consistent correction. 😉

We can bear it.

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I can’t stand or I can’t bear, is used to say that you do not like someone or something at all, or that you think that something is extremely unpleasant:

I can’t stand bad manners.

But now, although we’re going through a difficult time, the Coronavirus disease outbreak, we have to stand it, we have to bear it, we have to learn how to cope with this disease.

In this context, all these three ways of saying how we should approach this situation, mean the same: to be able to accept or deal well with this difficult or upsetting situation [= tolerate], and they are interchangeable.

I couldn’t stand the thought of leaving Danielle.
I don’t know if I can stand the waiting any longer.
How can you stand Marty coming home late all the time?

*Stand is usually used in questions and negatives

She was afraid she wouldn’t be able to bear the pain.

Oh, I really can’t bear him.

Make the water as hot as you can bear.

Sometimes I find it hard to cope.

Authorities have to cope with the problems of the pandemic.

So…

Set aside time to study

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Now that families are being kept in quarantine* at home, parents need to set aside time to help their little children with their school assignments.

set aside something

— phrasal verb to keep, save something, especially money, time, or a particular area, for a special purpose:

He sets aside some time every day to read to his children. 

Try to set aside some time each day for exercise.

£130 million will be set aside for repairs to hospitals.

I’ll set that room aside for visitors.

After melting the chocolate, set it aside and beat the eggs.

*For more posts related to the COVID-19 quarantine, click here.

For other use of set aside, click here.

Everything will be alright…

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We have already learned the specific vocabulary we need to talk about the Coronavirus disease, and what we should do to stay safe. We had the chance to reflect on maybe, the underlying meaning of it, and learned what is right now the only vaccine for it.

Now, we need music! Music can help us a lot to go through this difficult time.

“One day we’ll remember the hardest of times when distance meant love and it kept us alive ” We are living scary times. Amid the Covid-19 pandemic “Andrà Tutto Bene” is a message of hope and courage for everyone around the globe. To the doctors, nurses, those who are out there fighting for us and to those that stay home protecting their loved ones. Composed and performed by Cristóvam and with a video concept created and directed by Pedro Varela.

Please try to write down and work on the lyrics! The message is so beautiful and you’re going to see vocabulary like verbs, phrasal verbs, prepositions, and a lot of the things we talk about in class…