MODAL VERBS PRESENT PAST FUTURE
ABILITY CAN COULD - WAS/WERE ABLE TO for general WILL BE ABLE TO
I can speak English ability in the past After the course, I´ll be able to get a better job.
BE (NOT) ABLE TO (more formal/less common) I could ride a bike when I was five.
They aren´t able to attend the lecture. WAS/WERE ABLE TO (not could) to talk
about the ability to do something on a
single occasion in the past
He was able to translate the whole text into
English.
PROBABILITY SHOULD – OUGHT TO to say that we think MAY / MIGHT HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE
something is likely now or in the future, but Jane may have visited her relatives when she
we aren´t completely sure was in Ireland.
She should know the answer to this question.
Tom ought to be back from school now.
POSSIBILITY MAY – MIGHT – COULD + INFINITIVE to say COULD + HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE to say
something is possible now or in the future that something was possible in the past but
It might rain later today. it didn´t happen
Jane could have been a good doctor, but she
decided to become a lawyer instead.
OBLIGATION MUST when the speaker feels that HAD TO WILL HAVE TO
something is necessary I had to go to the dentist yesterday. I will have to tidy my room next weekend.
I must call Jane this evening.
HAVE TO when something is necessary
because someone else requires it or
because of a law or rule.
I have to hand in the essay tomorrow.
DON´T / DOESN´T HAVE TO DIDN´T NEED TO WON´T HAVE TO
NO OBLIGATION
DON´T / DOESN´T NEED TO I didn´t need to phone Tom because he phoned
You don´t have to hand in the essay before me!
tomorrow.
ADVICE AND SHOULD / SHOULDN´T SHOULD / SHOULDN´T + HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE
OUGHT TO / OUGHT NOT TO + HAVE + PAST
RECOMMENDATIONS OUGHT / OUGHT NOT TO to give advice or
say whether something is or isn´t a good PARTICIPLE to criticise past actions
You shouldn´t have turned left here. It´s the
idea.
wrong road.
You should try this game. It´s excellent!
You should have studied more for the test.
You ought not to eat all these sandwiches!
HAD BETTER / HAD BETTER NOT to give
strong advice or a warning.
You´d better not be late home. Your dad will be
angry.
PERMISSION AND CAN / CAN´T COULD / COULDN´T WILL / WON´T BE ALLOWED TO
(NOT) BE ALLOWED TO Dad couldn´t park outside the front entrance. I will be allowed to go back to school a week
REQUESTS after the operation.
You can see the doctor now. (NOT) BE ALLOWED TO
They weren´t allowed to smoke.
CAN / COULD (more polite) / MAY (formal) to
ask for permission
May I borrow your phone?
CAN / COULD to make requests (NOT may)
Could you help me with this, please?
SPECULATING MUST + INFINITIVE when we are sure MUST + HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE when we SHOULD / OUGHT TO + INFINITIVE to
something is true are sure something in the past happened. express near certainty
It´s getting dark. It must be late. I must have left my keys at home. They aren´t This Ferrari should last a life time.
CAN´T + INFINITIVE when we are sure in my bag and I don´t remember locking the MAY / MIGHT / COULD + INFINITIVE when we
something is impossible door this morning. are less certain
They can´t have much money. They´ve got an CAN´T + HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE when we The Smith family may move next month.
old car. are sure something didn´t happen in the
MAY / MIGHT / COULD + INFINITIVE when we past
think something is possible We can´t have missed the bus. The timetable
Tina may be in the cafeteria. She said she was says it´s leaving at 5.30 and it´s only 5.20.
hungry. MAY (NOT) / MIGHT (NOT) /COULD + HAVE +
PAST PARTICIPLE when we think it´s
possible something happened in the past
The teacher might have marked our tests. Let´s
ask her.