Modals : Permission

​Modals: Expressing Permission

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​English 9- 1st Quarter- Week 1

​​LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

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​At the end of the lesson, you will be able to:

1.     Identify modals and its structures.

2.     Classify modals according to its grammatical form used in expressing permission.

3.     Compose clear and coherent sentences and dialogs using modals.

4.     Make relevant statements using modals.

​Think of things that we are permitted to do in school.

​The modal verbs include can, must, may, might, will, would, should. They are used with other verbs to express permission, ability, obligation, possibility, and so on.

Modals (also called modal verbs, modal auxiliary verbs, modal auxiliaries) are special verbs which behave irregularly in English.

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​They are different from normal verbs like "work, play, visit..." They give additional information about the function of the main verb that follows them. They have a great variety of communicative functions.

How do you ask permission in order for you to be allowed to do something or to go somewhere? How do you grant or deny a request asked to you by your friend or family member?

​The modal verbs (or modals for short) of permission are can, could and may. These modals all have the same basic meaning, but some are more formal than others.

​A. Asking for permission

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We use can to ask for permission to do something. ​It is the least formal of these verbs. We use it when we are asking a friend or someone we know for something in an informal situation.

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• Can I ask a question, please?

• Can we go home now?

• ​Can I have some cookies?

​Could is more formal and polite than can. We can use it in more formal situations, like talking to a boss or a stranger, or to ask for something more important.

• ​Could I ask a question, please?

• Could we go home now?

• ​Could you tell me the way to the town center, please?

May is another more formal and polite way of asking for permission.

• May I ask a question, please?

• May we go home now?

​B. Giving permission

​We use can to give permission:

• You can go home now.

• You can borrow my pen if you like.

​May is a more formal and polite way of giving permission:

• You may go home now.

​We use can to say that someone has permission to do something:

• We can go out whenever we want.

• Students can travel for free.

​May is a more formal and polite way of saying that someone has permission.

• Students may travel for free.

​​C. Refusing permission

​We use can't and may not to refuse permission or say that someone does not have permission:

• You can't go home yet.

• Students may not travel for free.

​​ACTIVITY 1

Choose the correct answer to the given questions.

Multiple Choice

What modal verbs do we usually use to ask for permission?

• must, have, should

• can, could, may

• can't, musn't

• has. have, had

Multiple Choice

Which modal do we most often use to ask permission from other adults?

• may

• can

• might

• could

Multiple Choice

When is ‘may’ most often used to ask for permission?

• Between friends.

• Between a child and an adult

• Between two children.

• Between two adults.

Multiple Choice

Which of these modals is very, very rarely used now to ask for permission?

• Can

• Could

• Might

• May

Multiple Choice

You're a child and you formally ask a teacher for permission to leave the room. Which sentence is appropriate for the situation?

• Could I leave the room?

• Can I leave the room?

• May I leave the room?

Multiple Choice

You ask for permission not to come early tomorrow. You're feeling informal. Which sentence is appropriate for the situation?

• Could I not come early tomorrow?

• May I not come early tomorrow?

• Can I not come early tomorrow?

Multiple Choice

You tell your colleague that hypothetically he has permission to come in later tomorrow, but it would really be a problem. Which sentence is appropriate for the situation?

• You may come in later tomorrow, but it would really be a problem.

• You could come in later tomorrow, but it would really be a problem.

• You can come in later tomorrow, but it would really be a problem.

Multiple Choice

You tell your friend that there is a rule against wearing jewelry at school. Which sentence is appropriate for the situation?

• You may not wear jewelry at school.

• You can't wear jewelry at school.

• You couldn't wear jewelry at school.

Multiple Choice

Which is correct?

• May I go to the mall?

• May I went to the mall?

Multiple Choice

Which is correct?

• Can she try again?

• Can she tries again?

Multiple Choice

Which is correct?

• She can has another glass.

• She can have another glass.

Open Ended

Study the illustration. Write sentences of things that we are permitted to do during this pandemic. Use the modals of permission (may, can, and could) in your sentences.