Karamö, le prof virtuelLeçon 7 sur 19
Modals
Je sais former et employer les auxiliaires modaux (can, could, may, might, must, should, will, would, shall) et leurs équivalents pour exprimer la capacité, la permission, l'obligation, le conseil et la probabilité, au présent comme au passé.
- 55 min
- 5 exercices corrigés
- 1 schéma
- QCM de 5 questions
À la fin de la leçon, tu sauras :
- Connaître les règles de construction des modaux
- Exprimer capacité, permission, obligation, interdiction, absence d'obligation, conseil
- Exprimer différents degrés de probabilité
- Utiliser les équivalents (be able to, have to, be allowed to) aux temps où les modaux n'existent pas
- Parler du passé avec modal + have + participe passé
Avant de commencer : Les temps de l'indicatif vus en début d'année, en particulier le present perfect et le participe passé.
1Je découvre
Au lycée de Kindia, le proviseur affiche le règlement intérieur, traduit en anglais pour un club d'échange :
*« Students must wear their uniform. They mustn't use their phones in class. They can use the library after 4 p.m. They should revise every evening. Visitors may enter the school only with permission. »*
Mamadou lit à voix haute et s'interroge : « must, mustn't, can, should, may… Ce sont tous des petits mots devant le verbe, mais ils ne disent pas du tout la même chose ! Et pourquoi il n'y a jamais de -s : Students must, a visitor may ? »
Sa camarade Hawa ajoute : « Et quand on veut dire "il a dû partir" ou "il aurait dû venir", comment on fait ? Must n'a pas de passé ! »
Ces petits mots sont les auxiliaires modaux. Ils permettent d'exprimer ce que pense celui qui parle : ce qui est possible, permis, obligatoire, conseillé ou probable. On les rencontre dans presque tous les textes du BAC.
Comment construire les modaux, que signifie chacun d'eux, et comment les utiliser au passé ?
2Je comprends
1. Les règles de construction
Les modaux (can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would, et aussi ought to) obéissent à des règles fixes :
- ils sont suivis de la base verbale sans to : She can swim. (sauf ought to) ;
- ils ne prennent jamais de -s à la 3e personne : He must go. ;
- ils forment eux-mêmes la négation et la question, sans do : You mustn't smoke. Can I come in? ;
- ils n'ont ni infinitif, ni forme en -ing, ni participe passé : on ne peut pas dire ~~to can~~ ni ~~I will can~~. On utilise alors des équivalents : be able to, have to, be allowed to.
Formes négatives : cannot / can't, couldn't, may not, might not, mustn't, shouldn't, won't, wouldn't.
2. La capacité : can, could, be able to
- *can* : capacité présente : Aïssatou can speak Pular, Soussou and English.
- *could* : capacité passée générale : My grandfather could walk 30 km a day when he was young.
- *be able to* : aux autres temps : I will be able to drive next year. I have never been able to swim. Et pour une réussite ponctuelle dans le passé : The firemen were able to save the house. (ils ont réussi)
3. La permission : can, could, may, be allowed to
- demander : Can I go out? Could I borrow your book? (plus poli) ; May I come in? (le plus formel)
- donner : You can / may leave now.
- refuser : You can't / may not use a calculator.
- aux autres temps : We weren't allowed to talk during the exam.
4. L'obligation, l'interdiction et l'absence d'obligation
| Sens | Présent | Passé / futur |
|---|---|---|
| Obligation venant de celui qui parle | You must work harder. | had to / will have to |
| Obligation extérieure (règle, loi) | I have to wear a uniform. | had to / will have to |
| Interdiction | You mustn't cheat. | wasn't allowed to |
| Absence d'obligation | You don't have to / needn't come. | didn't have to |
Piège important : *mustn't* = « il ne faut pas » (interdiction), mais *don't have to* = « ce n'est pas la peine » (pas d'obligation). You mustn't swim here, it's dangerous. / You don't have to come tomorrow, it's a holiday.
5. Le conseil et la suggestion
- *should / ought to* : conseil, ce qui est souhaitable : You should drink more water during the harmattan. You ought to see a doctor.
- *had better* + base : conseil fort, avec menace implicite : You'd better hurry, or you'll miss the bus.
- *shall* (avec I / we) : proposition : Shall we go to the market? Shall I help you?
- *could* : suggestion : We could visit the Voile de la Mariée falls near Kindia.
6. La probabilité : du certain au peu probable
- 1must : quasi-certitude positive (He must be at home, the light is on).
- 2will : prédiction sûre (That will be the postman).
- 3should / ought to : probabilité logique (The bus should arrive soon).
- 4may : possibilité réelle, environ une chance sur deux (It may rain).
- 5might / could : possibilité plus faible (He might come, but I doubt it).
- 6can't : quasi-certitude négative (It can't be Sékou, he is in Kankan).
Attention : le contraire de must (probabilité) est *can't*, pas mustn't : He can't be tired, he has just woken up.
7. Les modaux au passé : modal + have + participe passé
Pour exprimer une probabilité, un reproche ou un regret sur une action passée, on emploie modal + have + participe passé.
| Structure | Sens | Exemple |
|---|---|---|
| must have + pp | déduction sûre sur le passé | The road is wet: it must have rained. |
| can't have + pp | impossibilité dans le passé | She can't have seen me, it was dark. |
| may / might have + pp | possibilité dans le passé | He might have missed the bus. |
| should have + pp | reproche, regret (il aurait fallu) | You should have revised more. |
| could have + pp | possibilité non réalisée | You could have told me! |
| needn't have + pp | action faite mais inutile | You needn't have cooked, we had already eaten. |
Méthode
Pour choisir et construire un modal :
- Je repère ce que je veux exprimer : capacité, permission, obligation, interdiction, conseil ou probabilité.
