Shadowing Practice: Modal Verbs for Everyday Speaking | Can, Could, Should, Would, Must, Might & May Explained Easy - Learn English Speaking with Video
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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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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This A2 speaking lesson is built on the video “Modal Verbs for Everyday Speaking”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: verb, English, modal, exactly, sound. This video has 300 sentences and 2233 words to shadow. The speech runs for 16:05. The speaker talks at a steady 139 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 87% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| verb noun | /vɝb/ | A word that indicates an action, event, or state of being. |
| polite adjective | /pəˈlaɪt/ | Well-mannered, civilized. |
| casual adjective | /ˈkæʒ(u)əl/ | Happening by chance. |
| everyday adjective | /ˈɛvɹiˌdeɪ/ | Appropriate for ordinary use, rather than for special occasions. |
| formal adjective | /ˈfɔɹməl/ | In accordance with established forms. |
| helpful adjective | /ˈhɛlp.fl̩/ | Furnishing help; giving aid; useful. |
| pizza noun | /ˈpi.tsə/ | A baked Italian dish of a thinly rolled bread crust typically topped before baking with tomato sauce, cheese, and other ingredients such as meat or vegetables. |
| conclusion noun | /kənˈkluːʒən/ | The end, finish, close or last part of something. |
| physically adverb | /ˈfɪz.ɪ.kli/ | In a physical manner. |
| detective noun | /dɪˈtɛktɪv/ | A police officer tasked with collecting evidence and information in order to solve a crime; an investigator. |
| grammar noun | /ˈɡɹæm.ə(ɹ)/ | A system of rules and principles for the structure of a language, or of languages in general. |
| rebel noun | /ˈɹɛb.əl/ | A person who resists an established authority, often violently. |
| expectation noun | /ˌɛk.spɛkˈteɪ.ʃən/ | The act or state of expecting or looking forward to an event as about to happen. |
| imaginary adjective | /ɪˈmæd͡ʒɪˌn(ɛ)ɹi/ | Existing only in the imagination. |
| confuse verb | /kənˈfjuːz/ | to puzzle, perplex, baffle, bewilder (somebody); to afflict by being complicated, contradictory, or otherwise difficult to understand |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| come together verb | /ˈkʌm tʊˈɡɛðɚ/ | To assemble; to congregate; to combine. |
| go ahead verb | /ˌɡoʊ əˈhɛd/ | To proceed with; to begin. |
| wake up verb | /ˌweɪk ˈʌp/ | To stop sleeping; to awake. |
| wrap up verb | To cover or enclose (something) by folding and securing a covering entirely around it. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- 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?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | friend who is |
| Advice with “should” should + verb — saying what is a good idea | should eat · should go · should call |
| Possibility with “might / may” might/may + verb — something that is possible but not certain | may talk · might rain · May is |
| Superlatives the -est / the most … — the top or bottom of a group | the most common · the most basic · the strongest |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 23 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, don't, can't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: casual /ˈkæʒ(u)əl/, conclusion /kənˈkluːʒən/, expectation /ˌɛk.spɛkˈteɪ.ʃən/, invitation /ɪnvɪˈteɪʃən/, recommendation /ˌɹɛkəmɛnˈdeɪʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: expectation /ˌɛk.spɛkˈteɪ.ʃən/, imaginary /ɪˈmæd͡ʒɪˌn(ɛ)ɹi/, invitation /ɪnvɪˈteɪʃən/, technically /ˈtɛk.nɪˌkəl.i/, recommendation /ˌɹɛkəmɛnˈdeɪʃən/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like verb, polite, casual.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.