MODAL VERBS

ABILITY
PRESENT PAST
CAN: I can play the violin. COULD: He could play the piano when he was six. (Only general ability)

OTHER TENSES
(BE) ABLE TO: I haven’t been able to fix my computer.
MANAGE TO: There was a fire, but we managed to escape.

PERMISSION
PRESENT PAST
CAN: Can I use your pen, please? COULD: When I was a teenager, I could stay out late as long as I told my
COULD: Could I use your pen, please? parents.
MAY: May I use your pen, please? (BE) ALLOWED TO: We were allowed to use a dictionary in the exam.
MIGHT: Might I use your pen, please?
(BE) ALLOWED TO: We aren’t allowed to use our phones during the lecture.

OBLIGATION / PROHIBITION
PRESENT PAST
MUST: You must be quiet in the library. HAD TO: When I was a kid, I had to wear a uniform at school.
HAVE TO: We have to wear a suit at work. DDIDN’T HAVE TO: When I was a kid, I didn’t have to wear a uniform at
MUSTN’T: You mustn’t eat in the library. school.
DON’T/DOESN’T HAVE TO: You don’t have to go to the meeting. It’s
optional.
 ADVICE / CRITICISM
PRESENT PAST
SHOULD: You shouldn’t eat so many sweets. SHOULD HAVE: You should have done your homework last night.
OUGHT TO: You ought to do exercise every day. OUGHT TO HAVE: You ought not to have spoken to your boss in that tone.
HAD BETTER: We had better leave now before it gets dark.

DEDUCTION
PRESENT PAST
MUST: You have been working for hours. You must be exhausted. MUST HAVE: You must have felt very happy when you won the prize.
MAY/MIGHT/COULD*: I don’t know where she is. She might be at the MAY/MIGHT/COULD HAVE: I can’t find my keys. I might have left them at the
office. office.
Can’t: She can’t be at the office. She is on holiday. CAN’T/COULDN’T HAVE: You can’t have seen James. He hasn’t come to work
today.
COULD (Possibility): I could go to the party tonight if I finish my work. COULD HAVE (Past possibility): I could have gone to the party yesterday if I had
finished my work.

NECESSITY
PRESENT PAST
NEED TO: I need to buy a new laptop. This one is very old. NEEDED TO / DIDN’T NEED TO: I didn’t need to finish the project yesterday. It’s
DON’T/DOESN’T NEED TO: We don’t need to buy milk. We have plenty. due tomorrow.
NEED NOT: We need not buy milk. We have plenty. NEED (NOT) HAVE: I needn’t have worried about the exam. It was much easier
than I expected.