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GRAMMAR LECTURE – 3
MODAL, AUXILLARIES,
ADJECTIVE & ADVERB

9 Usages of a modal
9 What is a Adjective?
9 What is an Adverb?
9 Adjective and Adverb relationship.
9 Words often used wrongly.

MODAL
Modal is an auxiliary verb that is used with another verb to indicate its
mood, as can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, and would: it has
no special form in the third person singular and no present or past
participle.
May, might; can, could; shall, should; will would; ought; need; dare; are
called modal auxiliaries because they are used to form certain moods for
which English has no inflected verb form.
Usage:
(I) May, Might:-
May is used to denote:-
¾ Permission May I go out ? Yes, you may go.
¾ Wish May God bless you!
¾ A purpose We eat that we may live.
¾ A possibility It may rain tonight.

Might on the other hand is used:-

¾ To express reproach You might have told me the truth.
¾ To make a request You might make a little less noise.
¾ In question Might I borrow your pen for a minute?

(II) Can, could:-

The basic difference between the two is only the definitive and
indefinitive tone in which these words are used. ‘Can’ shows a
stronger indication about achieving one’s goals, whereas could carries
an element of doubt.
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Usage:
Can is used to express:-
™ Power and ability: I can speak English. I can beat you in the race.
™ Ability resulting from circumstance: Can you lend me some money?

Here the question is inquiring into the ability of the other person as to
whether he is in a position to lend money.
™ Permission: You can go now.
Stop! you cannot enter here.

Could hints that one might be able to attain the objective but the tone is
carrying an element of doubt.
I could write that letter if I wanted to.
The box was so heavy that I could not lift it. In the latter sentence it is depicted
that the speaker tried to lift but he was not able to. Again the negative sense
is implied.

(III) Must is used to express:

¾ Compulsion (or) strong moral obligation:
We must not tell lies
We must keep our promises
Cars must not be parked in front of the gate.
¾ Fixed Determination
I must have my money back.
I must never gamble again.
¾ Duty
A soldier must fight for his country
Everyone must follow the rules
¾ Certainty (or strong likelihood)
We must leave for the station at 8:00 PM

(IV) Shall
¾ In assertive sentence, for first person it is used simply to state
information about future action.
¾ For second & third person it is used to denote:
⇒ A promise He shall be rewarded for his efforts.
⇒ A command He shall go if he is told to!
⇒ A threat If you steal, you shall be punished.
¾ Interrogative sentence:
Shall indicates simple futurity; permission (or) desire of the person
spoken to in First person .
Shall I open the window? (or) Shall we go out ?

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(V) Will
¾ Will in 2nd and 3rd persons indicates simple futurity without any
reference to the wish of the agent
He will win the 1st prize (or) Anyone will tell you the way to the Taj in
Agra.
¾ Will in the 1st person is used to denote- Determination, promise,
threat, wish & willing ness
I will succeed or die in Attempt!
I will behave better next time.
I will help you.
I will expose her fraudulent ways
I will visit Egypt someday.
I will do this for you sake.
¾ In interrogative sentences:-
Will is not used at all in 1st person but it denotes willingness,
intention (or) wish of the person spoken to in 2nd person.
Will you accompany me to the party?
(VI) Should
Should is the past form of shall; it is used
¾ To express duty (or) obligation in all persons.
¾ To indicate disapproval of something that was done in the past.
¾ To express supposition, possibility and condition.
¾ To express purpose and result in the clauses introduced by ‘in
order that’ and ‘so that’.
¾ After ‘lest’, to express a negative purpose.
(VII) Would
Would is the past form of will and is used:
¾ To express a wish:- I would like to own an i-phone.
¾ To indicate refusal:- She would not answer my question.
¾ To express determination:- He would never give up.
¾ To express past habit:- She would read for hours if a book caught her
attention.
¾ In polite speech:- Would you mind waiting for me?
¾ To denote condition (or) uncertainly: If he hears of your engagement,
he would be surprised.
(VIII) Ought to
¾ Ought to is used to express desirability, moral obligation, and
duties. It can indicate present (or) future time and takes an
indefinites objects.
We ought to work hard.
Everybody ought to love his country

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¾ “Ought to have” with a past participle is used to indicate a past
obligation that was not fulfilled (or) carried out.
He ought to have been more careful.
ADJECTIVE

 Boys were playing with brown football.

