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MODAL VERB
Modal Verb Chart
MEANING EXPRESSING
EXAMPLE
To have to
100 % obligation
I must stop when the
traffic lights turn red.
MUST
To be very probable
Logical conclusion
(deduction)
He must be very tired
after such enormous
work
MUST NOT
Not to be allowed to
Prohibition
You must not smoke in
the hospital.
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 !
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!
To be allowed to
Permission
May I use your phone
please?
CAN
COULD
MAY
It is possible, probable Possibility, Probability It may rain tomorrow!
To be allowed to
MIGHT
NEED
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.
Necessary
Necessity
Need I say more?
Not necessary
Lack of
I need not buy any
necessity/absence of tomatoes. There are
obligation
plenty in the fridge.
NEED NOT
Used to say or ask
50 % obligation
what is the correct or
best thing to do
I should / ought to see
a doctor. I have a
terrible headache.
To suggest an action
Advice
You should / ought to
revise your lessons
To be very probable
Logical conclusion
(deduction)
He should / ought to
be very tired after
such enormous work
To suggest an action
or to show that it is
necessary
Advice
You 'd better revise
your lessons
SHOULD/OUGHT TOor to show that it is
necessary
HAD BETTER
Modal Verb Chart
MODAL
Can
EXAMPLE
USES
They can control their own budgets.
Ability / Possibility
We cant fix it.
Inability / Impossibility
Could
Can I smoke here?
Asking for permission
Can you help me?
Request
Could I borrow your dictionary?
Asking for permission.
Could you say it again more slowly?
Request
We could try to fix it ourselves.
Suggestion
I think we could have another Gulf War.
Future possibility
He gave up his old job so he could work for Ability in the past
us.
May
Might
Must
May I have another cup of coffee?
China may become a major economic power. Future possibility
We'd better phone tomorrow, they might be Present possibility
eating their dinner now.
Future possibility
They might give us a 10% discount.
We must say good-bye now.
Necessity / Obligation
They mustnt disrupt the work more than
necessary.
Prohibition
We ought to employ a professional writer.
Ought to
Shall I help you with your luggage?
Shall
(More common Shall we say 2.30 then?
in the UK than
Shall I do that or will you?
the US)
We should sort out this problem at once.
Should
Will
Asking for permission
Saying whats right or correct
Offer
Suggestion
Asking what to do
Saying whats right or correct
I think we should check everything again.
Recommending action
Profits should increase next year.
Uncertain prediction
I cant see any taxis so Ill walk.
Instant decisions
I'll do that for you if you like.
Offer
Ill get back to you first thing on Monday.
Promise
Profits will increase next year.
Certain prediction
Would you mind if I brought a colleague with Asking for permission
me?
Request
Would you pass the salt please?
Request
Would you mind waiting a moment?
Would
Making arrangements
"Would three o`clock suit you?" - "Thatd be Invitation
fine."
Preferences
Would you like to play golf this Friday?
"Would you prefer tea or coffee?" - "Id like
tea please."
MODAL VERBS
The Modal Verbs are:
Can, Could, May, Might, Must, Will, Would, Shall, Should, Ought to.
They are known as modal auxiliary verbs because they help another verb:
I can swim. Do you think I should go?
FORM
1. There is no s in the third person singular:
She can swim; he must be tired; it might rain later.
2. There is no DO/DOES in the question:
Shall we go for a walk? Can I help you? What should I do?
3. There is no DONT/DOESNT in the negative:
He cant dance; I wont be a minute; you mustnt steal.
4. Modal auxiliary verbs do not usually have past forms. Other expressions are used instead:
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I had to work very hard at school; COULD is used with a past meaning in some cases.
5. They have no infinitives and no ing forms. Other expressions are used instead:
Id love to be able to ski; I hate having to get up on cold mornings.
6. They are followed by infinitive without to:
You must go; Ill help you.
Ought to is the exception: you ought to see a doctor.
7. They can be used with perfect infinitives to talk about the past:
You should have told me that you cant swim: you might have drowned!
