January 8th - 14th

A. Modal Verbs

Modal Verb	Meaning	Expressing	Example
must	to have to	100 % obligation	I must stop when the traffic lights turn red.
	to be very probable	good probability	He must be very tired after such enormous work
can	to be able to	ability	I can swim
	to be allowed to	permission	Can I use your phone please?
	it is possible	possibility	Smoking can cause cancer !
could	to be able to	ability in the past	When I was younger I could stay up all night and not get tired..
	to be allowed to	more polite permission	Excuse me, could I just say something?
	it is possible	possibility	It could rain tomorrow!
may	to be allowed to	permission	May I use your phone please?
	it is possible, probable	possibility, probability	It may rain tomorrow!
might	to be allowed to	more polite permission	Might I use your phone please?
	it is possible, probable	weak possibility, probability	I might come and visit you in America next year, if I can save enough money.
need	necessary	necessity	I need to buy a new car.  The old one broke down.
should/ought to	used to say or ask what is the correct or best thing to do	50 % obligation	I should / ought to see a doctor. I have a terrible headache.
	to suggest an action or to show that it is necessary	advice	You should / ought to revise your lessons
	to be very probable	good probability	He should / ought to be very tired after such enormous work

Modal Verbs: What would you tell them...

Please provide appropriate advice in the form of a short paragraph for the following use cases.  It's important that you use as many modal verbs as possible including should, can, must, need to, have to, could, etc.

1. A coworker asking for advise after being reprimanded by her boss for being late all the time?  
2. The royal couple on dealing with pregnancy
3. A person planning to drive to the Odysseum to do some shopping on Saturday afternoon.
4. Your husband for not doing the chores around the house very often.
5. Cope and Fillon on the conflict with the UMP vote.
6. Anyone asking you advise about where to go for lunch near the office.
7. A person looking to improve his health.  Advice about diet, stress and exercise.
8. A person thinking about applying for a job at RC.
9. Your daughter on the best way to do well in school.
10. Coworkers on how to improve the way they lead meetings.
11. A friend from Paris asking your advise on what to do in Montpellier.

List 3 things that you can do, that you have not done yet but that you should do before the end of this year or beginning of next year

List 3 things that you must do but that you can't do for one reason or another

List 3 things that RC can do, should do but you think that won't be done soon

B. A new year with new challenges

It is always refreshing to start a new year and the perfect time to set some short and long term goals in your personal and professional life. Do you typically make resolutions for the year? What are your resolutions or if you didn't make any, what would they be for each of the categories below?  Please come up with at least 2-3 for each category.

• Job
• Exercise
• Health
• Hobbies
• Friends
• English
• Money
• Stress

Now, let's have some fun.  Come up with 3 resolutions for each of the following people in your life:

• Boss
• Company PDG
• Your team
• Your husband
• Your daughter
• The president of France: François Hollande
• Gerard Depardieu

Need to get inspired? Watch the following video about what one can do in 30 days.