NCERT Solutions for Class 9th English Grammar Modals

NCERT Solutions for Class 9th English Grammar Modals

TextbookNCERT/CBSE
Class Class 9th
Subject English 
ChapterEnglish Grammar 
Chapter NameModals 
CategoryClass 9th English Grammar With Answers
Medium English
SourceLast Doubt

NCERT Solutions for Class 9th English Grammar Modals

English Grammar

Modals

What are modalverbs?
Modal verbs are a group of auxiliaries: can, could, may, might, shall, should, will, would, must and ought’
They are used before otherverbs, and in tags and short answers’
‘You can swim, can’t You?’ ‘Yes, I can”
‘She shouldn’t be late, should she?’ ‘No, she shouldn’t”
meanings
Modal verbs have two main kinds of meaning.
1. Certainty: we can use modal verbs to say for exampie that a situation is certain, probable’
possible or imPossible.
You must bi tired. Emma should be home by now. We might go to Russia in lune’ It can’t be tntt
2. Obligation and freedom: we can use modal verbs for example to tell or advise people (not) to do
thinis, and to talk about freedom or ability to do things. With these meanings they are important
in the expression ofinstructions, requests, suggestions and invitations.
Studints must register today. Can I go now? You should take a break’
Would you like to join us for a drink?
Modal verbs are not generally used to report situations and events, but simply to talk about their
probability, possibility etc. io, fo. .”u-pl., we say that somethin g could happen in general, or that it
could notiappen, but to say that somebody actually did something on a particular occasion, we use a differen
verb (see page 60). ComPare:
I could read when I was four. I couldn’t read his handwriting’
Imanagedtoopenthetin
tense
Note that could, might, shoulcl and wouldare not generally used as past forms of can, may, shall and
will (though this can happen in indirect speech – see page 221). Mostly, they are used for less definite
meanings. Compare:
Canl go noi? (direct request)             Could I go now? (Iess direct, more polite)
This Section covers most uses of modal verbs, but a few uses are dealt with in other Sections
(see the Index for details). This section also includes information onbe able to,have (got) to,
be supposed to,had better, used fo and need (to),which are similar to modals in some ways.
modals: revise the basics

grammar The grammar of modal verbs is special in several ways:

  • The third person singular present has no -s
  • It must be lunchtime. (Not

Questions and negatives are made without do.

Should she? (not) otbetrue'(Notethespellingofcannot,)

  • After modals (except ought) we use infinitives without fo.
    I can’t sing (not)
  • Modals have no infinitives or participles. Instead we use forms of other expressions such as
    be able to, have to or be allowed to.
    I want to be able to travel. (Not)
    I’ve often had to lend my brother money.
    She’s always been allowed to do what she wanted

Modals have a special past form made with a perfect infinitive (see pages 89-91).
You should have told me.           Lucy must have missed her train.

infinitives after modals Modals can be followed by all kinds of infinitive, including perfect
(see above), progressive and passive (all without ro).
I should be working, not playing computer gamel
The police must be informed as soon as possible.          This door must not be opened.
can see etc Can is often used with see, hear, feel, taste, smell, understand and remember to give a
progressive kind of meaning.
I can see Susan coming down the road. (Nor)
Through the window, I could hear a man singing. Can you smell burning?
I{hat’s in the soup? I can taste somethingfunny.
I (can) remember when there were no houses here.
Do/Can you understand why Alice left so suddenly?
asking for permission All four of these verbs can be used to ask for permission. Can is the
least pohtJformil; could is a little more polite/formal. These two are both used between people
who know each other well, or when asking strangers for small things’
Can/Could I have some more tea?        Excuse me – can/could I just get past?
Couldiscommon in more formal situations, or when asking for more important things.
Could I stop work half an hour early? Could I take your car for the afternoon?
Adding possibly or Do you think… makes a request even more polite’
Could I possibly take your car for the afternoon?
Do you think I could leave my bags here for half an hour?
May is similar to could,but less common. Might is extremely polite, and unusual.
May I use your phone?      May I help you?      Might I make a suggestion?
giving permission We give or refuse permission wllh can ot may,nol could or might.
‘Could I start late tomorrow?’ ‘Of course you can.’ (not)
Sorry, you can,t have the car today -1 need it.. (not)
You may stroke the horses, but you may not feed them’
CHECK YOUR KNOWLEDOG.  Circle the best desciption.

1 Hi, John. Might I possibly look at your newspaper? too polite ? OK / not polite enough
2 Excuse me, madam. Can you watch my luggage? too polite ? OK / not polite enough
3 Can I have three tickets for tomorrow night? too polite ?OK / not polite enough
4 Could I borrow your pen for a moment? too polite ? OK / not polite enough
5 Hello, Mr Parker. Can I use your ofhce to work in today? too polite ? OK / not polite enough
6 ‘Dad, can I use your computer?’ ‘No, you can’t.‘ too polite ? OK / not polite enough
7 ‘May I use your phone?’ ‘Yes, you mighti right / wrong
8 Sorry, Louise. but I’m afraid you couldn’t go out tonight. right / wrong
9 You can get a passport application form from a post oflice. right / wrong
10 You may not make personal phone calls from the offrce. right / wrong

asking about permission May is not normally used to ask about permission that
already exists – about what is normally allowed, or about rules and laws. Compare:
May/Can i park here?     Can you park here on sundays? (not)Can chiIdren go into pubs in scotland? (not)

 

 

  • First you have to mix the water and the sugar.
  • She had to take those pills to get better.

