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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:

1.PERMISSION
2.ABILITY
3.OBLIGATION
NECESSITY
6.ADVICE
7. POSSIBILITY

4.PROHIBITION

5.LACK OF

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.