Intermediate English Grammar for ESL Learners - Robin Torres-Gouzerh 2016
7 The progressive forms of modal auxiliaries
The present progressive form of a modal auxiliary is composed of a modal auxiliary + be + verb form ending in -ing. The meaning consists of the meaning of the modal auxiliary and that of the present-tense progressive form of the verb.
In the example below, the speaker wonders (may) whether Sophie is resting.
We should probably come back later. Sophie may be resting.
In the example below, the speaker believes (must) that the store is closing.
The lights inside are being turned off. The store must be closing.
The past progressive form is composed of a modal auxiliary + have been + verb form ending in -ing. The meaning consists of the meaning of the modal auxiliary and that of the past-tense progressive form of the verb.
In the example below, the speaker suspects (might) that Diana was sleeping in.
Diana wasn’t at church today. She might have been sleeping in.
In the example below, the speaker believes (must) that Paul was studying all night.
Paul looked tired this morning. He must have been studying all night.
By using a modal auxiliary, a speaker is choosing to express a degree of certainty or uncertainty. The degree of certainty reflects how sure the speaker is of something happening or how true his or her statement might be. If the speaker is sure of something, he or she doesn’t use a modal.
He is sick.
If the speaker wants to express a strong degree of certainty, he or she uses must.
He must be sick.
If the speaker wants to express a weak degree of certainty, he or she uses may, might, or could:
He may be sick.
Exercise 7.1 Complete each sentence, using the verb in parentheses with the modal auxiliary that best expresses the degree of certainty of the statement (must, should, may, could, or might). Use the correct progressive form of the verb.
Example Serge seems very busy these days. He may be finishing (finish) his doctoral dissertation.
1. Don’t be mad at Henry. He didn’t mean to offend you. I think he ... (kid).
2. Sorry for the noise. Olivia is upstairs with her friends, and they ... (play) some sort of game that requires running around a lot.
3. I am wasting time right now. I am playing video games, but I ... (study). I have a final in Economics first thing in the morning.
4. I really need to speak to Peter right away, but I can’t remember what hotel he told me he would be staying in. He ... (stay) at the Hilton, but I’m not sure. He ... (stay) at the Concorde.
5. Don’t be mad at Henry. Although I am not sure, I doubt he meant to offend you. He ... (kid) when he said that, but who knows?
6. All the people coming into the restaurant are carrying wet umbrellas. It ... (rain) outside.
7. I am not sure whether Marie is in her room or not. She ... (jog) around the park like she usually does at this time of the day.
8. I smell smoke. Something ... (burn).
9. He is over an hour late, but I don’t know for sure where he could be. He ... (ride) the bus over here, which will take him a while. Or he ... (walk), in which case I doubt he will be here in time for dinner.
10. I heard he hurt himself while rock climbing. He ... (climb) without supervision.
The distinction between two forms of modal auxiliaries needs to be clarified: used to and be used to. Used to expresses a “habitual past,” an activity or a situation that existed in the past but no longer exists. It is formed by using used to + base form of the verb.
Alfred used to work for IBM.
My family used to vacation in Maryland.
Be used to is equivalent in meaning to “be familiar with” or “be accustomed to.” Both be used to and be accustomed to can be followed by a gerund (a verb form ending in -ing), a noun phrase, or a pronoun.
Kevin grew up in Alaska, so he is used to living in cold weather.
I think I’m finally used to working nights.
He wasn’t used to such rude behavior.
I’m finally used to it.
The modal auxiliaries would and used to are interchangeable when they express a habitual past.
My brother and I used to go skiing every morning.
My brother and I would go skiing every morning.
However, when used to expresses a situation or state of being in the past, it cannot be replaced by would. This occurs most frequently with the verb be. The modal auxiliary would can only be used to express a recurring action in the past.
I used to be a firefighter. (Would cannot be used.)
Didn’t you used to be a flight attendant? (Would cannot be used.)
Exercise 7.2 For each sentence, determine if a form of the verb be is required. If so, write the correct form in the blank. If not, mark an X in the blank.
Example Chris rides his bike everywhere. He is used to biking long distances.
1. A teacher ... used to correcting exercises quickly. Students often turn them in at the last minute.
2. People ... used to think the earth was the center of the universe.
3. Peter ... used to do all the house chores, because he lived alone. Now he has a roommate, so he only has to clean the dishes and sweep the floor.
4. In the American West, horses ... used to be the main means of transportation. Today, hardly anyone uses horses. Instead, they travel by plane, because they ... used to faster forms of transportation.
5. I have lived in South Africa for a long time. I ... used to high temperatures.
6. I ... used to live in the south of England, but now I live in Spain.
7. They ... used to sitting outside when they eat. During the summer, they always sit at that picnic table.
8. When I was a teenager, I ... used to smoke cigarettes. I quit a long time ago, though.
9. It’s too bad they closed the corner store. Alex and I ... used to stopping by there to buy bottled water on our way to the basketball court.
10. I ... used to sitting in the back of the bus, but I don’t mind sitting in the front.
11. Chris has never owned a car. He ... used to taking public transportation.
12. Maria and I are from different cultures. She ... used to having eggs for breakfast. I ... used to drinking coffee and running out the door.
Exercise 7.3 Complete each sentence, using the appropriate form of would or used to with the verb in parentheses.
Example I used to be (be) able to read two or three books a week.
1. I ... (be) scared of sleeping with my door closed. Whenever I got ready for bed, I ... (open) it.
2. Famine is still a problem in most of East Africa, but it ... (be) more widespread than it is now.
3. I got a huge red kite when I was 12. My friend Chris ... (ask) to borrow it so he could fly it too, but for months I ... (never + let) any of my friends use it.
4. I remember my third-grade math teacher really well. Every morning, he ... (begin) class by telling us how important mathematics was in everyday life.
5. I ... (be) a political science major. After graduating, I was hired to work at the United Nations. Every Wednesday morning, our council ... (get together) and discuss articles from the local newspaper. After that, we ... (go) to the cafeteria and have breakfast together. Back then, I ... (drink) at least two cups of coffee a day, but now I only drink tea.
6. I ... (be) very selfish. Whenever someone asked me for a favor, I ... (make up) an excuse and I ... (not + help) them.
7. I ... (be) scared of heights. My heart ... (start) racing and I ... (have) trouble catching my breath. Now I am used to it.
8. When I was in middle school, I ... (take) my soccer ball with me every morning to play with the other kids.
9. When my grandmother was a girl, her mother ... (walk) her to school every day.
10. Last summer my friend Mike and I went to Big Bend National Park. We had the greatest of times. Every afternoon, we ... (swim) in the river, we ... (dry out) while sitting in the sun, and then we ... (get ready) for dinner. If we weren’t too tired, we ... (hike) back to the camp instead of using our motorbikes.
11. I can remember Mrs. Limon well. She was my neighbor when I ... (live) in San Francisco. She ... (always + smile) and ... (say) hello to me whenever I’d run into her on my way home. When I talked to her for too long, she ... (clear) her throat. That was her way of telling me that she needed to get back to what she was doing.