Expressing Degrees of Certainty

Use	Modal Verbs	Example
to express uncertainty and doubt	can/ could/ may/ might	It may rain tomorrow. Завтра может быть дождь. She might be Scottish. Возможно, она шотландка. Can it be true? Неужели это правда? Could he mean it? Неужели он говорит это серьезно?
to express certainty	can’t/ couldn’t/ must	She can't (couldn’t)be Irish. Она не может быть шотландкой. You must be tired. Ты, наверное, устал.

Note:

May be expresses uncertainty and doubt. To express a strong degree of certainty must be is used.

You’ve been traveling all day. You must be tired. (I’m sure that you are tired.)

Maggie isn’t at home. She may be at the office. (Perhaps she is at the office.)

 

 

Expressing Permission

MAY/ COULD/ CAN

We use may, could, can to ask for and give permission.

Formality	Example
most formal/ polite	May I go to the washroom? (only used with ‘I’ and ‘we’)
medium formal	Could I borrow your dictionary? Could he pay you tomorrow?
casual	Can I call you back later? Can she have a cookie?

Again, the most polite/formal way to answer these questions is with “ may. ”

May I go to the washroom?	Yes, you may (go to the washroom). Yes, you can.	No, you may not. No, you cannot.
Can she have a cookie?	Yes, she can.	No, she can’t.

 

Expressing Polite Request:

WOULD you, COULD you, WILL you, CAN you

This shows that the speaker is asking for help politely.

Politeness	Example
very polite way	Would you (please) email that document to me? I need it ASAP*. Could you explain that again, please? I didn’t understand. *ASAP = as soon as possible
polite but more casual way	Will you (please) answer the phone? I’m working. Can you hold my books for me? My hands are full.

Notes:

1) The word ‘please’ makes the request more polite and less direct.

2) We do not use the word may in a polite question when “you” is the subject.

May you please close the door? - Wrong!

Could you please close the door? - Right!

 

Possible answers to the questions above:

Positive	Negative
Yes./ Yes certainly./ Certainly. Yes, of course./ Of course. I’d be happy to./ I’d be glad to. My pleasure.   Informally, we can say: Sure. Okay. Uh-huh. (means yes)	No. Sorry. No, I’m sorry. I can’t. Sorry, I can’t. I’m busy right now. I’d like to, but I can’t. I’d love to, but I’m busy right now.

 

 

Expressing necessity

MUST/ HAVE GOT TO/ HAVE TO

The modal verbs must, have to, have got to show that something is necessary.

MUST is the strongest and most serious modal verb of the three and is most common in writing. It is unusual to use MUST in questions.

I must study tonight.

HAVE GOT TO is most common in informal speech. It is not used in questions.

I have got to study tonight. = I must study tonight.

Have got to is often contracted as: I've got to.

I’ ve got to study tonight.

HAVE TO is the most commonly used modal of obligation and necessity. It is useful for forming questions and negatives. Be careful! The subject and verb must agree for he/she/it subjects AND the question form requires “Do/ Does/ Did”.

 

Example	Question	Answer
I have to study tonight.	Do I have to study tonight?	Yes, I do.
She has to study tonight.	Does she have to study tonight?	No, she doesn't.

 

There is only one way to express past time with these modal verbs: HAD TO. (There is no past tense of must/ have got to.)

 

Present Time	Past Time
We must show our passports at the airport.	Last night, we had to show our passports at the airport.
I have got to pay my phone bill soon.	I had to pay my phone bill this morning.
They have to go to the meeting today.	They had to go to the meeting yesterday.

 

Modals with ‘Not’:

MUST NOT versus DO/ DOES NOT HAVE TO

DO/ DOES NOT HAVE TO shows that s omething is not necessary or not an obligation (lack of necessity or obligation). Make sure the verb agrees with the subject.

In Canada, children do not have to go to school on Saturdays, but many adults have to work. Common Question: Do children have to go to school on Saturdays? No, they don't.

Maggie doesn't have to study tonight because she studied all day. Common Question: Does Maggie have to study tonight? No, she doesn't.

 

To put the modal in past tense, simply use the phrase DID not have to.

For homework last night, we had to read Chapters 4 and 6, but we didn't have to read Chapter 5. Question: Did we have to read Chapter 5 last night? No, we didn’t.

Note:

1) NEEDN’T indicates lack of obligation and necessity, like DON’T HAVE TO.

You needn’t bring anything to the party.

2) NEED TO is not a modal, but it is used in affirmative sentences, like have to, to express obligation and necessity.

I need to cook dinner tonight.

 

MUST NOT shows that something is prohibited or not allowed (prohibition)

 

Students must not copy their work from the Internet. It's illegal! Children, you must not go in a stranger's car. It's dangerous!

