Phrases, Modals, and Reporting an Interview
The little verbs that carry possibility, advice, and ability
The interview is full of strong phrases worth owning. Then we'll meet the modal auxiliaries — small verbs (can, could, should, would, must, may) that change a sentence's meaning — and finish by turning the interview into reported speech.
Phrases that carry strength
Five phrases from the interview. Each says something a single word cannot.
Q1.To defy the odds means to:
Modal auxiliaries — small words, big jobs
Modal auxiliaries are helping verbs that add meaning to the main verb: can, could, may, might, shall, should, will, would, must. The same modal can do different jobs depending on the situation:
- could → possibility (it could rain), past ability (she could swim as a child), polite request (could you help?), suggestion (we could try)
- should → advice (you should rest), probability (they should be here by now)
- would → past habit (he would walk daily), polite request (would you wait?)
- must → obligation (you must register), strong certainty (she must be tired)
The trick is to read the situation, not just the word.
What job is the modal doing here?
'I should give it my best shot.' — Here should expresses:
'I knew if I tried, I would win.' — Here would expresses:
'She could swim well as a child.' — Here could expresses:
Reporting the interview
You met reported speech in the last unit. An interview is the perfect place to practise it. Direct: Dr. Malik said, "I love sports." → Reported: Dr. Malik said that she loved sports. Remember the steps: add a reporting verb (said/told), add that, remove the quotation marks, backshift the tense, and change the pronouns.
Turn each line of the interview into reported speech.
Direct: Dr. Malik said, "I love sports and had been a swimmer too." → Reported:
Direct: The interviewer said, "You have been listed as one of the ten most inspirational women para-athletes." → Reported:
Direct: Dr. Malik said, "Youth is the voice of tomorrow." → Reported (a general truth):
Q1.A modal auxiliary is:
The interview is full of strong phrases worth owning. Then we'll meet the modal auxiliaries — small verbs (can, could, should, would, must, may) that change a sentence's meaning — and finish by turning the interview into reported speech.
Phrases that carry strength
Five phrases from the interview. Each says something a single word cannot.
Q1.To defy the odds means to:
Modal auxiliaries — small words, big jobs
Modal auxiliaries are helping verbs that add meaning to the main verb: can, could, may, might, shall, should, will, would, must. The same modal can do different jobs depending on the situation:
- could → possibility (it could rain), past ability (she could swim as a child), polite request (could you help?), suggestion (we could try)
- should → advice (you should rest), probability (they should be here by now)
- would → past habit (he would walk daily), polite request (would you wait?)
- must → obligation (you must register), strong certainty (she must be tired)
The trick is to read the situation, not just the word.
What job is the modal doing here?
'I should give it my best shot.' — Here should expresses:
'I knew if I tried, I would win.' — Here would expresses:
'She could swim well as a child.' — Here could expresses:
Reporting the interview
You met reported speech in the last unit. An interview is the perfect place to practise it. Direct: Dr. Malik said, "I love sports." → Reported: Dr. Malik said that she loved sports. Remember the steps: add a reporting verb (said/told), add that, remove the quotation marks, backshift the tense, and change the pronouns.
Turn each line of the interview into reported speech.
Direct: Dr. Malik said, "I love sports and had been a swimmer too." → Reported:
Direct: The interviewer said, "You have been listed as one of the ten most inspirational women para-athletes." → Reported:
Direct: Dr. Malik said, "Youth is the voice of tomorrow." → Reported (a general truth):
Q1.A modal auxiliary is: