Modal Meaning present / future past negative

1) ability
yetenek She can dance well. She can’t sing.
= be able to

yasaklama / prohibition
2) permission = not allowed to
You can leave whenever
izin
you want.
= be allowed to You can’t do what you
CAN want.
impossibility
= it is / was almost
impossible that
3) possibility
Stories about UFOs can The story she told us
olasılık
be true. can have been true. She can’t be married. She
= it is possible that
is only 14.
The story she told us can’t
have been true.
couldn’t = wasn’t weren’t
able to
1) past ability
He could dive before the
sürekli yapılabilen eylemler
accident. People couldn’t travel
= was / were able to
long distance for
holiday in old days.
impossibility
= it is / was almost
impossible that
COULD 2) present possibility I could be working this
He could have forgotten
olasılık evening if I can’t finish
it was my birthday. He couldn’t have
= it is possible that this.
forgotten it was my
birthday. I reminded him
one day before.
3) request Could you please drive
ricalar more slowly?
4) suggestion You could try this number
öneri if the other is busy.
prohibition / yasaklama
1) permission
You may use dictionary in
izin Examinees may not use
writing exam.
= be allowed to their cell phones during
exams.
MAY
2) polite request
May I use your bathroom?
ricalar
3) possibility
We may have a vacation There may have been a She may not have
olasılık
soon. mistake. known her name.
= it is possible that
1) polite questions
Might I ask a question?
kibar sorular
MIGHT 2) present possibility It might be late when we She might have They might not have
olasılık get there. We had better overslept. She promised met before.
= it is possible that book in advance. to see us off.

1
Modal Meaning present / future past negative
mustn’t = not allowed to
prohibition
1) obligation
You must wear your yasaklama
zorunluluk
seatbelt.
= have to
You mustn’t stand up
before the plane lands.
You mustn’t go on a diet
2) strong recommendation You must see a dietician
before you see a
güçlü tavsiye before going on a diet.
MUST dietician.
impossibility
= it is / was almost
The storm must have impossible that
3) certainty He must be sleeping.
damaged the system. I
güçlü olasılık There is no light on in his
can not get connected This phone mustn’t
= it is most likely that house
to it. have cost a lot.
Otherwise, my dad
wouldn’t buy it.

HAVE TO lack of obligation

I had to rewrite my yapılmasına gerek yok
obligation
You have to attend the essay because my = not need to
zorunluluk
classes to pass. sister deleted the first
= must
one by mistake. You don’t have to go to
France to learn French.
1) advice You ought to take your ID Opening speech
tavsiye card with you. shouldn’t be long.
impossibility
The exam should be very = it is almost impossible
2) possibility easy. Almost all the that
olasılık students have already left
SHOULD = it is very likely that the exam hall in half an The exam shouldn’t be
OUGHT hour. hard. Students seem
TO very happy.
yapılmaması beklenen bir
3) critic şeyin yapılması
You should have run
beklentilerin durumunda
faster. We missed the
gerçekleşmemesi
bus.
durumunda She shouldn’t have
worn jeans to interview.
had better not
recommendation You had better ask your
HAD
tavsiye parents before you plan We had better not sign
BETTER
= should / ought to your holiday. anything without
reading.

I will always appreciate

1) promise
your presence when I am
söz verirken
in trouble.
2) threats
tehdit ifade eden I will take my revenge.
durumlarda
WILL
It is very typical of him.
3) habit
He will sit and stare into
alışkanlıklar
space for hours.
4) certainty
It will be my mum at the
güçlü olasılık
door.
= it is very likely that