You Really Should Learn Modals!
2024-09-13
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1For VOA Learning English, this is Everyday Grammar.
2This week we are going to show you how to give advice using modal verbs.
3Modal verbs (called modals for short) are auxiliary verbs that express a speaker's attitude and the strength of that attitude.
4For example, "He should visit Prague."
5In this sentence, should is the modal verb, and visit is the main verb.
6The simple form of a verb goes after a modal.
7Do not add the third person "s" to a verb after a modal.
8It would sound strange to say, "He should visits Prague" or, "He should to visit Prague."
9The correct way is, "He should visit Prague."
10There are about 17 modals in English - grammar experts do not agree on an exact number.
11Today we will focus on three common modals used for giving advice: should, ought to, and had better.
12Let's start with should. Should has multiple meanings.
13It can be used to express certainty, such as, "He should be here by 5 o'clock."
14Should can be a substitute for the conditional word if. You might hear someone say, "Should you need help, just ask me."
15But more often, we use should to give suggestions and friendly advice, such as, "You should apply for that job," or "You should try that new restaurant."
16The past form of the modal should is should have + the past participle.
17For example, "I should have brought my wallet."
18Notice that the main verb brought is in the past participle form.
19Use should have to express regret, or a negative feeling about the past.
20Imagine you trusted someone and that person later cheated on you.
21You could say, "I should have known better than to trust him."
22The Beatles used the expression in a popular song.
23I should have known better with a girl like you
24That I would love everything that you do
25And I do
26Hey hey hey
27The next modal we will talk about is ought to.
28Ought to is another modal for giving advice.
29Sometimes ought to sounds more like "otta" as in this romantic song by Al Green.
30Sit back down and talk to me
31About how you want to be
32You ought to be with me
33Yeah you ought to be with me
34Ought to is similar in meaning to should, but it is not used as often.
35In modern American English, ought to is seldom used with the past tense or in the question form.
36Let's move on to had better.
37Had better is stronger than should and ought to.
38Had better carries an indirect threat.
39For example, if you said, "You had better finish the report," you are not making a polite suggestion. You are making an indirect threat.
40In other words, if you don't finish the report, you are in trouble.
41Authority figures sometimes use had better when speaking to people below them.
42Parents also use this form often.
43Listen to cartoon character Malory Archer.
44Malory is the head of a spy agency.
45People think she is arrogant and heartless.
46Listen to her tone when she uses had better.
47Oh for - I'll send up some help.
48And Missy, you had better watch it!
49As you can hear, Malory is not making a polite suggestion.
50She is threatening someone in a lower position.
51Had better is not always impolite, it could express a sense of urgency as in, "Your plane is leaving! You had better run!"
52In other words, "If you don't run, you will miss your flight."
53Had better has no past tense or question form.
54Should, ought to, and had better can be difficult for English learners to hear.
55Native speakers often shorten these words in casual conversation.
56In rapid speech, modals seem to disappear because they are shortened and often fall on unstressed syllables.
57We will read some examples for you.
58The first sentence will be in slow, careful speech.
59Then we will read it again in rapid, informal speech.
60I should have been listening to what she had to say.
61I shoulda been listenin' ta what she had t' say.
62You ought to be ashamed of yourself.
63You otta be ashamed of yourself.
64You had better decide what you want to do.
65You'd better decide whatcha wanna do.
66That's all the advice we have for you today.
67There is much more to learn about modals.
68We will cover them in more detail in future episodes.
69Until then, you should practice modals with British punk band, The Clash.
70Darling you've got to let me know
71Should I stay or should I go?
72If you say that you are mine
73I'll be here till the end of time
74So you've got to let me know
75Should I stay or should I go?
76I'm Pete Musto.
77And I'm Jill Robbins.