MODAL VERBS EXAMPLES

ABILITY
- I CAN (AM ABLE TO) speak 3 languages.
- I CAN’T (AM NOT ABLE TO) ski.
- I COULD (WAS ABLE TO) ride a bike when I was 5 years old.
- I COULDN’T (WASN’T ABLE TO) speak English when I was 7 years old.
- COULD you (WERE YOU ABLE TO) get there on time?
- I WILL BE ABLE to go to university if I pass Bachillerato.
- I HAVE BEEN ABLE to get Brian’s email address.

POSSIBILITY (IT’S POSSIBLE, MAYBE, PERHAPS)

- It’s very cloudy, but it MIGHT / MAY not rain.
- Take your umbrela, it MAY / MIGHT rain later.
- We MAY / MIGHT have another exam next week; we don’t know yet.
- We MAY / MIGHT not have lessons next Friday; we don’t know yet.
- You CAN snow in LA Covatilla in Winter.
- The teacher MAY / MIGHT have gone to the library; she is not in class now.
- Matt MAY / MIGHT not have known about the exam.

OBLIGATION (IT’S COMPULSORY or a strong recommendation)

- I really MUST tidy my room this weekend.
- I HAVE TO do my English homework this afternoon.
- He HAS TO be home by midnight.
- I HAD TO finish the project last night.

ABSENCE OF OBLIGATION (IT’S NOT NECESSARY)

- You DON’T HAVE TO stay at school after 2’25 p.m.
- I DIDN’T HAVE TO tell my mum; she already knew about it.
- Mark DOESN’T HAVE TO wear a uniform in his job.

PROHIBITION (IT’S FORBIDDEN)

- You mustn’t smoke in public places
PERMISSION
- CAN I go to the toilet?
- MAY I sit here?
- You CAN’T use you mobile pone in class.

ADVICE
- You SHOULD /OUGHT TO study more.
- You SHOULDN’T / OUGHTN’T TO talk like that to your sister.
- He SHOULD have phoned his parents to tell them he was going to be late.

LOGICAL DEDUCTION
- He MUST be really clever. He always gets 10 in all the subjects.
- He CAN’T be his dad; he is too young.
- She MUST have called me while I was in the bathroom.
- She CAN’T have told that awful story about Sara; they are very good friends!

REQUEST
- CAN / COULD you tell where the station is, please?
- WILL you help me with my homework?

OFFER
- SHALL I give you a hand?
- WOULD you like to come with us?

SUGGESTION
- SHALL we go to the cinema this evening?

HABIT IN THE PAST

I USED TO spend my summer holidays in my granparent’s country house.