Modals Summary

Modals Summary

Function Modal Present Past Explanation

Ability Can I can speak 3 languages When I was a child I could

run fast

be able to , know how to

Obligation Must, have to Drivers {must/ have to}

stop at a red light.

They had to stop at a red

light

It is obligatory to

Prohibition Mustn’t Students mustn’t cheat in

exams

it is forbidden to, it is

against the law

Advice Should, ought to, You {should/ought to }

study hard

It is advisable, it is a good

idea

Criticism Should(ought to)

have done

You { should/ought to }have

tried better (but they didn’t

try and their team lost)

Somebody did something

wrong in the past

Lack of

obligation

Needn’t =

don’t ( doesn’t)

have to

There are only few

guests. We { neednt

/ don’t have to } buy

many cakes

You needn’t have bought

cakes ( it wasn’t necessary ,

but you bought them)

It is not necessary to do

Deduction must He has Rolls Royce. He

must be rich.

I can’t have access to the

internet. My father must

have changed the password.

I am sure ,I am certain

Impossibility Can’t He can’t be American, His

English is terrible.

He can’t have written the

poem. He is illiterate.

I am sure someone/

something is not

Possibility May, might, could It is cloudy. It{

may/could/might } rain

I guess it {may/ could/

might} have been Lucy on

the phone.

It is possible/perhaps

Function Modal Present Past Explanation

Ability Can I can speak 3 languages When I was a child I could

run fast

be able to , know how to

Obligation Must, have to Drivers {must/ have to}

stop at a red light.

They had to stop at a red

light

It is obligatory to

Prohibition Mustn’t Students mustn’t cheat in

exams

it is forbidden to, it is

against the law

Advice Should, ought to, You {should/ought to }

study hard

It is advisable, it is a good

idea

Criticism Should(ought to)

have done

You { should/ought to }have

tried better (but they didn’t

try and their team lost)

Somebody did something

wrong in the past

Lack of

obligation

Needn’t =

don’t ( doesn’t)

have to

There are only few

guests. We { neednt

/ don’t have to } buy

many cakes

You needn’t have bought

cakes ( it wasn’t necessary ,

but you bought them)

It is not necessary to do

Deduction must He has Rolls Royce. He

must be rich.

I can’t have access to the

internet. My father must

have changed the password.

I am sure ,I am certain

Impossibility Can’t He can’t be American, His

English is terrible.

He can’t have written the

poem. He is illiterate.

I am sure someone/

something is not

Possibility May, might, could It is cloudy. It{

may/could/might } rain

I guess it {may/ could/

might} have been Lucy on

the phone.

It is possible/perhaps