 The small boat foundered on the sea.

 Many stores have already begun to play pleasing Christmas music.

Examine the bold words carefully.

In the first sentence, the word ‘brown’ is describing the noun ‘football’.
In the second sentence the word ‘small’ is describing the noun ‘boat’.
In the third sentence the word ‘many’ is playing the role of a ‘’quantifier” and
the word ‘pleasing’ is playing the role of describing ‘how the music was’.

In simple the bold words are functioning as adjectives.

An adjective modifies a noun or a pronoun by describing, identifying,

or quantifying words. An adjective usually precedes the noun or the
pronoun, which it modifies.

ADJECTIVES CAN APPEAR IN THE FOLLOWING SHAPES

TIP
Determiners: A, An or The.
Most of the time we are confused regarding when do we say; “the man" and
This little story should when do we say "a man"?
help you understand the Let’s solve this mystery out.
difference between the
and a, an:
The and a/an constitute "articles". We divide them into "definite" and
"indefinite" like this:
A boy and a girl were
walking on the Mall. The
Articles
girl saw an ice–cream
Definite Indefinite
parlour and she wanted
the a, an
to have an ice–cream.
She asked the boy to
The dictionary meaning of the word "definite" is to be sure, certain. "Definite"
buy the ice–cream with
refers to something particular.
chocolate sauce on it.
Once you are clear with the meaning of the word; definite, you can easily
He said:
guess what indefinite means. You are right it’s simply the opposite of
“Do you think the shop
will accept the payment
definite. It means not sure, not certain. "Indefinite" is something in general.
through credit card? I
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When we are talking about one thing in particular, we use the. When we are
talking about one thing in general, we use a or an.

Think of an office. In the office there is one boss and hundreds of

workers.
So, normally we could say:
 I saw the boss in the morning.
 I saw a worker in the morning.

Look at these examples:

the a, an
The capital of India is Delhi. I was born in a city.
I have found the pen that I lost. He never has an omelet for dinner.
Have you cleaned the bike? We all ordered a drink.
There are six apples in the We took an umbrella.
basket.
Please switch off the fan when you Have you got a spoon?
leave.

But remember we can use the or a/an for the same word. It depends on the
situation.

Determiners: Each, Every

Look at these examples:

 We want to buy a pencil. (Any pencil, not a particular pencil.)
 Where is the pencil? (We already have a pencil. We are looking
for our pencil, a particular pencil.)

Before we actually solve the “each-every” usage mystery, let’s check out
what they mean.
Each and every have similar but not always identical meanings.

Each = everyone separately

Every = each, all

Sometimes, each and every have the same meaning:

 Wages go up each year.
 Wages go up every year.

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Wait a minute! By all the above explanation we don’t mean that they are
TIP always used in the same sense.

Verbs with each and Each expresses the idea of 'one by one'. It emphasizes individuality.
every are always Every is half-way between each and all. It sees things or people as singular,
conjugated in the
but in a group or in general.
singular.

Examine the following examples:

 Every man is talented.
 Each man sees life differently.
 Every student wished the teacher.
 The Principal gave each winner a trophy.

Eye
Opener 1. Each can be used in front of the verb:
 The winners each received a trophy.
Verb

2. Each can be followed by 'of':

 He gave a trophy to each of them.

3. Every cannot be used for 2 things. For 2 things, each can be used:
 He was carrying an apple in each hand.

4. Every is used to say how often something happens:

 He eats an apple every day.

Determiners: Some, Any

Let’s look at the meanings of the following words.

Some = a little, a few or a small number or amount

Any = one, some or all

Usually, we use some in positive (+) sentences and any in negative (-)
and interrogative (?) sentences.

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some any example

+ I have some
I have one book.
books.
– I don't have 1 and I don't have
I don't have any
10 and I don't have 1,000. I
book.
have 0.
? Do you have any
Do you have 1 or 10 or 1,000?
book?