USE
Each modal verb usually has at least two meanings.
1. One use of all of them is to express possibility or probability:
I must post this letter (= obligation)
You must be tired (= deduction, probability)
Could you please help me? (= request)
We could go to Portugal (= possibility, suggestion)
May I go now? (= permission)
Hannah may be at work now (= possibility)
2. Modal verbs express our attitudes, opinions and Judgements of events.
Whos that knocking at the door? It could/may/might/must/should/cant/ll be Henry.
OBLIGATION is expressed by must / have to / should / ought to.
We dont usually use must in questions, although it is possible: must I ?
Have to has all the forms that must does not have:
I had to work yesterday (past)
You will have to attend that seminar (future)
She has never had to commute (present perfect)
I hate having to cook (-ing form);
If you were a teacher, you would have to be very patient (infinitive).
Should expresses weak obligation and is often accompanied by sentences like do you think:
Do you think I should apply for that job?
MUST is used to express an obligation that involves the speakers opinion; it is personal:
I must get my hair cut (this is me talking to myself)
I must write to Anne: I havent written to her for ages! (the speaker personally feels that he must
do it);
Must is also associated with a formal, written style: candidates must answer all questions
(instructions on an exam paper).
HAVE TO expresses a general obligation based on a law or rule or based on the authority of
another person. It is more objective: I have to go to my GP (I have an appointment);
In many English-speaking countries you have to drive on the left.
Sometimes the two verbs are interchangeable: I must/have to be back by midnight.
MUSTNT / DONT HAVE TO are very different! Mustnt expresses a negative obligation it is
important NOT to do something:
You mustnt steal other peoples things;
Dont have to expresses the absence of obligation:
You dont have to come tomorrow (it is not necessary).
You can always use HAVE GOT TO, especially in British English.
EXPRESSING PERMISSION: can / may / be allowed to are used to express permission: You
can borrow my bike;
May we smoke here?
You are not allowed to use mobiles.
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MAKING REQUESTS: can / could / will / would
You can also use the following:3
Would you mind filling in this form?
Do you mind if I open the door?
Would you mind if I opened the door?
MAKING OFFERS: will and shall are used in such cases:
Shall we go out for a pizza? (Shall is used only for I and we)
MAY / MIGHT express possibility in the present or future:
Take your umbrella as it might rain.
We may go to Paris on holiday.
Examples of modals in the past:
MODAL + HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE
(For the negative add NOT to the modal verb)
You might have left your wallet in the shop (= perhaps you have left it there)
Robert must have gone out (now hes not in).
She passed me in the street without speaking: she cant have seen me.
I rang Helen but she did not reply, so I suppose she may have been in the bath.
Sandy did not come to the meeting: he might not have known about it.
Sometimes modal verbs can be structured in the continuous form (instead of being followed by
infinitive) when you talk about possible plans:
MODAL VERB + BE + -ING FORM
I may/might be going to Belgium in December (I may go = its a possibility).
I really should be going now (I should go right now!).
MODAL VERBS
Modals (also called modal verbs, modal auxiliary verbs, modal auxiliaries) are special verbs
which behave irregularly in English. They are different from normal verbs like "work, play, visit..."
They are used to indicate modality. They give additional information about the function of the
main verb that follows it. They have a great variety of communicative functions.
Use of modal verbs:
Modal verbs are used to express functions such as:
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NECESSITY
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7. POSSIBILITY
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REMEMBER:
Modal verbs are followed by an infinitive without "to"
Examples:
1. You must stop when the traffic lights turn red.
2. You should see to the doctor.
There are a lot of tomatoes in fridge. You need not buy any.
EXCEPTION
You ought to go to the doctor.
All the auxiliary verbs except be, do and have are called modals. Unlike other auxiliary verbs modals
only exist in their helping form; they cannot act alone as the main verb in a sentence.
Be, do, and have also differ from the other auxiliaries in that they can also serve as ordinary verbs in
a given sentence.
