Modal verbs and other expressions
| Present & Future | Past | Other expressions | |
| Obligation | must
have (got) to should ought to |
had to should have done ought to have |
had better (not)
to be to |
| No obligation | do not have to | did not have to | |
| Giving advice | should
ought to can could |
should have
ought to have could have done |
|
| Complaining | You could
You should |
shouldn’t have
ought to have might have |
|
| Giving orders | must
ought to/should (not) could |
should (not) have
ought (not) to have |
had better (not) |
| Asking for advice | Shall I…?
Should I….? Would you….. if ….? |
||
| Necessity | must
have to need need to |
had to needed needed to |
|
| No necessity | don’t have to
needn’t don’t need to |
didn’t have to
needn’t have didn’t need to |
|
| Ability | can
be able to |
could
were able to was able to |
be capable of
be good at be bad at manage to succeed in |
| No ability | can’t (cannot)
be not able to |
couldn’t
wasn’t able to weren’t able to |
|
| Permission | can
could may |
could | be allowed to
be permitted to let be forbidden to be banned from be prohibited from |
| prohibition | cannot
can’t may not mustn’t |
couldn’t | |
| Making requests | Can I …?
Could I …? May I …..? Would you mind ….? Will you …..? |
||
| Certainty
(positive) |
must | must have done | be bound to |
| Certainty
(negative) |
can’t
couldn’t |
can’t have done
couldn’t have done |
|
| Possibility | may
might could |
may have done
might have done could have done can’t have done |
|
| Expectation | ought to
should |
ought to have done
should have done |
|
| No possibility | may not
might not |
may not have done
might not have done |
|
| Probability | will
should ought to |
||
| Making offers | Shall we
Can I I can I could I will Would you like |
could have
would have |
Why don’t I …?
Why didn’t I …? |
| Making suggestions | Shall we/I
We can We could |
could have
should have |
Why don’t we
Let’s How about What about |
Ready to test your knowledge?
Put the grammar rules above into practice with the challenge below.
