Pratique du Shadowing: Modal Verbs for Everyday Speaking | Can, Could, Should, Would, Must, Might & May Explained Easy - Apprendre l'anglais à l'oral avec la vidéo
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Making English Easy for Everyone.
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Speak English with Jay and May.
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Hey English learners!
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Welcome back to Speak English with Jay and May, your cozy little place to build your English confidence.
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I'm May.
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Hello, May, and hello everyone.
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I'm Jay.
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How are you today, May?
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I'm doing great, Jay.
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Actually, something funny happened to me this morning.
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I was texting my friend and I wrote, you must come to my party.
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And she replied, wow, that sounds like a command, not an invitation.
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Really?
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So the words you choose can change the whole feeling of the message.
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Exactly.
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And that is exactly what we are talking about today.
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Modal verbs.
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These little words, can, could, should, would, must, might, and may,
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they completely change the energy of what you say.
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Oh, I've seen those words so many times, but I never really understood when to use which one.
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That is the most common thing I hear from English learners, and today we are going to fix that with real examples,
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real situations, and even a few funny stories.
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I love funny stories.
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Let's go.
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But first, real quick, if this podcast is helping you learn English in a fun way, please subscribe, hit that like button,
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turn on notifications, and share this with a friend who is also learning English.
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It really helps us keep making this for you every single day.
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Every single day.
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Yes, we are here for you every day.
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Okay, Mae, so let's start.
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What even is a modal verb?
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Okay, so think of modal verbs like a volume dial on your feelings.
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You know, like on a speaker, you can turn it up or down?
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Oh yeah, like loud or soft.
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Exactly.
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Modal verbs do the same thing for your meaning.
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They show how sure you are, how polite you are, how necessary something is.
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The main ones we use every day are can, could, should, would, must, might, and may.
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That's seven words.
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That sounds like a lot.
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It sounds like a lot, but here's the good news.
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You already use some of them without even knowing it.
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Like, have you ever said, I can do it? Of course.
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I say that all the time.
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See?
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You already know one modal verb.
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is the most basic one.
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It shows ability, what you are able to do.
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So I can speak English means I have the ability to speak English.
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Perfect.
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And I can't swim means you don't have that ability.
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Simple, right?
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Yeah, that one I get.
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But wait, can can do anything else or is it just ability?
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Oh, great question.
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Can also works for permission in casual situations.
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Like, can I use your phone?
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You are asking if it is okay, not asking about ability.
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Oh, so can I open the window means is it okay if I open the window, not am I physically able to open the window?
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Exactly.
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Although technically, yes, you are physically able to open it.
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But in real conversation, everyone understands you are asking for permission.
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English is funny like that.
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Okay, what about could?
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That one always confuses me.
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Okay.
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Could is like the polite, softer version of can.
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Imagine you walk into a coffee shop and and you say, give me a coffee, how does that sound?
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Honestly, a little rude.
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Right.
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But if you say, could I have a coffee please, suddenly you sound so polite, so friendly.
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The barista smiles at you.
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Oh wow!
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Just changing can to could makes you sound nicer.
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Yes.
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And could also talks about past ability.
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Like, when I was a kid I could run really fast.
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Past ability.
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You had it before, maybe not now.
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Oh, so could works for being polite and for talking about the past.
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Exactly.
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Two jobs, one word.
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That is the beauty of modal verbs.
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Okay, wait.
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So if I want to sound more polite in any situation, I just swap can for could?
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In most cases, yes.
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Can you help me is fine, but could you help me sounds warmer, more respectful, especially useful at work or with people you don't know well.
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I'm gonna use that at work starting tomorrow. Do it.
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You'll notice the difference immediately.
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People respond so much better.
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Okay, okay, what about should?
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I hear that one a lot too.
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Oh, should.
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This one is like your mom.
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My mom?
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Yes.
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Think about it.
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Your mom says, You should eat your vegetables.
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You should go to sleep early.
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You should call your grandmother.
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It's advice.
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It's a recommendation.
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It's not a rule, but it's strong advice.
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So, should means it's a good idea to do something.
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Exactly.
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And you can also use it to give yourself advice.
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Like, I should exercise more.
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You are not commanding yourself.
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You are just saying it is a good idea.
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Oh, I say that every Monday.
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I should exercise more.
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And then I don't.
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We all do that, Jay.
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We all do that.
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But here's the interesting part.
