Modal verbs: revision

MODAL VERBS IN

THE PRESENT AND FUTURE

THE PAST

I

YOU

HE

SHE

IT

WE

YOU

THEY

CAN

SWIM

GO

PLAY

CAN HAVE

DONE

SWUM

PLAYED

CALLED

COULD

COULD HAVE

MAY

MAY HAVE

MIGHT

MIGHT HAVE

SHOULD

SHOULD HAVE

OUGHT TO

OUGHT TO HAVE

WILL

-

WOULD

WOULD HAVE

HAD BETTER

IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER IF SOMEBODY HAD

MUST

MUST HAVE

HAVE TO

HAD TO

SWIM

GO

PLAY

NEED TO

NEEDED TO

ARE ABLE TO

WERE ABLE TO

USE

PRESENT/FUTURE

PAST

PROBABILITY

SHE OUGHT TO BE AT THE AIRPORT BY NOW

THEY SHOULD BE READY TO ORDER

I WILL MEET MY PARENTS TOMORROW (VERY PROBABLE)

SHE OUGHT TO HAVE LEFT BY NOW

THEY SHOULD HAVE FINISHED THEIR MEAL BY NOW

-

POSSIBILITY

SHE MAY BUY THE HOUSE (IT'S CERTAIN)

SHE MIGHT BUY A HOUSE (IT'S NOT VERY CERTAIN)

SHE CAN BUY A HOUSE (IT'S VERY CERTAIN)

SHE COULD BUY A HOUSE (IT'S POSSIBLE)

SHE MAY HAVE BOUGHT A HOUSE (PERHAPS SHE DID IT)

SHE MIGHT HAVE BOUGHT A HOUSE (IT'S NOT VERY CERTAIN, PERHAPS SHE DID IT)

-

SHE COULD HAVE BOUGHT A HOUSE (IT'S POSSIBLE)

ABILITY

I CAN COOK

I AM ABLE TO PLAY THE GUITAR

I COULD/WAS ABLE TO COOK (REPEATED ACTION IN THE PAST)

I WAS ABLE DEFEND MYSELF (A SINGLE ACTION IN THE PAST)

NECESSITY

I OUGHT TO BUY A TICKET

I HAVE GOT TO CALL MY FRIEND (VERY INFORMAL)

I MUST STUDY MORE (IT'S COMING FROM THE SPEAKER)

I HAVE TO STUDY MORE (IT'S COMING FROM OUTSIDE THE SPEAKER)

THE ROOM NEEDS CLEANING/THE ROOM NEEDS TO BE CLEANED

THEY DON'T HAVE TO/DON'T NEED TO/NEEDN'T COME IF THEY DO NOT WANT TO (LACK OF NECESSITY)

-

I HAD TO CALL MY FRIEND

I HAD TO STUDY MORE

I HAD TO STUDY MORE

THE ROOM NEEDED CLEANING/NEEDED TO BE CLEANED

I DIDN'T HAVE TO/DIDN'T NEED TO COME (AND I DIDN'T COME)

SHE NEEDN'T HAVE WRITTEN THE REPORT (BUT SHE DID. IT WAS UNNECESSARY)

PERMISSION

YOU CAN'T BRING FOOD TO YOUR ROOM (REFUSING PERSMISSION)

YOU MUSN'T BRING FOOD TO YOUR ROOM (REFUSING PERMISSION)

YOU MAY GO (GIVING PERSMISSION)

MIGHT I WORK FROM HOME NEXT WEEK? (ASKING FOR PERMISSION)

COULD I LEAVE? (ASKING FOR PERMISSION)

YOU CAN/CAN'T INVITE THEM (GIVING/REFUSING PERMISSION)

-

-

-

-

-

THEY WEREN'T ALLOWED TO/COULDN'T ENTER THE PARTY

I WAS ALLOWED TO SEE HER

(NOT COULD)

LOGICAL ASSUMPTION

SHE COULDN'T BE AT THE OFFICE NOW (IT IS UNLIKELY)

SHE CAN'T AT THE OFFICE NOW (IT IS VERY UNLIKELY)

THEY MUST BE VERY RICH. THEY HAVE A HOUSE ON THE COAST (I AM VERY CERTAIN IT IS TRUE)

HE COULDN'T HAVE STOLEN THE MONEY

THEY CAN'T HAVE DIVORCED

SHE MUST HAVE DONE IT!

