MODAL EXAMPLES USES

can Mary can run very fast ability

Can you help me with the suitcases? request
Women’s sports can be exciting to watch possibility
Can I join your team? / You can join our team giving & asking for
permission
be able to He is/was/will be/has been able is able to skate very ability in different
well tenses
be allowed We aren’t /weren’t / won’t be allowed to play here giving permission
to and talk about it in
different tenses
can’t You can’t be 40, you look much younger negative deduction /
certainty that
something is not
possible
could She could run very vast when she was a child past ability
Could you help me with the suitcases? polite request
You could exercise and eat healthier food polite suggestion
It could be dangerous for women to compete with men possibility
may It may rain tomorrow possibility
May I join this team? / You may join our team giving and asking
for permission
might She might win the gold medal in the competition possibility

must You must train hard for the match obligation

She’s got a great job. She must be very happy positive deduction /
certainty that
something is true
have to I have/had/will have to buy the tickets today obligation, necessity
in different tenses
need to You need to practise harder obligation, necessity

needn’t You needn’t bring anything to the party lack of obligation

not have to I don’t /didn’t / won’t have to get up early tomorrow lack of obligation in
different tenses
mustn’t You mustn’t exceed the speed limit prohibition

should You should try and get on well with your children advice, opinion

ought to You ought to warm up before training advice, opinion

 SOME PRACTICE

1) Ability and permission: complete the sentences with the correct modal verb for
ability or permission: can, could, be able to, be allowed to, may.

Present
Two of my friends _________ play instruments (ability)
At our school we _________ wear jewellery (permission)

Past
I _________ talk when I was three (ability)
I _________ stay up late until I was twelve (permission)

Future
One day, people _________ visit Mars. (ability)
I _________ get a job until I’m seventeen (permission)

2) Possibility and deduction: Write a sentence about the ideas in 1-6. Use may,
might, can, could, must, can’t.

1. An activity which you think must be fun. It must be fun to windsurf

2. An activity which can’t be easy in your opinion
3. Some food that you might try one day
4. A hobby that you may start when you’re older
5. A person who you think must be quite happy
6. A place that you might visit when you’ve got more money

3) Obligation, necessity, advice and prohibition: Match sentences

1-6 with A-F

1. We didn’t have to buy that a. It wasn’t necessary

2. You shouldn’t drink too much coffee b. That’s my advice
3. I had to study it for the exam c. It was obligatory
4. We don’t have to wear a uniform d. I feel obliged to do
it.
5. You mustn’t smoke at school e. There is no
obligation
6. I must phone my mum—it’s late f. It is prohibited

4) Write what you would say in the following situations. Use at least one modal in
each answer
1. Your friend wants you to go to a film with him, but you’ve got an exam
tomorrow (obligation)
2. Your friend wants to bring food to the party, but you already have loads of food.
(lack of obligation)
3. You want to listen to your friend’s CD. (permission)
4. Your friend has been getting low marks lately (advice)
5. Your friends are at your house, but your parents are sleeping and don’t want any
noise (prohibition)
6. Your friend has been accepted for the football team, and you’re sure he’s very
happy (positive deduction)
7. Your friend tells you story, but you don’t believe it (negative deduction)
8. Your friend thinks she won’t succeed in the game, but you are convinced she
will (ability)