Level Five

Lesson 55
modal verbs -- continuous
present and past

Modal verbs can be used for present and past activities that are continuous. Here are the the formulas: 

 

  • present: modal + be + _______ing
  • past: modal + have been + ________ing

It’s a good idea to study these two things at the same time because they are so similar

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  • He should be working right now. Instead, he’s playing his guitar. 
  • He should have been working last night, but you probably know already what he was doing. 

55a. continuous modals - present

Modal verbs are used with continuous forms when there is some degree of uncertainty regarding a present action. 

modal verb + be + ________ing

singular

I should be working. 

You should be working

He should be working. 

She should be working. 

It should have been working. 

 

plural

We should be working. 

You should be working. 

They should be working. 

Not all modal verbs can be used this way. The verbs usually chosen for this type of usage are could, would, should, might, and may.  There are a few other modal verbs to choose from, such as shall, ought to, and will, but the ones you see featured in the video are a good group to start with.   

  • Her plane should be arriving soon. (expectation) 
  • They might be having problems with their car. (speculation) 
  • I would be living in Chicago if I hadn’t moved to Minnesota. (conditional) 
  • You could be making a lot of money if you worked as a software engineer. (possibility) 
  • Sorry, I made a mistake. I may be thinking of someone else. (uncertainty) 

55b. continuous modals - past

For activities that are continuous in the past, you can use a modal verb followed by have been and then the main verb with an “ing” ending: 

modal verb + have been + _________ing

singular

I might have been _____ing

You might have  been _____ing 

He might have been _____ing

She might have been _____ing 

It might have been _____ing 

 

plural

We might  have been _____ing 

You might have been _____ing 

They might have been _____ing

Sentences that use this combination of verbs refer to actions or situations that were possible, likely, or hypothetical in the past, often focusing on something that was ongoing or unfinished.

  • could have been _____ing  (possibility) 
  • would have been _____ing (conditional and likely) 
  • may have been _____ing  (possibility) 
  • should have been _____ing. (responsibility: an action completed or uncompleted) 
  • must have been ____ing.  (assumption)  
  • He could have been working by now if he had finished school. 
  • They should have been preparing for the storm yesterday. Instead, they were doing other things. 
  • One of the employees might have been stealing money from the cash register, but we aren’t sure. 
  • I know you were frustrated yesterday. You must have been feeling like no one was paying attention to you. 
A no trespassing sign surrounded by lush green trees. Perfect for legal and security themes.
  • They must have been having problems with people trespassing on this property. (This would explain the reason for the sign.) 

Learn how to use gerunds in the next lesson.