CBSE Class 10 English Assignment - Modals. Students are advised to refer to the attached assignments and practice them regularly. This will help them to identify their weak areas and will help them to score better in examination. Parents should download and give the assignments to their children for practice.

MODALS

Modals are those auxiliary (helping) verbs which express the ‘mode’ or ‘manner’ of the

actions indicated by the main verbs. They express modes such as ability, possibility,

probability, permission, obligation, etc.

The following are modal auxiliaries:

-

Shall, should, will, would, can, could, may, might, must, ought to, used to,

need, dare.

Use of Modal Auxiliaries

(a) Shall and Will

1. ‘Shall’ is used with the first person subject (I, we) and ‘will’, used with all person

subject, to express simple future.

2. ‘Shall’ with the first person subject, expresses:

Intention e.g. I shall go home today,

promise e.g. I shall try to do better.

Threat e.g. I shall kill him.

Determination e.g. I shall do or die.

3. ‘Will’ with the second & third person subject, expresses:

order e.g. You will do it just now.

threat e.g. You will be punished

promise e.g. You will have a holiday

determination e.g. You will work for me.

Intention e.g. Will he go with you?

(b) ‘Would’ is used to express: Determination

e.g. I would have my way.

habitual action e.g. he would sit all day with the book in his hand.

willingness e.g. I would do my best to satisfy you.

wish e.g. Would that I were healthy.

(c) ‘Should’ is used to express:

Duty e.g. We should keep our word.

advice e.g. you should take rest.’

after ‘lest ’e.g. Work hard lest you should fail.

polite request e.g. Should I help you to solve this problem?

(d) ‘May’ is used to express:

Possibility e.g. he may succeed in his work.

Permission e.g. may I come in?

Wish e.g. may you live long.

Purpose e.g. he works hard so that he may pass.

(e) Can is used to express:

Power/ability e.g.

He can swim

He cannot speak English

Permission e.g.

You can go now.

Can I use your bicycle?

(f) Might (past tense of May) is used to express:

Suggestion e.g. he might join a college.

Possibility e.g. it might rain.

Purpose e.g. he works hard that he might win a scholarship.

(g) Could (past tense of can) express:

Power/ability e.g. he could run fast when he was young.

Polite request e.g. Could you please help me?

(h) Must express:

Compulsion e.g. You must carry out my orders.

(i) Ought to:

It is used to denote duty or moral or social obligation. It is used nearly in the

same sense as ‘should’. The verb that follow ought always takes the to +V1 form

e.g.

We ought to obey our teachers.

We ought not to speak ill of others.

(j)Need:

It is used in the sense of ‘require’ or ‘want’. Need not expresses the idea that

there is no compulsion,

E.g. You needn’t leave today, you can leave tomorrow.

You needn’t pay the whole amount in one installment.

Need I wait till he comes?

(k) Dare:

It means ‘to have the courage to do something’.

e.g. he dare not go there.

(l)Used to +v1

It expresses a habit in the past’

Used to +V1

e.g. I used to swim when I was young.

I used to live in Mumbai. (Now I live in Delhi).

We used to go to Shimla in winter but now we don’t.

(m)Has to/Have to:

It expresses ‘some compulsion, obligation or necessity in the present or future

tense’.

Has to/have to +V1

E.g. Mohan has to finish his work in time.

I cannot come with you because I have t finish my work in time.

(n) Had to:

It is used to express ‘compulsion, obligation or necessity in the past.’ The

expression ‘had to’ is the past tense of ‘have to’

Had to +V1

e.g. Yesterday my servant did not come. I had to wash my clothes myself.

The enemy had to accept defeat at last.

(o) Will have to:

It is used to express compulsion, obligation or necessity in the future. The

expression ‘will have to’ is the future tense of ‘have to’

Will have to +V1

e.g. Next week you will have to deposit your fee.

Solved Examples

1. Complete the passage, with the appropriate answer.

Self-miracle refers to your need to change your life to what you really (a)………………

create. The simple truth is only you possess the power to improve your conditions in

line with everything you (b)……………….like to carry out. You (c) ……………………. live

your dreams to be able to improve your life permanently. This must be done

immediately if you wish to attain what you have targeted.

Ans. (a) must (b) may (c) need to

1. Complete the passage, with the appropriate answer.

One (a)………………..meditate every day. When I say meditate, one (b)……………… not

perform yoga exercise. You (C) …………………. Honour your spirit by witnessing the

peace with a view of truthfulness and gratitude. With practice, the

noise(d)………………silence itself. The solutions you seek out are within. You

(e)………………. worry for it. You just……………..concentrate within.

2. Look at the words and phrases below. Rearrange them to form meaningful

sentences.

(a) River/when I/could/ I swim/ was/young/across/the

(b) Parents/their/children/obey/should

(c) Dare/how/you/to him/talk/like/this

3. The following passage has not been edited. There is one error in each of the

lines. Write the incorrect word and the correction against the correct blank

number. Remember to underline the word/phrase that you have supplied.

Incorrect Correction

(a) We can have a half holiday tomorrow ……………. ………………

Jyotish is going to be awarded for his

(b) bravery tomorrow. He tells why he is ……………… ………………..

(c) being awarded. He once asked ………………. ………………..

(d) if you has worked sincerely and courageously ……………. ……………….

(e) you will have won everything. ……………….. ……………….

(f) Let he have God’s grace always. His ……………… ……………...

(g) younger brother, Sunil, says, “Will I go to ……………….. ……………..

school tomorrow?”Jyotish gets angry

(h) and says, “How would you say such a thing to me? …................... ……………….

Do not you like to see me receiving the award?

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