REQUESTS

WOULD YOU MIND DOING ME A FAVOUR?

WILL YOU HELP ME?

CAN I BORROW YOUR CAR?

COULD YOU LEND ME YOUR CAR?

MAY I USE YOUR SHARPNER?

MIGHT I USE YOUR SHARPNER?

-

-

-

-

-

-

OFFER

WOULD YOU LIKE US TO HELP YOU?

SHALL I HELP YOU?

CAN I HELP YOU?

-

-

-

SUGGESTION

I COULD VISIT YOU LATER TODAY

SHALL I PREPARE DINNER?

I CAN ALWAYS WRITE MY ESSAY AGAIN

I COULD HAVE VISITED YOU LATER THAT DAY (BUT I PROBABLY DIDN'T)

-

-

DUTY

ALL STUDENTS MUST COME TO CLASS ON TIME

PEOPLE OUGHT TO LISTEN TO ONE ANOTHER (IT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO)

ALL STUDENTS HAD TO COME TO CLASS ON TIME

PEOPLE OUGHT TO HAVE LISTENED TO ONE ANOTHER (IT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO BUT PEOPLE DIDN'T ALWAYS DO IT )

OBLIGATION

I OUGHT TO HELP MY COMMUNITY MORE (IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO, BUT WE DO NOT ALWAYS DO IT)

I HAVE TO STUDY MORE (MY TEACHER HAS OBLIGED ME TO DO IT)

I MUST STUDY MORE (I NEED TO, IT'S MY DECISION)

I OUGHT TO HAVE HELPED MY COMMUNITY MORE (BUT I DIDN'T; IT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO THOUGH)

I HAD TO STUDY MORE BECAUSE I WANTED TO PASS THE TEST

I HAD TO STUDY MORE BECAUSE I WANTED TO PASS THE TEST

ADVICE

SHALL I ASK FOR A RAISE? (ASKING FOR ADVICE)

YOU SHOULD WORK SMARTER NOT HARDER (GENERAL ADVICE)

YOU OUGHT TO FOLLOW THE REGULATIONS (I ADVISE YOU)

YOU HAD BETTER CALL HER NOW (ADVICE ON A SPECIFIC SITUATION)

-

YOU SHOULD HAVE WORKED SMARTER, NOT HARDER (BUT YOU DIDN'T)

YOU OUGHT TO HAVE FOLLOWED THE REGULATIONS (BUT YOU DIDN'T)

IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER IF YOU HAD CALLED HER THEN

(BUT YOU DIDN'T)

CRITICISM

YOU SHOULD TELL ME THE TRUTH

YOU OUGHT TO TELL ME THE TRUTH

YOU COULD AT LEAST TELL ME THE TRUTH

YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME THE TRUTH (BUT YOU DIDN'T)

YOU OUGHT TO HAVE TOLD ME THE TRUTH (BUT YOU DIDN'T)

YOU COULD AT LEAST HAVE TOLD ME THE TRUTH (BUT YOU DIDN'T)

PROHIBITION

YOU MAY NOT LEAVE THE ROOM DURING THE EXAM (FORMAL)

YOU MUSTN'T SMOKE IN THE BUILDING (IT'S FORBIDDEN)

YOU CAN'T SWEAR AT WORK

(IT'S NOT ALLOWED TO)

-

-

YOU COULDN'T SWEAR AT WORK (YOU WEREN'T ALLOWED TO)

CONFUSING MODAL VERBS

MUSTN'T/NEEDN'T/DON'T NEED TO

YOU MUSTN'T SMOKE (IT'S FORBIDDEN)

YOU NEEDN'T/DON'T NEED TO BRING ANY FOOD TO THE PARTY. IT WILL BE PROVIDED (IT IS NOT NECESSARY)

-

-

MUST/MUSTN'T

YOU MUST TELL THE TRUTH (IT IS NECESSARY THAT YOU DO IT)

YOU MUSTN'T CHEAT IN THE EXAM (IT IS NECESSARY THAT YOU DO NOT DO IT; IT'S FORBIDDEN)

-

-

DIDN'T NEED TO/NEEDN'T HAVE

-

-

I DIDN'T NEED TO GO TO WORK ON SATURDAY AND THEREFORE I DIDN'T GO.