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Should can also express expectation.
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Like, the package should arrive tomorrow.
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You are expecting it to come.
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Oh, so it's not always advice.
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Sometimes it means you expect something to happen?
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Yes, context is everything.
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If someone says, you should try this restaurant, they are giving advice.
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But if someone says, the meeting should finish by 3 p.m., they are making an expectation.
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That is actually really helpful.
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So the same word does two different things depending on the situation?
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Exactly.
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And your brain figures it out automatically from the context.
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You don't even have to think about it too hard.
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Okay, what about must?
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This one feels very serious.
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Oh, must is serious.
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It's the strongest one.
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It means something is absolutely necessary – no choice, no option.
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Like, you must wear a seatbelt.
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That's a rule, a law.
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You have to do it.
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So must is like a command or a rule.
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Yes, in one way.
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But, and here's where things get really interesting, must can also be used for conclusions,
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like when you figure something out in your head.
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You mean like detective thinking?
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Exactly, like detective thinking.
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Imagine you see your friend eating a huge sandwich at 2pm, and you say, you must be hungry.
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You are not giving a command, you are making a logical conclusion.
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Oh, so it's like saying, I am very sure this is true.
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Perfect!
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He must be tired.
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He worked 12 hours today.
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You are not inside his head, but you are very sure about it.
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That is so cool.
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I never knew must could do two things like that.
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And here's one more thing about must.
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In everyday spoken English, a lot of people use have to instead of must.
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They mean almost the same thing.
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Oh really?
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So I must finish this report and I have to finish this report are the same?
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Very similar, but must often comes from inside, your own feeling of necessity.
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Have to often comes from outside, like a reel someone else made.
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But honestly, in daily speaking, people mix them all the time.
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Okay, that makes sense.
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So must feels more personal, and have to feels more like an outside rule?
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That is a great way to remember it, Jay.
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Exactly.
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Okay, now I want to hear about might and may.
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What is the difference?
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Okay, so both might and may talk about possibility, something that is not certain.
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Like, it might rain today, or it may rain today.
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Both sentences have the same basic meaning.
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So they are the same?
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Almost.
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May is slightly more formal, and might suggests the chance is a little smaller, like you are less sure.
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But honestly, in everyday speaking, most people use them almost interchangeably.
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You mean like, it doesn't matter which one I choose?
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In casual conversation, not much.
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But if you are writing something formal, like an email to your boss, may sounds more professional.
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I may need to reschedule our meeting.
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And if I'm texting a friend, I can just say, I might be late?
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Exactly.
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I might be late sounds natural and casual.
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Perfect for texting.
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Okay. And would.
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I feel like I hear this one everywhere.
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Oh, would is one of the most useful modal verbs in daily life.
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Let me start with the most common one, making polite requests and offers.
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Like what?
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Like, would you like some water?
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Instead of, do you want water?
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Would you like sounds much more polite and warm.
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Oh yeah, I hear that in restaurants and hotels all the time.
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Yes, and would is also used for imaginary situations.
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Like, if I had a million dollars, I would travel the world.
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Oh, so wood is for dreaming, too.
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Yes, wood is for daydreaming.
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I would live on a beach.
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I would eat pizza every day.
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These are imaginary, not real right now.
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I would definitely eat pizza every day if I could.
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Same, Jay, same.
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And one more use, wood for past habits.
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Like when I was a child, I would always wake up early on weekends.
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Wait, so wood can also talk about things you used to do?
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Yes, every summer we would visit my grandparents.
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It is talking about a repeated action in the past, a warm memory.
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Wow, wood is doing a lot of work.
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It really is.
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And now I want to tell you a little story to bring all of these together.
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Ooh, story time.
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Go ahead.
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Okay.
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Imagine a guy named Tom.
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He wants to ask his boss for a day off.
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He is nervous.
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He walks into the boss's office and says, I must take a day off tomorrow.
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He said must to his boss?
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Yes.
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And the boss looked at him and said, excuse me?
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His must sounded like a demand, like Tom was telling his boss what to do.
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Oh no, that's bad.
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Very bad.
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But then Tom's colleague whispered to him, say could or would.
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So Tom tried again.
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I'm sorry, could I take a day off tomorrow?
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And suddenly the boss smiled and said, of course Tom, no problem.
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same request, but the word changed everything.
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That one tiny change from must to could completely changed the whole situation.
