2. Paco can't understand it, either

Icono IDevice Listening activity
Paco's flight is very long. Despite feeling well, Paco has already seen a film on the plane TV and read another short story by Virginia Woolf from the book he was given as a present. He can't sleep. He has tried to sleep, but he can't. So, he decides to listen to some music and puts on the earphones he finds out in the left arm of his seat.

 



Listen to the song "People are people", by Depeche Mode, carefully. Pay attention to the modal verbs used and write them down below:

1. __________

2. __________

3. __________

 



Icono de iDevice Solved exercise

Have a look at the three modal verbs that appear in the song.

 

People are people
So why should it be
You and I should get along so awfully
People are people
So why should it be
You and I should get along so awfully

So we're different colours
And we're different creeds
And different people
Have different needs
It’s obvious you hate me
Though I’ve done nothing wrong
I've never even met you
So what could I have done 		I can’t understand
What makes a man
Hate another man
Help me understand

People are people
So why should it be
You and I should get along so awfully
People are people
So why should it be
You and I should get along so awfully

So now you’re punching
And you're kicking
And you’re screaming at me
I'm relying on your common decency
I know it hasn’t surfaced
But I'm sure it exists
It just takes a while to travel
From your head to your fist (Boom)
I can’t understand
What makes a man
Hate another man
Help me understand

People are people
So why should it be
You and I should get along so awfully
People are people
So why should it be
You and I should get along so awfully

I can’t understand
What makes a man
Hate another man
Help me understand
I can't understand
What makes a man
Hate another man
Help me understand

 

Can you guess what these modal verbs express: possibility, ability or opinion/recommendation/advice?

Icono de IDevice de pregunta Self-Assessment activity

Decide whether the following statements express possibility, ability or give some advice.

1. Paco can't understand it, either.

  
a. Possibility
b. Ability
c. Advice

2. Andrés told Paco he should visit the Taj Mahal.
  
a. Possibility
b. Ability
c. Advice

3. Paco can speak English quite fluently now.
  
a. Possibility
b. Ability
c. Advice

4. Paco could visit the diamond mines in Koidu.
  
a. Possibility
b. Ability
c. Advice

Icono IDevice Further knowledge
If you click here, you will find basic information about the main modal verbs, without taking into account need and dare, which were already studied in Unit 2, can you remember?

Icono IDevice Curiosity

Do you know what E.M. Forster thought about English people? Read it paying attention to the modal verbs used!


 By paws22. C. Commons

 

 

It is not that the Englishman can't feel — it is that he is afraid to feel. He has been taught at his public school that feeling is bad form. He must not express great joy or sorrow, or even open his mouth too wide when he talks — his pipe might fall out if he did.

(Abinger Harvest [1936])


Do you think you have learnt enough about modal verbs? No, you haven't. But we will study them deeply later in the unit. Now, let's have a quick look at another grammar point that will be studied later: the Reported Speech!
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