Modal verbs

1. Clive Sinclair has introduced a new home computer, the Electron 2000. It … answer the telephone, but it … understand human speech. Sinclair hopes to bring out a computer next year which … do this. 2) Two prisoners escaped from Wandsworth prison yesterday. Warders … stop them because they were locked in a bathroom. The prisoners … climb the 30-foot wall by using a home-made ladder. 3) Nobody … make me do such silly things. 4) When you buy a car, you … visit us more often. 5) The plane takes off at 7 p. m. If you have time you … to see us off tomorrow. 6) The doctor is very busy. He … see any more patients today. 7) Why do you sit at the back of the class if you … hear well?

Ex.4. Write the following sentences in the Past and in the Future Tenses.

1. The students must be present at the meeting at 6. 2. Must you discuss the socialization of those students today? 3. We can make notes of the book on Special Psychology today. 4. You cannot hold a meeting in this lecture room today. 5. You may adapt to your child's special needs yourself. 6. Investigators may find deaf children’s problems in classes very soon. 7. It may influence the child's social-emotional development.

Ex.5. Compare the following pairs of sentences and translatethem into Russian.

E.g.: He cannot do it. Не can't have done it. - Он не может этого

сделать. He может быть, чтобы он это сделал.

1. This microorganism cannot cause the death of the animal. This microorganism can't have caused the death of the animal.

2. These plants cannot grow under such conditions. These plants cannot have grown under such conditions.

E.g.: He may do it. Не may have done it. - Возможно, он это делает

(сделает). Возможно, он это сделал.

1. This fish may be poisoned by the red tide. This fish may have been poisoned by the red tide.

2. The new method may be subject to criticism. The new method may have been subject to criticism.

E.g.: He must do it. Не must have done it. - Он должен это сделать

(должно быть, делает, сделал). Должно быть, он это сделал.

1. They must pay attention to such characters. They must have paid attention to such characters.

2. The experiment must be based on a great accumulation of data. The experiment must have been based on a great accumulation of data.

Ex.6. Translate the sentences with Modal Verbs. Explain the meaning of need, should, ought to, dare.

1. You needn’t have taken a bus. You could go on foot. 2. Everyone should help the parents when they become old.. 5. You shouldn’t have told anyone about my problems. 7. You ought to learn the words better not to make spelling mistakes. 8. How dare you come without flowers! 10. Perhaps I should do the explaining.

Ex.7. Translate the following sentences. Explain the difference in meaning between to have to, to be to, and to be about to.

1. The conference is to begin at 10 a. m.

2. The expedition is about to start for Siberia.

3. It is to be expected that the results of the experiment will be positive.

4. Yesterday we had to test the substance again because we obtained negative results.

5. The laboratory was about to publish the results of their series of experiments when an error (mistake) was found.

6. Tomorrow the whole group is to rewrite this test.

7. Many investigations will have to be made before scientists solve the problem of the red tide.

8. At the conference they discussed the measures which were to be taken to prevent the effects of the red tide.

9. In 1974, some people almost died because they had eaten tide-contaminated clams. It was clear that some measures had to be taken to prevent human deaths.

10. You should see him at once as he is about to start on his expedition as soon as he can. If you come tomorrow, you may be late.

Ex.8. Read the poem. Mind its grammar.

BUT I CAN’T

(fragment)