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That is the power of modal verbs in real life.
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Okay, now let me try to imagine a situation too.
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Like, I'm at a friend's house and I want to use the bathroom.
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What should I say?
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Great one.
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You would say, could I use your bathroom?
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Or even more casual, can I use your bathroom?
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Both work perfectly.
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And not, I must use your bathroom.
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Please never say that to anyone's face.
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Noted.
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What if I want to give my friend advice?
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Like, they seem really tired.
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You would say, you should get some rest.
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Or you should take a break.
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mental, caring advice.
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That is should doing its mom job.
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And if I'm not sure if they're free tonight, I could say… They might be busy tonight.
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Or she may already have plans.
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You are expressing uncertainty.
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You don't know for sure.
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This is all coming together now.
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I feel like I can actually use these today.
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You absolutely can!
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And here is one final grammar rule I want you to remember before we wrap up.
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Okay, I'm listening.
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Modal verbs never change with the subject.
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You don't say, she cans.
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You don't say, he musts.
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They always stay exactly the same.
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Oh, so it's always she can, he must, they should, no s at the end?
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Never an S.
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Never.
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Modal verbs are grammar rebels.
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They do not follow the normal rules.
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I love that.
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Modal verbs are rebels.
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And they always go before the main verb in its simple base form.
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You should go.
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He might come.
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I can help.
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Always the base verb.
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Clean and simple.
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Base form, so no ing, no ed, no to.
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Exactly.
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Not you should going, not he might to come, just simple base verb after the modal.
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Always.
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Okay, I think I really understand this now.
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This was so helpful, Mae.
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And here is your challenge for today.
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Try to use three modal verbs in your real conversations.
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Maybe say, could you help me, to a friend, or text someone, I might be free tonight,
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or remind yourself, I should drink more water.
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Small steps, real practice.
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I love it.
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That is how fluency grows, one little word at a time.
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OK English learners, you heard it from May.
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Use those modal verbs today.
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And before we go, I have a question for all of you listening right now.
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Which modal verb do you find the most confusing?
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Is it might vs may?
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Or maybe must vs should?
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Tell us in the comments below.
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We read every single one.
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Yes, drop your answer in the comments.
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We want to know.
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And if this episode helped you, please share it with one friend who is learning English.
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That means the world to us.
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Thank you so much for spending this time with us today.
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You are doing amazing.
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Keep learning, keep practicing, and remember, every word you learn is one step closer to your English goals.
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See you tomorrow everyone, because we are here every single day.
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Every day.
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Bye for now English learners, you've got this.
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Bye bye!
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Vocabulaire et conseils d’expression pour cette leçon
Cette leçon d’expression orale de niveau A2 s’appuie sur la vidéo « Modal Verbs for Everyday Speaking ». Les mots qui reviennent le plus souvent : verb, English, modal, exactly, sound. Cette vidéo contient 300 phrases et 2233 mots à répéter en shadowing. La partie parlée dure 16:05. Le locuteur parle à un rythme régulier d’environ 139 mots par minute, confortable pour le shadowing. 87 % des mots font partie des 3 000 mots les plus courants en anglais, le vocabulaire est donc facile à suivre.
Vocabulaire clé de cette vidéo
15 mots de la vidéo à retenir, avec leur prononciation et leur sens :
| Mot | Prononciation | Sens |
|---|---|---|
| verb nom | /vɝb/ | verbe |
| polite adjectif | /pəˈlaɪt/ | poli |
| casual adjectif | /ˈkæʒ(u)əl/ | fortuit, accidentel |
| everyday adjectif | /ˈɛvɹiˌdeɪ/ | usuel |
| formal adjectif | /ˈfɔɹməl/ | formel, soutenu |
| helpful adjectif | /ˈhɛlp.fl̩/ | utile, serviable |
| pizza nom | /ˈpi.tsə/ | pizza |
| conclusion nom | /kənˈkluːʒən/ | conclusion, fin |
| physically adverbe | /ˈfɪz.ɪ.kli/ | physiquement |
| detective nom | /dɪˈtɛktɪv/ | détective |
| grammar nom | /ˈɡɹæm.ə(ɹ)/ | grammaire |
| rebel nom | /ˈɹɛb.əl/ | rebelle |
| expectation nom | /ˌɛk.spɛkˈteɪ.ʃən/ | attente |
| imaginary adjectif | /ɪˈmæd͡ʒɪˌn(ɛ)ɹi/ | imaginaire |
| confuse verbe | /kənˈfjuːz/ | rendre perplexe, confondre |
Les verbes à particule que vous entendrez
| Mot | Prononciation | Sens |
|---|---|---|
| come together verbe | /ˈkʌm tʊˈɡɛðɚ/ | affluer, s’assembler |
| go ahead verbe | /ˌɡoʊ əˈhɛd/ | vas-y, allez-y |
| wake up verbe | /ˌweɪk ˈʌp/ | se réveiller |
| wrap up verbe | emballer |
Des phrases à répéter
Des phrases courtes et complètes de la vidéo, à réutiliser dans la conversation de tous les jours :
- Sometimes it means you expect something to happen?
