Modals in the Present and the Future

(be) able to

can

cant

could

dont have to

dont need to

had better

have (got) to

may

may as well/might as well

might

must

must not

need

neednt

ought to

shall

shant

should

will

wont

would

wouldnt

Would
like

Would rather

(be) able
to

ability, less used than can

e.g. Im not able to come to the game on Friday.
ability
e.g. Can you play the piano?

can

asking for and giving permission

e.g. Mom, can I go the cinema tonight?
No, you cant. You have homework to do
offer
e.g. Can I help you?
request, instruction
e.g. Can you switch on the light for me?
capability
e.g. The summers in England can be really unpredictable.
with be to make criticisms
e.g. Susan can be a real pain in the neck at times.

cant

ability
e.g. I cant come to the game on Friday.
when you feel sure something is not possible (opposite of must)

e.g. The tennis match cant be over yet. (Im sure it isnt).
possibility or uncertainty (can also use might)
e.g. He could be the one for you!
request (more polite than can)
e.g. Could you switch on the light for me?
could

suggestion
e.g. We could go on a picnic this afternoon.
asking for and giving permission
e.g. Could I use your phone?
Yes, of course you can
unwillingness
e.g. I couldnt possibly leave Tom alone while hes in this state.
with comparative adjectives to express possibility or impossibility
e.g. I could be fitter.
e.g. He couldnt study harder.

dont
have to

when you dont need to do something (but you can if you want)
e.g. You dont have to go to school if you dont want to.

dont
need to

not necessary to do something (more used than neednt)

e.g. You dont need to come to the party if you dont want to.

had
better

strong advice (less used than should). Had better expresses advice
and warning.
e.g. Youd better do the washing up now.
e.g. Id better not go out tonight, because I have to get up early
tomorrow.

have
(got) to

may

necessity, impersonal, not for personal feelings, but for a rule or

situation.
e.g. I have to get up early tomorrow to catch the train to the office.
to express although in clauses
e.g. I may be married to you, but that doesnt give you the right to
treat me like dirt.
possibility or uncertainty (formal)
e.g. There may be a cure for AIDS within the next ten years.

asking for and giving permission (less usual, more formal)

e.g. May I use your phone?
Yes, of course you may
may as
well/migh
t as well

describes the only thing left to do, something which the speaker is
not enthusiastic about
e.g. Im so bored, I may as well do some housework.

might

possibility or uncertainty
e.g. There might be a cure for AIDS within the next ten years.
unreal situation
e.g. If I knew her better, I might invite her to the ball.

must

when you feel sure something is true (opposite of cant)

e.g. The tennis match must be over by now. (Im sure it is).
necessity, personal feelings
e.g. I havent spoken to Liz for ages. I must give her a call.
order, strong suggestion
e.g. You must stop smoking or youll get lung cancer.

must not

prohibition (negative order)

e.g. You must not leave the table until you have finished your dinner.

need

absence of obligation or necessity

e.g. You needn't worry about that.
You need only just ask.

neednt

not necessary to do something (unusual)

e.g. You neednt come to the party if you dont want to.

ought
to

expectation (can use should)

e.g. If you like Picasso, you ought to enjoy the exhibition.
recommendation (can use should)
e.g. You ought to have more driving lessons before you take the test.
criticism (can use should)
e.g. You ought not to shout at your mother like that.

shall

certainty or desire (mainly British English)

e.g. I shall give up chocolate for Lent.
in formal rules and regulations (mainly British English)
e.g. Racism or sexism shall not be tolerated in this building.
in questions to ask for instructions and decisions, and to make offers

and suggestions (mainly British English)

e.g. What shall I do?
When shall we come and see you?
Shall we go to the cinema this evening?
shant

certainty (less usual, mostly British English)

e.g. I shant be late for the meeting.
expectation (can use ought to)
e.g. If you like Picasso, you should enjoy the exhibition.
suggestion, advice, opinion (can use ought to)
e.g. You should have more driving lessons before you take the test.
when something is not right or as you expect it
e.g. The price on this can of beans is wrong. It should say $1.20, not
$2.20.

should

criticism (can use ought to)

e.g. You shouldnt shout at your mother like that.
uncertainty
e.g. Should I ask her out on a date?
should + words of thinking, to make an opinion less direct
e.g. I should think he could find a more compatible match.
with be and adjectives describing chance, including odd, strange,
typical, natural, interesting, surprised, surprising, funny (=odd) and
What a coincidence.
e.g. Its odd that he should ask you so many personal questions.
after in case to emphasise unlikelihood
e.g. Im not going out tonight in case she should call me.
If..should
e.g. If Jane should drop by when I am out, tell her to come back later.
polite order or instruction
e.g. Applications should be sent by 3rd January.

will

assumption
e.g. Oh, thatll be John on the phone.
request (can and could are more common)
e.g. Will you go to the shop for me?
intention or willingness
e.g. Ill take grans pearls then.
You wont!

