{"id":7789,"date":"2018-02-05T21:00:12","date_gmt":"2018-02-05T20:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/phoneenglish.es\/blog\/?p=7789"},"modified":"2021-10-11T09:26:37","modified_gmt":"2021-10-11T07:26:37","slug":"modal-continuous-modal-ing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/phoneenglish.es\/blog\/2018\/02\/modal-continuous-modal-ing\/","title":{"rendered":"Modal Continuous: Past and Present"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure><iframe src=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/presentation\/d\/e\/2PACX-1vReGkx66bGhpChOmK9S3N47NK7n3ApgKB8LzG7A29BJDulOeBdafeHkuwSVY5qtlyVd9qQfUZIpzgRu\/embed?start=true&amp;loop=true&amp;delayms=15000\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"580\" height=\"355\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" mozallowfullscreen=\"true\" webkitallowfullscreen=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>A&nbsp;modal continuous&nbsp;is just one variety of the many modal forms.We use it to express A-A-C-L-O-O-P-R-S (ability, advice, capacity, likelihood, obligation, order, permission, request, suggestions).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Form<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>To form modal continuous, simply remember this formula.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-primary-color has-accent-background-color has-text-color has-background\"><strong>modal + be + -ing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Past Modal Continuous<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For <a href=\"https:\/\/phoneenglish.es\/blog\/2017\/04\/simple-past\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>past<\/strong><\/a> modal continuous, use <strong>should, would, <a href=\"https:\/\/phoneenglish.es\/blog\/2018\/01\/modals-can-and-could\/\">could<\/a>, might<\/strong>. Then add <strong>be<\/strong> and of course, an <strong>-ing verb<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Use<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 Use past modal continuous when you are not sure if the subject is doing an action. However, this action is possible, necessary, or likely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>I <strong>could be living<\/strong> in Vietnam then. I can&#8217;t remember now.<br>We <strong>should be keeping<\/strong> an eye on his progress at school.<br>She <strong>would be regretting<\/strong> this decision.<br>His flashy personality <strong>might be ruining<\/strong> his blind date.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Present Modal Continuous<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For present modal continuous, use <strong>can, must, may, <a href=\"https:\/\/phoneenglish.es\/blog\/2017\/09\/modals-might-may-will-probably\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">will<\/a>, shall<\/strong>. Then add <strong>be<\/strong> and of course, an <strong>-ing verb<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><strong><strong>Use<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 Use <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/phoneenglish.es\/blog\/2017\/08\/present-simple\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">present<\/a><\/strong> modal continuous when you are not sure if the subject will be in the middle of doing an action or is planning to take an action in the future. However, this action is possible, necessary, or likely that he is or will.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>The young girls <strong>must be thinking<\/strong> about their spring dance.<br>The audience <strong>will be sneering<\/strong> at his corny jokes.<br>The child <strong>may be imbibing<\/strong> his parents&#8217; habits.<br>He <strong>shall be demonstrating<\/strong> proper first aid for sprains.<br>Her eyes <strong>can be stinging<\/strong> from the smoke.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Modal Continuous Exercise<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Answer this exercise on modal continuous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>1. I ______ this song right now. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>a. should be memorizing<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>b. may be memorizing <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>c. would be memorizing<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2. I have no idea where she is. She _____ with friends in New York.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>a. will be staying<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>b. should be staying<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>c. must be staying<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>3. Too much pressure from the management _____ to her stress level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>a. will be contributing<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>b. might be contributing<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>c. should be contributing<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>4. He&nbsp;_____ with his friends if not for his girlfriend&#8217;s request for him to stay with her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>a. shall be going<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>b. would be going<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>c. must be going<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>5. Our guests _____ earlier that we thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>a. may be arriving<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>b. could be arriving<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>c. can be arriving<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>6. They ____ the fireworks display now. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>a. shall be watching<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>b. could be watching<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>c. might be watching<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>7. We are not sure we can visit grandma next week. We _____ on holiday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>a. might be going<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>b. can be going<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>c. should be going<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>8. Your students _____ for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>a. may be waiting<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>b. could be waiting<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>c. should be waiting<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>9. I didn&#8217;t see him yesterday. He ______ from me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>a. might be hiding<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>b. shall be hiding<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>c. will be hiding<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>10. It was very quiet. The children _____.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>a. could be studying<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>b. would be studying<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>c. must be studying<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-subtle-background-background-color has-background\">Find the answers to this exercise <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/phoneenglish.es\/blog\/2018\/02\/modal-continuous-modal-ing\/2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>See also: <a href=\"https:\/\/phoneenglish.es\/blog\/2017\/03\/modals-of-deduction-and-speculation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Modals of Deduction and Speculation<\/strong><\/a> and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/phoneenglish.es\/blog\/2017\/04\/modals-cant-have-and-neednt-have\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Modals: Can&#8217;t Have, Needn&#8217;t Have<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For additional information on this topic, check out this&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/dictionary.cambridge.org\/us\/grammar\/british-grammar\/modality-tense\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Cambridge Grammar lesson<\/strong>.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-subtle-background-background-color has-background\">For other English grammar lessons, go to this <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/phoneenglish.es\/blog\/grammar-index\/\" target=\"_blank\">page<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--nextpage-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Modal Continuous Exercise Answers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are the answers to the modal continuous exercise on this <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/phoneenglish.es\/blog\/2018\/02\/modal-continuous-modal-ing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">page<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>1. <strong>A<\/strong> I <strong>should be memorizing<\/strong> this song right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2. <strong>C<\/strong> I have no idea where she is. She <strong>must be staying<\/strong> with friends in New York.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>3. <strong>B<\/strong> Too much pressure from the management <strong>might be contributing<\/strong> to her stress level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>4. <strong>B<\/strong> He&nbsp;<strong>would be going<\/strong> with his friends if not for his girlfriend&#8217;s request for him to stay with her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>5. <strong>A<\/strong> Our guests <strong>may be arriving<\/strong> earlier that we thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>6. <strong>C<\/strong> They <strong>might be watching<\/strong> the fireworks display now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>7. <strong>A<\/strong> We are not sure we can visit grandma next week. We <strong>might be going<\/strong> on holiday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>8. <strong>B<\/strong> Your students <strong>could be waiting<\/strong> for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>9. <strong>A<\/strong> I didn&#8217;t see him yesterday. He <strong>might be hiding<\/strong> from me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>10. <strong>C<\/strong> It was very quiet. The children <strong>must be studying<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A&nbsp;modal continuous&nbsp;is just one variety of the many modal forms.We use it to express A-A-C-L-O-O-P-R-S (ability, advice, capacity, likelihood, obligation, order, permission, request, suggestions). Form To form modal continuous, simply remember this formula. modal + be + -ing Past Modal Continuous For past modal continuous, use should, would, could, might. Then add be and of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":46,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[309],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7789","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-grammar"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v16.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Modal Continuous: Past and Present | phone english blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn about modal continuous in past and present from this English grammar lesson. 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