Mastering Modal Verbs, Phrasal Verbs, and Vocabulary
Modal Verbs
Modal Verbs do not have a third person singular form (no “s”), and questions and negatives are formed without “do”.
Obligation, Advice, and Prohibition
Modal Verbs: Obligation-Advice-Prohibition:
- We all must/have to obey the law.
- A good citizen should/ought to be considerate.
- You don’t have to/needn’t know much about the law to know what is right and wrong.
- In the UK, you mustn’t/can’t smoke in pubs.
Ability and Permission
Modal Verbs: Ability-Permission:
- I can drive; I passed my test last year.
- Could/Can/May I go out tonight?
- You can smoke in smoking rooms.
- I could do the splits when I was younger.
Remember: In the future and perfect tenses, use be able to, not can, for ability.
Obligation and Advice in the Past
Obligation and Advice in the Past:
- I think they should have/shouldn’t have called the police.
- According to the conditions of her ASBO, she had to be back at home every day before dark.
- They needn’t have sent her to prison.
Speculation and Deduction
Modal Verb: Speculation-Deduction:
- He broke the conditions of his ASBO, so he must be in prison now.
- This policy could/may/might represent a danger to individual liberty.
- That woman can’t be the granny from hell. She is in prison.
Speculation and Deduction in the Past
Modal Verb: Speculation and Deduction in the Past:
- Someone’s stolen my bag! It may/might/could have been that man over there.
- No, it can’t have been him; he’s not carrying anything.
- Someone must have been who stole it; let’s ask those people there.
Other Modal Verbs
Will: prediction-willingness
Shall: offers-suggestions
Dare: courage to do something-indignation at some actions (interrogatives and negatives)
Ought to: advice-duty
Total 12 Modal Verbs!
Phrasal Verbs
Phrasal Verbs:
- Prepositional verb: at-from-of-with
- Phrasal verb: verb + adverbial particle (intransitive/transitive)
- Phrasal-prepositional verb: verb + adverbial particle + preposition
Common Phrasal Verbs
- Turn down: reject/lower
- Go on: continue/happen
- Tell off: scold
- Deal with: treat someone/face something
- Get over: overcome
- Break down: stop working/fail
- Give out: distribute
- Get into: arrive/get on/get involved in
- Set up: raise/assemble
- Work out: solve
- Let in: allow to enter and exit
- Get out of: exit/avoid
- Talk into: convince
- Run out of: run short of
- Blow up: explode
- Put off: postpone
- Put away: store something
- Get away: leave
- Call for: require
- Stand for: signify/support/tolerate
- Hold on: hold on tightly
- Fill in: complete
- Bring back: restore/remind
- Turn up: show up
- Hand out: distribute
- Rub out: erase/rub
- Put up with: tolerate someone
- Take off: succeed
- Leave out: omit
- Hang out: spend time
- Walk alone: walk alone
- Come up: arrive
- End up: finish
Vocabulary
Theme 2 Vocabulary
- Threatening: threat
- Behaviour: behavior
- Comply with: comply with
- Take part in: take part in
- Ban: prohibit
- Be unable to: unable to
- Issue an order: issue an order
- Allowed: allowed
- Forbidden: forbidden
- Hanging out: hanging out
- Disrupt: disrupt
- ASBO: people thought the authorities should do something, and the government came up with the Anti-Social Behaviour Order.
Theme 3 Vocabulary
- Committed: committed
- Courageous: brave
- Determined: determined
- Dependable: reliable
- Humble: humble
- Proud: proud
- Confident: self-assured
- Focused: focused