 

There is no question form or past tense form. It is useful when people in authority are giving instructions or explaining to people what they must not do in a formal way. It is more common in writing than in speaking.

 

Drivers must not drive on the left side of the road in North America. You mustn't drink alcohol before you drive. You could cause an accident.

Expressing Advice

SHOULD/ OUGHT TO/ HAD BETTER

The modal verbs SHOULD, OUGHT TO and HAD BETTER are used by English speakers to show that they think something is a good (or a bad) idea. ‘Should’ is the most common way to give advice.

Affirmative	Negative	Question
A: I failed my test. B: Really? You should study harder.	Young children shouldn't watch violent TV shows.	I have a problem. Should I call my parents or my friend?
A: It's really cold outside. B: You ought to wear a warm jacket.	(is not used in the negative form)	(is not common in questions)
You had better slow down. You are driving too fast!	You had better not forget to pay your tuition. If you do, the university will kick you out!	(is not common in questions)

Had better is a bit stronger than should and ought to. It includes the idea of a warning: something bad will happen if you do not follow my advice. You had better... can be contracted to You'd better.

 

WH - (information) questions can also be formed by putting the WH- question word immediately before the modal.

 

What should I do about my problem? Where should we have dinner tonight? Why should you believe them? When should they call their boss?

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Каспин, И.В Говорим по-американски. Учебное пособие по английскому языку. / И.В. Каспин. Ленинград, 1990.

Hornby AS Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English / AS Hornby. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1982.

Virginia Evans Round-Up’ English Grammar Book / Virginia Evans. Pearson Education Limited, 2003.

Хорень, Р.В. Английский язык. Лексико-грамматические тесты. / Р.В. Хорень Минск, Вышейшая школа, 2004.

Мальцева, В.А. Exercises in Nominal Patterns. / В.А. Мальцева Минск. Народная асвета, 1978.

Карневская, Е.Б. Английский язык. На пути к успеху. / Е.Б. Карневская. Минск, Аверсэв, 2005.

Нижнева, Н.Н. Английский язык: Сложные задания и типичные ошибки на тестировании и экзамене. / Н.Н. Нижнева. Минск, ТетраСистемс, 2005.

Слепович, В. С. Translation Course / В.С. Слепович Минск, ТетраСистемс, 2003.

 

 

CONTENTS (Содержание)

PREFACE (Предисловие)..................................................................... 3

CONVERSATIONAL TOPICS............................................................. 6

2^nd Year 3^rd Term.................................................................................... 6

Unit1 The Republic of Belarus......................................................... 6

Unit2 Minsk – the Сapital of Belarus............................................... 13

Unit3 The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.. 20

Unit4 London – the capital of Great Britainthе UK......................... 29

2^nd Year 4^th Term.................................................................................... 37

Unit5 Legal Profession in Great Britain and the United States......... 37

Unit6 Law Careers in Belarus........................................................... 45

Unit7 Job Hunting and Applying for a Job...................................... 52

TESTS..................................................................................................... 65

2^nd Year 3^rd Term.................................................................................... 65

Test3 Variant 1................................................................................ 65

Test3 Variant 2................................................................................ 72

2^nd Year 4^th Term.................................................................................... 79

Test4 Variant 1................................................................................ 79

Test4 Variant 2................................................................................ 87

GRAMMAR REFERENCE................................................................... 97

BIBLIOGRAPHY................................................................................... 118

 

Учебное издание

Пилявец Галина Валентиновна

АНГЛИЙСКИЙ ЯЗЫК

МЕТОДИЧЕСКИЕ РЕКОМЕНДАЦИИ

ПО АНГЛИЙСКОМУ ЯЗЫКУ

для студентов 2 курса

специальности «Международное право»

заочной формы обучения

 

Компьютерная верстка А. В. Русецкая

 

Подписано в печать 03.08.2012. Формат 60×84¹/₁₆. Бумага офсетная. Гарнитура «Таймс».

Усл. печ. л.. 6,97. Уч.-изд. л. 5,15. Тираж 100 экз. Зак. № 15.

 

«БИП – Институт правоведения» ЛИ № 02330/0003918 от 08.04.2011 г.

Ул. Короля, 3, 220004, г. Минск

 

Отпечатано в авторской редакции на ризографе «БИП–Институт правоведения»

БИП – ИНСТИТУТ ПРАВОВЕДЕНИЯ

 

Г. В. ПИЛЯВЕЦ

 

 

АНГЛИЙСКИЙ ЯЗЫК

 

для студентов 2 курса

специальности «Международное право»

заочной формы обучения

 

 

Учебно-методические рекомендации

 

 

Минск

БИП 2012