Present/Future Past

ABILITY CAN COULD/ WAS- WERE ABLE TO(general ability in the past)
She can speak Spanish but she can’t speak Italian. When he was ten, he could/was able to ride a bicycle.
BE ABLE TO (ability to overcoming some difficulty or when can WAS/WERE ABLE TO (successful use of an ability on a specific
grammatically impossible) occasion)
Despite this handcap he is able to drive a car. Mike’s car broke down but he was able to repair it.
LACK OF ABILITY CAN’T COULDN’T/WASN’T ABLE TO (past repeated action)
Sue can’t dance. He couldn’t /wasn’t able to play chess when he was younger.
COULDN’T/WASN’T ABLE TO (past single action)
She could not/was not able to finish the book.
PERMISSION CAN (informal) COULD (general permission – more polite than can)
You can’t smoke on the underground. In the 1950s British children could leave school at the age of 14.
MAY (formal) WAS/WERE ALLOWED TO (permission on a specific occasion)
May I go to the toilet, Miss? I was allowed to leave early yesterday.
OBLIGATION/DUTY/NECCESSITY HAVE TO (obligation outside our control, someone else has decided) HAD TO
Students have to wear school uniforms in the sixth form. The staff and students had to evacuate the campus.
MUST (obligation imposed by the speaker, I have decided)
I must get up earlier – I waste so much time in the mornings.
MUST (You are obliged to / You have to/ You need to/ It is necessary)
You must attend the meeting.
NEED TO
We’ll need to get our visas sorted out or we won’t be able to stop
over in the States.
OUGHT TO / SHOULD (less strong than must)
You should treat your neighbours with respect.
PROHIBITION MUSTN’T COULDN’T
You mustn’t touch that kettle, it’s hot! We couldn’t go into the disco because we were too young.
CAN’T (=no permission) WAS/WERE NOT ALLOWED TO
Women can’t drive in some Arab countries. Journalists were shown the disused buildings but weren’t allowed to
BE ALLOWED TO enter them.
Let’s eat before we go. We are not allowed to fake food into the
auditorium.
LACK OF OBLIGATION DON’T HAVE/NEED TO (absence of necessity) DIDN’T NEED TO (we don’t know if the action happened or not)
You don’t have/need to pay to visit most museums in Britain. We didn’t need to take warm sweaters, as the weather was so hot.
NEEDN’T (personal opinion) NEEDN’T HAVE DONE (the action happened but was unnecessary)
You needn’t putt he heating on yet; it’s not cold enough. We needn’t have taken warm sweaters. We never used them!

POSSIBILITY CAN (=general possibility) COULD (=general possibility in the past)

Drinks in restaurants can be very expensive. Teachers could be very strict at my old school.
 MAY (=it is possible) MIGHT HAVE DONE
There may be life on Mars. She might have done it< she had the ability and the motive.
MIGHT(=it is possible) COULD HAVE DONE
The shops might not be open today; it’s a bank holiday. John could have posted the letter.
COULD (=it is possible)
The rash could be symptom of something more serious.
COULD /MIGHT HAVE BEEN DONE
He could /might have been injured. (but he was not)
LOGICAL DEDUCTION MUST MUST HAVE DONE
This must be the place-it’s the only restaurant in the Street. There was a terrific noise last night. It must have been an explosion.
CAN’T CAN-T HAVE DONE
This amount can’t be correct. She can-t have fixed the computer, it-s still not working properly.
PROBABILITY OUGHT TO / SHOULD SHOULD HAVE DONE
The plane ought to/ should be landing soon. What has happened to the boys? They should have arrived hours
ago.
CERTAINTY WILL WILL HAVE DONE
I hope she’s taken some Winter clothes. It won’t be warm at the time We sent the inventions on Monday, so they will have received them
of year. by now.
MUST (I’m sure he is)
He must be at home.
CAN’T (I’m sure he isn’t)
He can’t be sleeping.
ADVICE SHOULD
Even people as young as 25 should consider a personal pension.
OUGHT TO
Children oughtn’t to spend long hours in front of a computer screen.
HAD BETTER
If the burglars took your keys, you’d better change the locks in case
they come back.
PAST CRITICISM/REGRET SHOULD HAVE DONE
You shouldn’t have driven through that red light. You could have
caused an accident.
I should not have talked to her like that- I am going to call her to
apologize.
SUGGESTIONS SHALL /CAN/COULD (Why don’t we … / How about…/What
about…/Lets…)
Shall we visit Grandma this weekend
We can/could go to a concert tonight.