Linguapress English language learning song: modal verbs.
Song - I WOULD IF I COULD
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- Check out modal verbs and modals of obligation on Linguapress Free Online English Grammar
Some people like me always have to be late
We can never be there when we should;
We’re never on time, we make everyone wait,
It just seems to run in our blood!
Yes everyone tells me “You ought to buck up!
You’ll be left right behind if you don’t!"
But I tell you it's not just as easy as that,
I would if I could, but I can’t !
But there’s something that tells him he can’t!
He would if he could, and he knows that he should
But there’s something that tells him he can’t!
Last Monday my Mum said she’d suffered too long
“You should go to the doctor’s", she said.
“There’s just a small chance he can find out what’s wrong,
He might wind up the clock in your head!"
So I got an appointment for a quarter to four,
But I got there at twenty to eight.
And all I could see was a note on the door,
Saying “Sorry, I just couldn’t wait"
But there’s something that tells him he can’t!
He would if he could, and he knows that he should
But there’s something that tells him he can’t!
I really would
like to stop being so slow,
It ought to
be easy they say!
I know I could
try to have another go;
And quite frankly, I think that I may.
I’ll see if I can’t
make that clock in my mind
Start to work at the speed that it should,
And perhaps I’ll
be able to do things on time,
But I don’t know if I ever could!
But there’s something that tells him he can’t!
He would if he could, and he knows that he should
But there’s something that tells him he can’t!
Words and expressions: buck up: do things faster - be left behind: be passed by everyone else - wind up: to recharge - appointment: meeting time - to have a go: to try
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Language points
This song allows students to practice modal
verbs. It is also written in very natural English, with a
number of
idiomatic expressions: it
seems to run in our blood / you ought to buck up /
you'll
be left right behind / I got an appointment /
I could
have another go / quite frankly.
What do these
expressions mean? If students learn the song, they should
take
the opportunity to make sure that they understand it all.
For more on modal verbs see A Descriptive Grammar of English:
Modern
English grammar by example - pages 58 - 66.
More
details ISBN 979 - 8645611750. Ebook and
paperback versions from Amazon.
Interactive Gap fill exercise
Put back all the missing modal verbs into this copy of the song. You will need to choose fromcan, could, may, might, should, would, ought to, have to, will ('ll) ... In some cases, the verbs are in the negative.
Some
people like me always
be late
We
never be there when we
We’re never on time, we make everyone wait,
It just seems to run in our blood!
Yes everyone tells me “You buck up!
You
be left right behind if
you don’t!"
But I tell you it's not just as easy as that,
I if
I
but I !
But there’s something that tells him he
He if he and he knows that he
But there’s something that tells him he
Last Monday my Mum said she’d suffered too long
“You go to the doctor’s", she said.
“There’s just a small chance he find out what’s wrong,
He up the clock in your head!"
So I got an appointment for a quarter to four,
But I got there at twenty to eight.
And all I see was a note on the door,
Saying “Sorry, I just wait"
But there’s something that tells him he
He if he and he knows that he
But there’s something that tells him he
I really like to stop being so slow,
It be easy they say!
I know I try to have another go;
And quite frankly, I think that I .
I’ll see if I make that clock in my mind
Start to work at the speed that it
And perhaps I to do things on time,
But I don’t know if I ever
Originally published in Freeway, the Intermediate level English newsmagazine.