I will!
order
e.g. Will you please shut up?
insistence
e.g. I wont clean my room!
Yes you will!
habits and typical behaviour
e.g. Sarah will sit and gaze at the stars all night.
criticism
e.g. She will drink too much when she goes out.

wont

emphatically forbid an action, in response to a will expression

e.g. Ill take grans pearls then.
You wont!
I will!
refusal
e.g. I wont clean my room!
Yes you will!
request (can and could are more common)
e.g. Would you go to the shop for me?

would

would like - offer/invitation

e.g. Would you like a cup of tea?
after be, followed by adjectives doubtful, unlikely, to emphasise a
tentative action
e.g. Its doubtful that he would be there in time of need.
annoying habit, typical of a person
e.g. She would ask me for money, wouldnt she?
certainty in a suppressed conditional sentence
e.g. I would never agree to that. (even if he asked me)

wouldn
t

certainty in a suppressed conditional sentence

e.g. I wouldnt agree to that. (even if he asked me.)

Would
like

polite offers and requests

e.g. I'd like to have your opinion.
Would you like to have lunch one day next week?

Would
rather

Preference (*)
e.g. I would rather not do the dishes
I'd rather you came with your brother

(*)

Youd better take your umbrella: advice

Id rather stay at home: preference

Modals in the Past

can't have

could

could have

couldn't

couldn't
have

didn't need to

had to

may have

may not have

might have

might not have

must have

needn't have

ought not to
have

ought to
have

should have

shouldn't
have

would have

would not

can't have

certainty
e.g. I can't have lost my keys! (I'm sure I didn't)
permission
e.g. When I was a teenager, I could go out as late as I wanted.

could
general ability
e.g. Tom could walk by the age of 8 months.

could have

possibility, but did not happen

e.g. I could have passed my driving test if I'd really tried.
uncertainty

e.g. I guess it could have been Sandra on the phone.

permission
e.g. When I was a teenager, I couldn't stay out as late as I wanted.
general ability
couldn't

e.g. I couldn't walk until I was 2.

ability in a particular situation
e.g. I tried hard but I couldn't persuade him to go to the party
with us.
possibility/ability
e.g. I couldn't possibly have passed my driving test, even if I'd
tried harder.
uncertainty

couldn't
have

e.g. It couldn't have been Sandra on the phone, could it?

with comparative adjectives
e.g. I couldn't have asked for better weather on my wedding day.

unwillingness
e.g. I couldn't have left the dog in the car for long (so I didn't).

didnt need
to

had to

unnecessary action not done

e.g. As I was alone this weekend, I didn't need to do any cooking
(so I didn't).

obligation (past form of must)

e.g. I couldn't go out last night because I had to do my homework.

uncertainty
may have

may not
have

e.g. I guess I may have been a bit hard on her when she came home
an hour late.

uncertainty
e.g. He may not have found out yet that he has passed the test.
possibility (didn't happen)
e.g. You might have been killed!
uncertainty

might have

e.g. I guess I might have been a bit hard on her when she came
home an hour late.
annoyance at someone's failure to do something
e.g. You might have told me that you had invited all your colleagues
round for dinner!

might not
have

must have

uncertainty
e.g. He may not have found out yet that he has passed the test.
certainty
e.g. He must have known how much it was going to cost. (I'm sure
he knew.)
with surely in exclamations

e.g. Surely he must have known how much it was going to cost!

needn't
have

ought not
to have

ought to
have

unnecessary action that was actually done

e.g. Oh, you needn't have done the washing up!

criticism (more common is shouldn't have)

e.g. You ought not to have been so frank with him.

expectation (should have is more common)

Why is she late? She ought to have arrived by now!

expectation
Why is she late? She should have arrived by now!
should have + verbs of thinking
should have

e.g. I should have thought you knew.

with be and adjectives, describing chance
e.g. It was weird that you should have been staying in the same
hostel last month.
criticism (you didn't do something, but it would have been the right
thing to do)
e.g. The party was such fun last night! You should have come!

shouldn't
have

criticism
e.g. You shouldn't have been so frank with him.

polite expression of thanks on receiving a gift or favour

"Here's a bottle of wine for you"
"Oh, you really shouldn't have!"
events in the past that did not happen
e.g. I wouldn't have gone out with him, but he didn't ask me.
would have
assumptions
e.g. Oh, that would have been Sarah on the phone just now.
unwillingness
would not

e.g. I asked Tom to close the window, but he wouldn't do it.