Modal Verbs

Modal verb

Notes on usage

Meaning
1. Present ability 2. Making requests 3. Making offers 4. Giving orders 5. Asking for and giving permission 6. Possibility 7. Negative certainty (Im sure he isnt) 8. Prohibition (with cant)

Can

negative form => cant

1. General past ability 2. Making offers (formal) 3. Making requests (formal) 4. Weak possibility 5. Asking for permission (not giving it) 6. Conditional ( = would be able to) 7. Past possibility
( could have + past participle) to criticize peoples attitudes

Not used for specific past abilities (something that happened on a certain day), case in which you should use was able to OR managed to. Could Note: this difference is in affirmative sentences; in negative sentences, you can use couldnt or wasnt able to for both general or specific past abilities negative form => couldnt

1. Possibility
May negative form => may not

2. Asking for and giving permission

1. Asking for permission (not giving it) 2. Possibility

Might negative form => mightnt

3. Past possibility (might have + past participle) 4. Conditional ( = would possibly) 1. Obligation or necessity that comes from the speaker 2. Making deductions
negative form => cant

3. Making deductions about the past

Must
-

(must have + past participle) negative form => cant have + past participle

4. Strong advice
negative form => mustnt 5. Prohibition (with mustnt) Have to negative form => dont have to / doesn't have to

1. Obligation or necessity that

doesnt come from the speaker

2. Absence of necessity or obligation (= you dont need to) with dont have to
3. Habitual obligation

1. Future (with I and we) 2. Conditional (with I and we)

negative form => shall not

3. Making offers 4. Making suggestions (= how about) 5. Asking for instructions or advice 1. Giving advice 2. Strong probability (its logical) 3. After if to indicate small possibility 4. Subjunctive mood 5. Frustration :
should have + past participle

Shall

Should

negative form => shouldnt

1. Giving advice 2. Frustrat ion:

negative form => oughtnt to ought to have + past participle 3. Strong probability ( its logical )

Ought to

Am / are / is supposed to

past form => was / were supposed to

Talking about expected behavior in the mind of the speaker

Am / are / is expected to

past form => was / Talking about moral, social were expected expectations to

Am / are / is allowed to

past form Talking about => was/ permission and were allowed to prohibition

1. Present ability 2. Specifi c past ability 3. Future ability (will be able to) Giving strong advice and talking about urgenc y in the immed iate future 1. Conditi onals 2. Past habits = used to 3. Making polite request s 4.

Am / are / is able to

past form => was/ were able to

Had better

negative form => had better not

Would

negative form => wouldnt

Willing ness (I wish you would)

Will

negative form => wont

1. Making promis es 2. Making threats 3. Making predicti ons about future events and situatio ns 4. Making spontan eous decisio ns (decisio ns made now) 5. 1st conditi onal

6. Talking about charact eristic behavio r 7. Making refusals (wont)

Am/are/is going to

1. With persons : talking about certain / almost certain future actions 2. With things: making predicti ons based on eviden ce or inevita bility in the mind

of the speake r

Was/were going to

Talking about something you thought would happen, but it didnt, or you planned on doing something, but changed your mind

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