MODAL VERBS

Modal verbs are verbs with unique characteristics. They work with the main
verb to add extra meaning to a sentence, for example, obligation or
permission.
Modal verbs share the following characteristics:
• We put an infinitive without to after most modal verbs (but not ought to)
e.g. : I must go.
You shouldn’t swear.
He ought to be more hard-working.
• Modal verbs do not take –s in the third person.
e.g. : She can drive.
• We do not use the auxiliary verb do / does / did with modal verbs to
form negatives, questions or short answers.
e.g. : I can’t understand.
She might not come.
 ABILITY
• Present : can
We use the modal verb can / can’t to talk about present ability.
e.g. : I can’t swim very far now.
• Past : could / be able to
We use could to talk about general ability in the past.
e.g. : She could run very fast when se was young.
We use the correct form of be + able to to talk about particular ability in the
past (ability to do something on one occasion).
e.g. : He injured his foot but he was able to continue playing.
We can use the negative form couldn’t to talk about general ability or
particular ability in the past.
e.g. : He couldn’t talk until he was three.
I couldn’t find my cell phone yesterday.
• Other tenses : be able to
e.g. : I haven’t been able to go on holidays for years
I won’t be able to finish my homework tonight.
 OBLIGATION
Present obligation: must / have to
• We use must to talk about internal obligation.
e.g. : You must obey your parents.
• We use have to (which is not a modal verb) to talk about external
obligation.
e.g. : You have to go up the stairs as the lift is out of order.

Past obligation : had to

• We use had to to talk about a past obligation.
e.g. : I had to fill in a form to apply for the job.
 DEDUCTION

We use must and can’t to make logical deductions.

Present deductions: must / can’t.
• We use must when we are certain something is true.
e.g. : He must be at home. The lights are on.
• We use can’t when we believe or guess that something is impossible.
e.g. : He can’t be tired. He’s been sitting all day long.
Be careful! We do not use mustn’t to make negative deductions.
e.g. : He hates maths. He can’t be solving maths problems.
not He mustn’t be solving maths problems.

Past deductions : must have / can’t have .

• We use must have + past participle to express a certainty or make a
logical deduction about the past.
e.g. : He was late for school this morning. He must have overslept.
• We use can’t have + past participle to express an impossibility in the
past.
e.g. : He can’t have passed his driving test. He’s very sad.
 POSSIBILITY

Present : We use may (not) / might (not) / could (not) to talk about:
• present or future possibility
e.g. : He may / might / could not pass the exam.
• Polite requests.
e.g. : May I come in?
• Permission.
e.g. : You may smoke if you want to.

Past: We use may / might / could have + past participle:

• to express a possibility in the past.
e.g. : I’ve lost my cheque book. Someone may / might / could have
stolen it.
It’s not very late. They may / might / could not have gone to
bed yet.
 ADVICE

Present :
• we use should (not) / ought (not) to to give advice and make
recommendations.
e.g. : You should / ought to go to bed.
You should /ought to tell the police.
• We use had better (not) + infinitive without to to give very strong
advice or make threats.
e.g. : You had better go or you’ll be late.
You had better not be late or you’ll be grounded next
weekend.

Past : we use should / ought to + have + past participle

• to express regret about something.
e.g. : I shouldn’t have told him he is an idiot.
• to express criticism about past events.
e.g. : He ought to have told us before.
 LACK OF NECESSITY
Present : needn’t / don’t have to (which is not a modal verb).
• We use needn’t and don’t have to when there is no obligation.
e.g. : You needn’t shout. I’m not deaf.
She doen’t have to sit this exam if she doesn’t want to.
• The modal verb need (without to), is only used in the negative and
interrogative. In the affirmative we use need to to express necessity.
e.g. : I need to work hard if I want to pass all my exams.

Past : didn’t need to / needn’t have + past participle.

• We usually use didn’t need to + infinitive to say that an action was not
necessay .
e.g. : He didn’t need to do it. (= It wasn’t necessary for him to do it.
Perhaps he did it, perhaps he didn’t)
• We usually use needn’t have + past participle to say that an action was
not necessary, but it happened anyway.
e.g. : He needn’t have done it. (= It wasn’t necessary for him to do it,
bu he did.)
 PROHIBITION
• We use mustn’t to talk about prohibition.
e.g. : You mustn’t disobey your parents.

PERMISSION
• We use can(‘t) to talk about permission in the present.
e.g. Can I open the window?
• We use be allowed to (which is not a modal verb) to talk about
permission in other tenses.
• e.g. : He won’t be allowed to watch this TV programme.
They haven’t been allowed to attend the lecture.
• We can also use could to talk about general permission in the past but not
to talk about permission for a particular action.
e.g. : I couldn’t go out at night when I was a child.
Last week, I wasn’t allowed to go to a party as I was grounded.
But not : Last week I couldn’t go to a party as …