I NEEDN'T HAVE GONE TO WORK ON SATURDAY (I WENT TO WORK BUT IT WAS UNNECESSARY)

EXPRESSIONS SIMILAR TO MODAL VERBS

BE SUPPOSED TO = SHOULD = SOMEONE ELSE EXPECTS SOMETHING TO BE DONE

I AM SUPPOSED TO PASS THE TEST WITH FLYING COLOURS

I WAS SUPPOSED TO PASS THE TEST WITH FLYING COLOURS

BE TO = MUST = SOMEONE ELSE DEMANDS SOMETHING

I AM TO TAKE PART IN THE TRAINING

I WAS TO TAKE PART IN THE TRAINING

BE LIKELY TO = MAY = POSSIBLE

IS IT LIKELY THAT HE COMPREHEND THIS ISSUE?

WAS HE LIKELY TO COMPREHEND THIS ISSUE?

WOULD YOU MIND IS USED TO EXPRESS POLITE, FORMAL REQUESTS

WOULD YOU MIND TURNING THE SOUND DOWN?

-

LET'S.../HOW ABOUT...?/WHAT ABOUT...? WHY DON'T WE...? ARE USED TO MAKE SUGGESTIONS

LETS' EAT ICE CREAM!

HOW ABOUT EATING ICE CREAM?

WHAT ABOUT EATING ICE CREAM?

WHY DON'T WE EAT ICE CREAM?

-

WOULD YOU LIKE TO.../WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO...? = SHALL I = USED WHEN WE OFFER TO DO SOMETHING

WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO TO THE CINEMA WITH ME?

WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO BRING YOU YOUR BLANKET?

-

BE ALLOWED TO...? IS USED TO EXPRESS PERMISSION

THE REPORTER IS ALLOWED TO ENTER THE WAR ZONE

IS SHE ALLOWED TO ENTER THE WAR ZONE?

THE REPORTER WAS ALLOWED TO ENTER THE WAR ZONE

WAS SHE ALLOWED TO ENTER THE WAR ZONE?

PROBABILITY/

POSSIBILITY

ABILITY

PERMISSION

OBLIGATION/

ADVICE

OFFER

CAN

I CAN SPEAK SPANISH

CAN I BORROW YOUR CAR?

CAN I HELP YOU?

CAN'T

IT CAN'T BE HIS CAR

HE DOESN'T HAVE A DRIVER'S LICENSE

I CAN'T SING

CAN I EAT YOUR DESSERT?

NO, YOU CAN'T

COULD

IT COULD SNOW TOMORROW

I COULD SWIM WHEN I WAS SIX

COULD I SEE YOUR ID, PLEASE?

COULD I GIVE YOU A LIFT?

MAY

IT MAY RAIN NEXT WEEK

MAY I OPEN THE WINDOW?

MAY I CARRY YOUR LUGGAGE?

MIGHT

IT MIGHT GET COLD TOMORROW

MUST

SHE MUST BE VERY RICH.

SHE HAS A PORSCHE

I MUST STUDY MORE

HAVE TO

I HAVE TO PAY MY BILLS

SHALL

THEY SHALL RECEIVE THE PACKAGE TOMORROW

SHALL I PROCEED?

SHOULD/

OUGHT TO

YOU OUGHT TO READ THIS BOOK.

HAD BETTER

YOU HAD BETTER DRINK MORE WATER

WOULD

WOULD SHE LIKE TO A GLASS OF WINE?