Eye
In general, we use something/anything and somebody/anybody in the
Opener same way as some/any.

Look at these examples:

 They need some money.
 I must leave. I have some work to do.
 I'm thirsty. I want something to drink.
 I can see somebody is coming.
 He doesn't need any money.
 I can stay. I don't have any work to do.
 I'm not thirsty. I don't want anything to drink.
 I can't see anybody coming.
 Does he need any money?
 Do you have any homework to do?
 Do you want anything to drink?
 Can you see anybody coming?

Comparative Adjectives
We use any in a positive sentence when the real sense is negative.
 I refused to give them any advice.
(I did not give them any advice.)
Sometimes we use some in a question, when we expect a positive (YES)
answer. (We could say that it is not a real question, because we think we
know the answer already.)
 Could I have some coffee, please?

A comparison can be made between two things easily. We can see if they are
the same or different and we can use comparative adjectives to describe the
differences.

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Eye
Opener Comparative Degree is always proceeded by the preposition “than”.

In the example given on the left, "bigger" is the comparative form of the
adjective "big":
We can use comparative adjectives when talking about two things
(not three or more things).
The first P is bigger
than the second P.
Superlative Adjectives
When we are making a comparison among two or more things we make use
of superlative degree. A superlative adjective expresses the extreme or the
highest degree of a quality. We use a superlative adjective to describe the
extreme quality of one thing in a group of things.

Eye
Opene Superlative Degree is always preceded by the definite article “the”.

In the example given on the left, "biggest" is the superlative form of the
adjective "big":

We can use superlative adjectives when talking about three or more things
P is the biggest.
(not two things).

ADVERB
The most commonly used definition of Adverb is; the word which modifies
the verb. Like the word ‘quickly’ does in the following sentence.

The tailor quickly “made” the bride’s clothes.

Adverb verb

In the above sentence, the adverb “quickly” modifies the verb “made” and
indicates in what manner (how fast) the clothing was made.

But there is much more to it.

An adverb is a word which can modify an adjective. In this case the adverb is
placed before the adjective.

E.g. She is extremely “beautiful”.

Adverb Adjective

An adverb can modify another adverb as well.

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Look at the following sentence:

We urged him to dial the number more “expeditiously”

Adverb Adverb
In this sentence the adverb ‘more’ further modifies another adverb
‘expeditiously’.

An adverb indicates time, manner, place, cause or degree and answer’s

questions such as how, when, where, and how much.

ADJECTIVE AND ADVERB RELATIONSHIP

Most of the time, we are confused regarding what to use; an adjective or an

adverb.
She writes beautiful.
OR
She writes beautifully.
Don’t worry! We have summed up some clues, which will prevent you from
falling into the Adjective or Adverb usage trap.

CLUE – 1 Adjectives modify nouns; adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and

other adverbs.

This basic Clue has been well explained earlier in the chapter. One can easily
recognize adverbs since most of them are formed by adding–ly to an
adjective.

Let’s examine the clue carefully with the help of following examples.

(a) Sam is honest.

Noun Adjective

(b) Sam works honestly.

Verb Adverb

In the first sentence honest is functioning as an adjective since it modifies the

proper noun; Sam.
In the 2nd sentence, honestly functions as an adverb, this modifies the verb;
works.

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Hope the concept is clear. Now, examine the following statement.

Rohit is extremely handsome.

Noun Adverb Adjective

In this sentence, h a n d s o m e is an adjective because it modifies the proper

noun R o h i t . But extremely is an adverb because it modifies the adjective
handsome.

Eye
Remember adverbs can never modify nouns. This is proved in the below
Opener
mentioned sentence.

8 He is a happily man.
Adverb Noun

9 He is a happy man.
Adjective Noun
Same is true in the case of adjectives. An adjective cannot be used to modify a
verb. Let’s prove this one too.

8 She is always quiet working.

Adjective Verb

9 She is always quietly working.

Adverb Verb

So, can we say the gender roles can’t be exchanged between Adverbs and
Adjectives? Yes, You can!

