MODAL-LIKE

VERBS
OUGHT TO
• simliar to should – ought to sounds a little less subjective and is used to say what is the right
thing to do.

Use Examples

advice You ought to drive carefully in bad weather.

obligation You ought to switch off the light when you leave the room.
HAD BETTER
• 'Had better' expresses advice and means 'would find it wiser or more suitable'.
E.g.:You had better go now (=it would be good, wise or suitable for you to go now).

• We had better take an umbrella. It may rain.

• He’d better stop and have a rest if he feels tired.
• You had better not eat so much.
BE SUPPOSED TO

Is used to express present or future obligation when we feel we are expected to do something
(but we may o may not do it). Change the verb "be" to "was" or "were" to say that
someone expected you to do something in the past.
Ex.
1. Only bicyclists are supposed to use this bike path.
2.You were supposed to go to the movie whit us. Where were you?
USED TO
• used to say that something happened continuously or frequently during a period in the past.
 I used to live in London.
 We used to go sailing on the lake in summer.
• Used to is usually followed by an infinitive: We used to swim in the river.
But sometimes the following infinitive is left out: I don’t play golf now, but I used to.
• Used to only exists as a past tense.
• Questions and negatives are usually formed with ‘did’ + use to (with no ‘d’):
 Did you use to work here?
 We didn’t use to earn much.
HAVE TO
• The modal must can be used in the Simple Present only, so use the substitute have to with
other tenses. The form have to has the same form regardless the subject. And is used to give
very strong advise, something the speaker thinks is necessary.

Pronouns Modal Substitutes in the Simple Present

I, we, you, they I must play football. * I have to play football. *

he, she, it He must play football. * He has to play football. *

• Sentences and questions with have to

have to in the Simple Present

Affirmative
Pronouns Negative sentences Questions
sentences

I, we, you, I have to get I do not have to get Do I have to get

they up early. up early. up early?

She has to get She does not have Does she have
he, she, it
upearly. to get up early. to get up early?
. had to in the Simple Past

Affirmative
Pronouns Negative sentences Questions
sentences

I, he, she, it, we, I had to get I did not have to get Did I have to get
you, they up early. upearly. up early?
HAVE GOT TO

• Is used to give very strong advise, something the espeaker thinks is necessary
 You have got to keep your job.

• Have got to is most common in informal speech. It is not used in questions.

 I have got to study tonight. = I must study tonight.
• Remember: “have got to” and “have to” are modal verbs and require a simple verb to follow
them. The “to” is part of the modal; it is not an infinitive “to”.

• There is only one way to express past time with these modal verbs: HAD TO. (There is no past
tense of must/have got to.)

• For example:
Present Time Past Time
Last night, we had to
We must show our
show our passport at the
passport at the airport.
airport.
I have got to pay my I had to pay my phone
phone bill soon. bill this morning.
They have to go to the They had to go to the
meeting today. meeting yesterday.
WOULD LIKE AND WOULD RATHER
• The modal would is often combined with like to or rather to form a modal-like verb. The modal-like
verb would like to means want to. The modal-like verb would rather means prefer to.
Ex.
I would like to go to the dance tonight.
I would rather go to dance tonight tan go to a movie.

• 'Would rather' can be used with different subjects before and after it, to say that one person
would prefer another to do something. In this case, a past tense is generally used with a present or
future meaning.
• E. g. : I’d rather you went home now.
Don’t come tomorrow. I’d rather you came next weekend.