Modal verbs of Ability - Can & Could

Modals of ability

Model verbs can & could are used to express ability.

It is used as an expression to show that you have: a special skill, a talent, the strength to do something.

E.g.,

I can swim like a pro.

It is also used to express the ability to do a specific task.

E.g.,

I can’t help you. I am busy.

Can

Can is used to express the ability you currently possess (in the present).

E.g.,

I can play guitar. My dad taught me to play.

I have been working out. I can now lift 100 kg.

I can run faster than you. Do you wanna see? Let's race.

 

Cannot (negative form)

Cannot is the negative form of can. Cannot must be written and pronounced as a single word. Contracted form – can’t.

Can not  ❌

Cannot  ✔️

 

Cannot is used to express the inability to do something.

E.g.,

I cannot lift heavy weights anymore. I’ve become old.

I can play violin, but I cannot play guitar.

I can’t cook today. I’m exhausted from all the work in the office.

Teachers notes: can is a tricky modal verb. It can be used in almost any type of situation like permission, volunteering, etc., But it pertains to its ability expressing quality.

E.g.,

Can I go outside?

You can but you may not.

Here, the request is rejected but the person asking is recognized as being capable of going out.

 

Could

Could is used to express the ability one possessed in the past but no longer in the present.

E.g.,

I could touch my toes without bending my knees when I was six.

 

Could not (negative form)

Could not is used to express the ability that one did not possess to do a task in the past. Contracted form – couldn’t.

E.g.,

I couldn't speak until I was 4. My parents were very worried.

Lesson Plan

Materials and Worksheets

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Modal verbs - Introduction and Rules to follow

Modal verbs

Introduction

Model verbs are a handy set of verbs that adds additional information to the main verb.

A statement can express possibility, ability, obligation, permission, or advice to the verb depending on the modal verb added with the verb.

The Modal verbs are: can, could, shall, should, will, would, may, might, and must.

One modal verb can be used to express various things.

For example, the modal verb “can” can be used to express ability, permission, and request.

I can play the piano

Can I go to the restroom?

Can you open the window? It's too hot.

 

It's better to understand which modal can be used in a particular situation than to memorize which situation can a modal be particularly used in since It can be quite confusing cramming the different situations one modal can express.

 

Rules for modal verb usage

Rule1: A modal verb is always followed by the base verb.

A modal verb is always followed immediately by an infinitive without the “to” in a normal sentence.

Subject+modal verb+infinitive

E.g.:

     I        |       will         |    teach   |  you how to write the Japanese kanji script.

Subject  |  modal verb  | infinitive |

 

Rule2: Modal verb comes first in a question sentence.

 In interrogative sentences, Modal verbs are followed by the subject and the verb.

Modal+subject+infinitive

E.g.:

Would    |     you    |     like     |     a sample of this meatball? The sample is free.

Modal    |  subject  | infinitive|

 

Rule3: Modal verb does not have different tense forms.

Modal verbs, unlike other verbs, do not have different forms for different tenses.

E.g.:

Can        ✔️                   caned, cans     ❌

 

Rule4: “Not” is added after the modal for negative form.

For negative form, “not” must be added immediately after the modal and nowhere else in the sentence.

(The negative form of can – cannot is a single word and should not be written separately as can not)

Negative forms	Contractions
Cannot	Can’t
Could not	Couldn’t
Shall not	Shan’t
Should not	Shouldn’t
Will not	Won’t
Would not	Wouldn’t
Must not	Mustn’t
May not	-
Might not	-

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Unless and Until

Usage of unless and until can be confusing at times, even though they are completely different from each other except the fact that they are both conjunctions. So, let's break down the concept and see how we can deliver a class that better explains them.

Unless

Unless simply means if not -i.e., it is the opposite of if.

Unless is a conjunction that refers to a condition not being fulfilled or met.

Some rules for using unless

¾       It is followed by a condition.
¾       The condition cannot have any negative words (since unless itself is negative).
¾       The condition cannot be in the future tense.
¾       The consequence of being incapable of fulfilling/not meeting the condition can come before or after the unless+condition sentence.

E.g.,

“I will not go to school unless Mom drives me,” said little Timmy after his dad scolded him.

Unless I see God with my own eyes, I won't believe in the concept.

Since unless is opposite to if, when the if condition is positive, the result of the condition should be converted to its opposite while converting if to unless.

E.g.,

If you pass this test, you will graduate high school.

You will not graduate high school unless you pass this test.

I would advise you not to approach the unless conjunction until you have taught the conditional clauses.

 

Until

Until simply means before and up to the time given.

It is a conjunction that is used where time is the condition.

The period is constrained by the time given.

E.g.,

You cannot leave the class until you complete the assignment.

The time taken to complete the assignment is the time constraint. You cannot leave the class before completing the assignment, no matter how long it takes to complete it.

My voice did not break until I was 13.

Before and up to 13, my voice did not break. The time constraint is the period till 13.

 

This lesson only takes about 15 minutes. So, I did not attach a lesson plan to it. But I've attached a material you can use as handout.

Material

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