- Je choisis le modal correspondant (tableaux ci-dessus).
- Je mets la base verbale sans to, sans -s, et je fais la négation ou la question avec le modal lui-même.
- Si j'ai besoin d'un autre temps (futur, present perfect, infinitif), j'utilise l'équivalent : be able to, have to, be allowed to.
- Pour un jugement sur le passé : modal + have + participe passé.
Exemple
Complete with must, mustn't or don't have to.
a) Students … bring their phones to the exam room. It's forbidden.
Interdiction → mustn't.
b) It's Saturday tomorrow. We … get up early.
Pas d'obligation → don't have to.
c) You … show your ticket before getting on the ferry.
Obligation → must (ou have to).
Exemple
Make deductions about the past.
« Fanta's clothes are wet. » → She must have walked in the rain. (déduction sûre)
« Ibrahima didn't answer the phone. » → He may have been asleep. / He might have left his phone at home. (possibilité)
« Alpha is in Labé today. It was not him you saw in Conakry this morning. » → It can't have been Alpha. (impossibilité)
« You failed because you didn't revise. » → You should have revised. (reproche)
3Je retiens
Je retiens
Modal + base verbale sans to, jamais de -s, pas de do pour la négation et la question.
Capacité : can, could, be able to. Permission : can, could, may, be allowed to.
Obligation : must, have to. Interdiction : mustn't. Pas d'obligation : don't have to, needn't.
Conseil : should, ought to, had better. Proposition : Shall I / we…?
Probabilité : must (sûr), should, may, might / could (moins sûr), can't (impossible).
Passé : must have + pp (déduction), can't have + pp, might have + pp, should have + pp (reproche).
4Erreurs fréquentes
- Mettre to ou un -s après un modal : « She can swim », pas « She cans to swim ».
- Confondre mustn't (interdiction) et don't have to (pas d'obligation).
- Utiliser must au futur ou au passé : « I will have to go », « I had to go », pas « I will must go ».
- Dire « He mustn't be at home » pour une impossibilité : on dit « He can't be at home ».
5Je m’exerce
1Exercice 1
Choose the correct modal.
a) (Can / Must) you speak Malinké? — Yes, a little.
b) You (should / can't) eat more fruit, it's good for your health.
c) (May / Must) I use your dictionary, please?
d) Drivers (must / may) stop at a red light.
e) Take an umbrella: it (might / must) rain this afternoon.
Voir le corrigéCacher le corrigé
a) Can you speak Malinké? (capacité)
b) You should eat more fruit. (conseil)
c) May I use your dictionary, please? (permission polie)
d) Drivers must stop at a red light. (obligation)
e) It might rain this afternoon. (possibilité)
2Exercice 2
Rewrite with the equivalent form in the tense given.
a) I can drive. (future) → I …
b) We must wear a uniform. (past) → We …
c) Students can't use calculators. (past) → Students …
d) She can speak English. (present perfect, always) → She has always …
Voir le corrigéCacher le corrigé
a) I will be able to drive.
b) We had to wear a uniform.
c) Students weren't allowed to use calculators.
d) She has always been able to speak English.
3Exercice 3
Complete with mustn't or don't have to / doesn't have to.
a) You … touch that wire! It's dangerous.
b) Kadiatou … cook tonight: her sister is doing it.
c) Children … play near the road.
d) We … pay: the concert is free.
Voir le corrigéCacher le corrigé
a) You mustn't touch that wire! (interdiction)
b) Kadiatou doesn't have to cook tonight. (pas d'obligation)
c) Children mustn't play near the road.
d) We don't have to pay.
4Exercice 4
Make deductions with must, might or can't (present or past).
a) The shop is closed and the lights are off. It … (be) a holiday.
b) Sékou has been working all day. He … (be) tired.
c) Mariama got 19/20 in the test. She … (study) hard.
d) I'm not sure where Lansana is. He … (go) to the stadium.
e) That … (be) Hawa: she left for Nzérékoré yesterday.
Voir le corrigéCacher le corrigé
a) It must be a holiday. (déduction sûre au présent)
b) He must be tired.
c) She must have studied hard. (déduction sur le passé)
d) He might have gone to the stadium. (possibilité dans le passé)
e) That can't be Hawa. (impossibilité)
5Exercice 5
(Type BAC) Read the dialogue, then answer.
*Doctor: "You have a bad cough. You must stop sitting near the fire when you cook. You should drink a lot of water, and you mustn't go out in the dusty wind."*
Patient: "Can I still go to work?"
*Doctor: "Yes, you can, but you don't have to go tomorrow; I'll give you a certificate. You shouldn't have waited so long before coming."*
a) Pick out two modals expressing an obligation or an interdiction.
b) Pick out one modal expressing a piece of advice.
c) What does "you don't have to go tomorrow" mean?
d) What does the doctor reproach the patient for?
e) Give three pieces of advice to a friend who wants to succeed at the BAC, using should, must and had better.
Voir le corrigéCacher le corrigé
a) must stop (obligation) ; mustn't go out (interdiction).
b) should drink (conseil).
c) It means that he is not obliged to go to work tomorrow.
d) He reproaches him for waiting so long before coming to see him (shouldn't have waited).
e) Example answer: *You should revise a little every day. You must sleep enough before the exam. You'd better start now, or you won't have time to finish the programme.*
Cherche d’abord seul, sur ton cahier, puis ouvre le corrigé pour comparer.
6Je vérifie
Choisis une réponse pour chaque question : la correction s’affiche aussitôt.
Crée ton compte élève gratuit pour cocher les leçons terminées, suivre ta progression et gagner des points au QCM.