(iii) Have to and had to are used to draw a logical conclusion:

  • There has to be some reason for his mischief.
  • This has to be a part of the whole plan.

(iv) Have to is used for supposition or to describe something based on possible ideas or situations:

  • You will have to work very hard to stand first.
  • If she has to choose, she won’t marry him.

(v) Have to is used to indicate that something is very important or necessary:

  • We have to be more careful in future.
  • They will have to clear all their debts before December.

 

 

3. Should:
(i) Should is the past tense of shall. In indirect form of speech ‘shall’ changes into should.

  • I said, “I shall go to school tomorrow.”
  • I said that I should go to school the next day.

(ii) Should is used to express obligation, duty, etc.

  • You should look after your old parents.
  • You should pay all your taxes.

(iii) Should is used to give advice or suggestion:

  • You should consult a doctor.
  • She should do yoga exercises daily.
  • He should learn English if he wants to get a good job.

(iv) Should is used to express purpose:

  • Mohan walked fast so that he should catch the train.
  • Satish worked hard so that he should stand first in the class.

(v) Should is used to state imaginary results:

  • He should get angry if he had come to know about it.

(vi) Should is used to express polite requests:

  • I should be thankful if you give me some money.
4. Need:
As a modal verb, need is usually followed by an infinitive without ‘to’:

  • This is the only thing you need do.

The modal verb need is mainly used in questions and negatives, which are formed without ‘do’: Need I go now? You need not go.
The negative need not is often shortened to needn’t in conversation and informal writing.

Need does not change its form, so the third person singular of the present tense does not end in ‘-s’: He need not go there.
The modal verb need has no past tense. But it can be used in the pattern followed by a past participle:
Need not have/needn’t have

  • You needn’t have waited for me.

The negative and interrogative forms of the past tense are:

Did not (didn’t) need and did I need?

In the present and future tenses, the negative and interrogative can be formed in either of the two ways:

(i) The negative need not expresses absence of obligation:

  • They need not send the letter now.
  • You need not go. (i.e., It is not necessary for you to go).
  • He need not come now.

(ii) Need is used to express obligation or necessity:

  • Need I attend the class today?
  • Need he solve all the sums?

(iii) Need not + perfect infinitive is used to express an unnecessary action which was performed:

  • You needn’t have gone to see the doctor. He was on leave today.
  • You needn’t have carried an umbrella as it was not raining.
5. Ought
Ought is usually followed by ‘to’ and an infinitive:You ought to tell the truth.It does not change its form so that the third person singular form does not end in ‘-s’:

  • She ought to work a little harder.

It can be used as a present, past, or future tense.
The negative is ought not (oughtn’t) and the interrogative is ought I?, Ought you?, Ought he?, etc:

  • Ought I do it at once?
  • He ought not disobey his teachers.

(i) Ought to is used for expressing what is the right or sensible thing to do, or the right way to behave:

  • You ought to get up earlier.
  • We ought to exercise daily.
  • Teachers ought not smoke before students.

(ii) Ought to is used when we believe strongly or expect that something will happen:

  • The Indian team ought to win.
  • Satish ought to pass.
  • The meeting ought to have finished by 2 o’clock.

(iii) Ought to see/hear/meet, etc. is used for emphasising how good, impressive or unusual something or someone is:

  • You ought to see their new house.
  • You ought to meet his elder brother.

(iv) Ought to have is used when we realize that we did not do the right thing in the past:

  • You ought to have listened to my advice.
  • She ought to have taken the money.

Ought, must, have to, and should

Note: Ought is used to express the subject’s obligation or duty. But it indicates neither the speaker’s authority as with must, nor an outside authority as with have to. The speaker is only reminding the subject of his duty. Besides this, he is giving advice or indicating a correct or sensible action.

Ought can be used in exactly the same way as should:

  • You ought to/should obey your parents.

Have to and must:

  • You have to be regular. (These are the rules.)
  • You must obey your teachers. (The speaker insists on it.)
  • You have to take this medicine. (The doctor insists on it.)
  • You must take this medicine. (The speaker insists on it or It is the speaker’s
  • emphatic advice.)
  • You mustn’t drink this, it is poison, (prohibition)
  • You oughtn’t smoke so much. (It is not right or sensible.)

Exercise (Solved)

Fill in the blanks with appropriate modals:

We…………………. obey our teachers, (have to, must)
She…………………….. pass this time, (ought to, has to)
He……………….. not buy a car. (has to, needs)
He works hard lest he…………………. fail, (should, must)
Do you……………… cook your own meal? (should, have to)
The villagers……………………. use kerosene lamps a few years ago. (must, had to)
The old lady……………. take a bath every day before taking meals, (ought to, should)
She…………………. finish this work before I go. (has to, must)
Ramesh said that they…………… report for duty on Monday, (should, ought to)
We…………………….. prepare our lessons well before examination, (ought to, must)
Ans:
must.
ought to.
needs.
should.
have to.
had to.
should.
must.
should.
ought to.

CBSE/NCERT Solution Class 9th English grammar with Answer