- You mean like detective thinking?
- You mean like, it doesn't matter which one I choose?
- Instead of, do you want water?
- I'm sorry, could I take a day off tomorrow?
La grammaire de cette vidéo
Les structures que le locuteur utilise le plus, avec les mots exacts de la vidéo :
| Structure | Dans la vidéo |
|---|---|
| Propositions relatives who / which + proposition — une précision sur une personne ou une chose | friend who is |
| Conseil avec « should » should + verbe — dire ce qu’il vaut mieux faire | should eat · should go · should call |
| Possibilité avec « might / may » might/may + verbe — quelque chose de possible mais pas certain | may talk · might rain · May is |
| Superlatifs the -est / the most … — le plus haut ou le plus bas d’un groupe | the most common · the most basic · the strongest |
Prononciation à surveiller
Le locuteur utilise 23 contractions et formes réduites, comme I'm, don't, can't. Prononcez-les sous leur forme courte, telles que vous les entendez.
- Les sons « sh » et « zh »: casual /ˈkæʒ(u)əl/, conclusion /kənˈkluːʒən/, expectation /ˌɛk.spɛkˈteɪ.ʃən/, invitation /ɪnvɪˈteɪʃən/, recommendation /ˌɹɛkəmɛnˈdeɪʃən/
- Mots longs — placez bien l’accent: expectation /ˌɛk.spɛkˈteɪ.ʃən/, imaginary /ɪˈmæd͡ʒɪˌn(ɛ)ɹi/, invitation /ɪnvɪˈteɪʃən/, technically /ˈtɛk.nɪˌkəl.i/, recommendation /ˌɹɛkəmɛnˈdeɪʃən/
Les sons difficiles pour les francophones :
- /h/ — il se souffle, il n’est pas muet: helpful /ˈhɛlp.fl̩/, hungry /ˈhʌŋ.ɡɹi/, habit /ˈhæb.ɪt/, whisper /ˈ(h)wɪspɚ/
- /tʃ/ et /dʒ/ — à ne pas adoucir en « ch » et « j »: imaginary /ɪˈmæd͡ʒɪˌn(ɛ)ɹi/, package /ˈpæk.ɪd͡ʒ/, logical /ˈlɑd͡ʒɪkəl/, sandwich /ˈsæn(d).wɪd͡ʒ/, vegetable /ˈvɛd͡ʒ.tə.bəl/
- /r/ anglais — langue recourbée, sans frotter la gorge: everyday /ˈɛvɹiˌdeɪ/, formal /ˈfɔɹməl/, grammar /ˈɡɹæm.ə(ɹ)/, rebel /ˈɹɛb.əl/, imaginary /ɪˈmæd͡ʒɪˌn(ɛ)ɹi/
Comment s’entraîner avec cette vidéo
- Écoutez la vidéo en entier une fois sans parler et notez les mots que vous ne connaissez pas.
- Répétez phrase par phrase à vitesse normale, en reprenant chacune jusqu’à ce que votre rythme corresponde à celui du locuteur.
- Enregistrez-vous et comparez avec l’original, en faisant attention à des mots comme verb, polite, casual.
Qu'est-ce que la technique du Shadowing ?
Le Shadowing est une technique d'apprentissage des langues fondée sur la science, développée à l'origine pour la formation des interprètes professionnels. Le principe est simple mais puissant : vous écoutez de l'anglais natif et le répétez immédiatement à voix haute — comme une ombre suivant le locuteur avec un décalage de 1 à 2 secondes. Les recherches montrent une amélioration significative de la précision de la prononciation, de l'intonation, du rythme, des liaisons, de la compréhension orale et de la fluidité.