To talk about permission we use:

Subject + + Verb (base form) + Comp.

Students can go to the bathroom if they need it.

Susan is allowed to use the cellphone to call her mother.

Students are allowed to ask questions in class.

Cesar may leave early to go to the doctor.

To talk about prohibition we use:

Subject + + Verb (base form) + Comp.

You mustn’t eat gum in class

Students can’t use the cellphone during the exam.

Peter isn’t allowed to speak Spanish at Icpna.

Girls aren’t allowed to wear bikini for work.

To talk about obligation we use:

Subject + + Verb (base form) + Comp.

You must prepare your project in advance.

I have to study for the final exam.

Susy has to make lunch today.

To talk about lack of obligation we use:

Subject + + Verb (base form) + Comp.

You don’t have to be here very early, just

come 5 minutes before the class.

Laura doesn’t have to speak Spanish in class

because she has really good English.

Students don’t have to use physical books

anymore because they have their virtual one.
 MAKE
Subject + make + Obj. Pronoun + Verb (base form) + Comp.

The teacher makes us do homework every day.

OBLIGATION

The teacher doesn’t make us do homework every day.

LACK OF OBLIGATION
LET
Subject + let + Obj. Pronoun + Verb (base form) + Comp.

The teacher lets us use the dictionary in class.

PERMISSION

The teacher doesn’t let us use cellphones for social

media during class.
PROHIBITION
 To talk about permission we use:

Subject + + Verb (base form) + Comp.

Students can
could go to the bathroom if they needed it.

Susan was
is allowed to use the cellphone to call her mother.

Students were
are allowed to ask questions in class.

Cesar may
might leave early to go to the doctor yesterday.
To talk about prohibition we use:

Subject + + Verb (base form) + Comp.

Students couldn’t
can’t use the cellphone during the exam.

Peter wasn’t
isn’t allowed to speak Spanish at Icpna.

Girls weren’t
aren’t allowed to wear bikini for work.
To talk about obligation we use:

Subject + + Verb (base form) + Comp.

You have
had to prepare your project in advance.

I have
had to study for the final exam.

Susy had
has to make lunch today.
To talk about lack of obligation we use:

Subject + + Verb (base form) + Comp.

You don’t
didn’t have to be here very early, just 5
minutes before the class started.

didn’t have to speak Spanish in class

Laura doesn’t
because she had really good English.

Students didn’t
don’t have to use physical books
anymore because they had their virtual one.
 MAKE : MADE (simple past)

Subject + make
made + Obj. Pronoun + Verb (base form) + Comp.

made us do homework every day last term.

The teacher makes
OBLIGATION

didn’t make
The teacher doesn’t make us do homework every day.
LACK OF OBLIGATION
LET : LET (simple past)

Subject + let + Obj. Pronoun + Verb (base form) + Comp.

The teacher lets

let us use the dictionary in class.
PERMISSION

didn’t let
The teacher doesn’t let us use cellphones for social
media during class.
PROHIBITION
 is/are was/were
Can/may Could/might allowed to
allowed to

Mustn’t isn’t/aren’t wasn’t/weren’t

Couldn’t allowed to
Can’t allowed to

Must Have to Had to

Don’t have to Didn’t have to

GRAMMAR:
TALKING ABOUT ABILITY
PAST and PRESENT
I can speak English but I can’t speak Russian.
(present)
When I was 5 years old, I could swim very well
but I couldn’t speak English. (past)

Susana can play the piano now but she

couldn’t play it when she was a Little girl.
 ASKING FOR HELP SAYING THANKS
I was wondering if you could please help me with this.
Do you think you could help?
Would you mind helping me pick them all up again?

OFFERING HELP
Do you need any help with that?
Do you want a hand? Can I push the stroller for you?
Here, let me help you.

COMPLAINING
 EXPRESSIONS FOR FILING A COMPLAINT
To describe what happened: To demand some action/solution: