MODAL VERBS (present and future)

modals of ability:
● can: She can dance for hours without the necessity of taking a break.
● can’t: He cannot follow the Spanish teacher during the class. Later, he needs to ask
the classmates about what the teacher explained.
● be able to: My mum is able to cook at the same time that she is speaking with me.
● could: My dad could prepare a pizza for us.

modals of possibility or probability

● could: You could be less ugly if you cut your extremely long hair. You look like a
monster.
● may: May I help you to prepare lunch?
● might: We might be friends one day, but at the moment I hate her.

modals of obligation:
● have to: The teacher said that you have to pass her your DNI for the Rome’s travel.
● must: I must finish the homework tonight. If not, tomorrow's morning I will be tired.

modals of advice:
● should: You should try another dentist if you see that the one that you have now
won't help you.
● ought to: He ought to buy new clothes for the trip. He only has sports clothes.
● had better: My sister had not better mental health if she won’t go to the phycology

modals of no obligation:
● don’t have to/doesn’t have to: My grandmother doesn’t have to get up early every
day like me, she finished work in 2010.
● don’t need to/doesn’t need to: They don’t need to put up with the sweater, the
weather is fine.
● needn’t: I needn’t go to class on Friday, because Thursday is a party, and no one will
go to class on Friday.

modals of prohibition:
● mustn't: You mustn’t drive with higher velocity than the signal says to you!
Irresponsible…
 ● can’t: Marina, please look for another dress. We can’t go to the party with the same
dress. It is ridiculous.

modals of permission and request

● can, could: Can I go to the toilet when we finish the listening part?
● may, might, would, shall: Shall I read this paragraph?

modals of deduction and certainly:

● must be: I must be a fantastic mother if I follow my mum footsteps
● can’t be: She can’t be a normal person. At home, she had a lot of complications.
● might be: He might be arrive home earlier than yesterday. I saw that he was in the
supermarket two minutes ago.
● may be: I may be watching another film in ten minutes, this one doesn't like me so
much.

MODAL PERFECTS (past)

modals of certainty and impossibility:

● must have+ v3: I must have arrived at home, but there is a lot of traffic on Sunday’s.
● can/couldn't have + v3: I couldn't have finished the homework for the day that the
teacher wanted, so I asked them if I can send it next week.

modals of possibility and speculations:

● may have+v3: She may have travelled more if she doesn’t have a fear of airplanes.
● might have+v3: Might I have taken the card?

modals of regret and criticism:

● should have+v3: Should I have put on these boots?
● ought to have+v3: You ought to have respected your teacher. Tomorrow you will
apologize.
● could have+v3: My dad could have danced more that night, if my mom hadn't gone
into labor.

modals of no obligation:
● needn’t have+v3: She needn’t have driven to the hospital, her husband took her.