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    MODAL VERBS

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    tobaresbrisa000

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    MODAL VERBS

    Uploaded by

    tobaresbrisa000
    3 views9 pages

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

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    PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

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    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    3 views9 pages

    MODAL VERBS

    Uploaded by

    tobaresbrisa000

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 9

    MODALS OF

    ADVICE, OBLIGATION &


    NECESSITY
    USE EXAMPLE

    SHOULD/OUGHT TO To give advice He should stop eating fast food.

    You have to finish the essay by tonight.


    MUST / HAVE TO To express obligation or to give strong advice We must be at the airport at 7 p.m.

    Drivers mustn’t smoke while driving.


    To say that something is not allowed or to Students mustn’t use their cellphones in
    MUSTN’T
    give strong negative advice. class.

    You don’t need to pick me up, I’ll walk.


    DON’T HAVE TO / DON’T We needn’t take the coats, it’s really hot
    To express lack of obligation or necessity.
    NEED TO / NEEDN’T outside.

    To talk abour rules and about things that


    BE SUPPOSED TO people believe or expect to happen or to be She was suposed to be here an hour ago.
    true.
    MODALS OF

    POSSIBILITY, PROBABILITY
    & CERTAINTY
    USE EXAMPLE

    Look at the clouds! It might rain later.


    MAY/ MIGHT / COULD To speculate about possible future events. Sara likes pop music - she may like this
    singer.

    To talk about things which we can deduce She broke up with her boyfriend last night.
    MUST She must be really sad now.
    are definitely true.

    To talk about things which we can deduce He can’t be tired. He had eight hours’ sleep.
    CAN’T
    are impossible.

    I’m sure you’ll be able to change that T-shirt


    BE ABLE TO To talk about possibility in the future. if it doesn’t fit.

    Travelling around Europe can be quite


    To talk about general truths and strong
    CAN/ COULD expensive.
    possibilities.
    The shop could be closed by now.
    We can use a number of other structures to express possibility, probability and
    certainty.

    USE EXAMPLE

    To say that something is likely to happen, in Argentina should win the America’s Cup.
    SHOULD
    our opinion.

    The score is 4-0 with two minutes to go.


    BE BOUND TO = certain to They’re bound to win.

    Chances are that we won’t complete the


    CHANCES ARE (THAT) = possible that project on time.

    BE LIKELY TO = it’s probable that it will Is it likely to rain tomorrow?


    MODALS IN THE PAST
    USE EXAMPLE

    For speculating about the past. I haven't received your letter. It may have got
    MAY/ MIGHT / COULD We can also use the negative forms “may not” or lost in the post.
    HAVE “might not” (have), but we can’t use the He might not have finished his exams yet
    negative form “couldn’t have” in this sense.

    You shouldn’t have lied to your parents.


    SHOULD / OUGHT TO To talk about what the right or wrong way to I failed my exam. I ought to have studied
    HAVE behave in the past was. more.

    To tell somebody what they should have done.


    It is usually an exclamation. However, we Honeslty, you might have warned me that we
    MIGHT / COULD HAVE had to wear a businesslike outfit!
    cannot use may have or negative forms in this
    sense.

    She must have left the house by now; it's


    MUST / CAN’T / nearly 11 o'clock.
    COULDN’T HAVE To make logical deductions about the past. You can’t/ couldn’t have read the map
    properly. We are completely lost.
    USE EXAMPLE

    SHOULD HAVE/ WAS To talk about things we expect to have He should have been here by now.
    SUPPOSED TO happened. It was supposed to be an easy test.

    -When you say needn't have, the action


    You needn’t have phoned, I was on my way
    NEEDN’T HAVE /DIDN’T described did happen, and was unnecessary.
    over.
    NEED TO -When you say didn't need to, the action
    Joe didn’t need to buy any coffee. (There was
    described may or may not have happened, and
    plenty in the cupboard).
    was unnecessary.

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