CLUE – 2 Relation between Adjective and “to be” form.

When an adjective modifies the noun before the verb, it always follows a
form of the verb ‘to be’.
Let’s examine some examples:

I was nervous.
Noun ‘to be’ adjective
form

Be safe.
(In this case you is implied as the subject before be) to be form
adjective
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They have been happy all week.

Noun to be form Adjective

CLUE – 3 Relation between Adjective and a Sense Verb or a Verb of

Appearance.
An adjective always follows a sense verb or a verb of appearance like; feel,
taste, sound, look, smell, seem and appear when it modifies the noun before
the verb.
Let’s further elucidate this clue.

Examine the following examples.

9 The food tastes awful.

Noun Sense Verb Adjective

8 The food tastes awfully.

Noun Sense Verb Adverb

In the first sentence a w f u l is an adjective that modifies the noun f o o d .

Using the adverb as done in the second sentence would not make sense,
because it would mean that food isn’t very good at tasting.

Eye Keep in mind the simple mantra. If the word modifies the subject then
Opener
you should use an adjective.

This cake tastes sweet.

Noun Adjective

Here ‘sweet’ is used as an adjective that modifies the noun ‘cake’. The adverb
‘sweetly’ would completely change the conveyed meaning. It would mean
that the cake can taste things in a sweet manner.

Likewise, whenever the word modifies the verb, you should use an adverb.

Your daughter sings nicely.

Verb Adverb

In this sentence, ‘ n i c e l y ’ is an adverb as it modifies the verb ‘ s i n g s ’ . The

adjective ‘ n i c e ’ , would completely change the meaning conveyed by the
sentence. It would mean that the daughter sings nice songs.

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WORDS OFTEN USED WRONGLY

Good or well?
Do you do good?
OR
Do you do well?

Confused??? Let’s solve the mystery.

Since good is an adjective, so you do not do good or work good but you do
well and work well.
Remember, that an adjective follows sense verbs and be verbs, look good, are
good etc.
The fact that the word well can function both as an adverb or an adjective is
quite confusing. But if you are clear with the sense conveyed then the
confusion can be resolved. When well is used an adjective, it means “not
sick” or “in good health”. If used in this sense, it’s OK to say; you feel well or
are well. But when not used in this health related sense, well, functions as an
adverb.
E.g. I am doing well in my studies.

Bad or Badly?
An adjective is used when you want to describe how you feel. (Refer to clue
3). So, it would be right to say,”I feel bad”. Saying “you feel badly” would be
like saying “you play cricket badly”. It would mean that you are unable to
sense anything.

Sure or Surely?
Here sure is an adjective that modifies the pronoun I.

I am sure you will support me.

Noun Adjective

Now look at the following sentences:

She is surely prepared to take up the challenge.

Adverb Adjective

Here surely is an adverb that modifies the adjective prepared.

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Near or Nearly?
TIP Simply remember the way they function.
Near can function as a verb, adverb, adjective, or preposition. On the other
The same rule follows hand, nearly is used as an adverb, which means “in a close manner”.
for the words; real Consider the following examples these further explain the difference
and really. between the two words.

The examination days neared.

Subject Verb

The work is nearly finished.

Adverb Verb

Double Negatives
Remember adverbs like scarcely and hardly are already negative and to add
another negative term will introduce redundancy in the sentence.

Examine the following examples:

1.
9 Hardly anyone came to help her.
Negative
word

8 Hardly no one came to help her.

Negative Negative
word word

Double
Negative

2.
9 They found scarcely any food left.

8 They found scarcely no food left.

Negative Negative

Double
Negative

In both the given examples, the second statements are introducing

redundancy because double negatives are being used.

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Most/Almost
Most is an adjective, the superlative of much or many, as in most children
like ice–cream, but most may be used as an adverb to form the superlative of
another adjective or adverb e.g. most beautiful, most quickly. Almost is an
adverb meaning nearly you can say most people or most men, but you must
say almost every person or almost all men.

Eye
A phrase like most every person or most all men is incorrect because the
Opener
adjective most cannot modify the adjectives every or all.

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