Modal Verbs
Must – Have to
Do we use MUST/HAVE TO for strong obligation?
Do we use HAD TO for the past form of HAVE TO AND MUST?
What is the negative form for Must and Have to show prohibition?
Example = You have to stop when a police officer stops you.
Is it true that you must stop/have to stop when the traffic lights turn red?
What are the things you must do/have to do at the airport/school/work?
Do we use MUST/HAVE TO for logical conclusion/Certainty in the present?
Example = He’s been walking for miles. = He must be very tired.
She’s been studying hard for her exams. =
He hasn’t come to work today. =
Mustn’t
Do we use MUSN’T for prohibition as the negative form of Must and Have to?
Does Don’t have to mean prohibition or freedom?
Is Don’t have to a synonym of Mustn’t or Don’t need to?
You mustn’t smoke in the school.
What kinds of things would you say we mustn’t do in a hospital?
What kinds of things would you say we mustn’t do at school/work?
vs.
When you have a severe headache, do you have to go to school?
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Do we use NEEDN’T/DON’T NEED TO/DON’T HAVE TO for lack of necessity/absence of obligation in the present? I needn’t buy milk. There is plenty of milk in the kitchen. I don’t need to buy milk. There is plenty of milk in the kitchen. I don’t have to buy milk. There is plenty of milk in the kitchen. What are the things you needn’t buy because you have them in the kitchen? What are the things you don’t need to buy because you have them in the kitchen? What are the things you don’t have to buy because you have them in the kitchen? What are the things you needn’t do today? What are the things you don’t need to do today? What are the things you don’t have to do today? |
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DO we use CAN for ability? I can dance. What kinds of things can you do with your hands? What kinds of things can you do that your best friend can’t? DO we use CAN for Permission (informal)? Examples Can I use your umbrella, please? Can I use your phone, please? Can I go to the toilet, please? Task Please, ask to use my phone. Please, ask to go to the toilet. Do we use CAN for possibility? Smoking can cause cancer. What can happen if you smoke? What can happen if you drive fast? |
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Do we use COULD for ability in the past (habitual/repetitive)? Vs Do we use Was/were able to for ability at a specific moment in the past (once only)? Does this difference exist in the affirmative sentences only? 1: When I was younger, I could jump really high. Could you run fast when you were a child? What kinds of things could you do that your friends couldn’t do when you were younger? 2: After trying for 10 years, I was able to win the London Marathon and, then, I retired. What is the last thing you were able to do after trying a long time? When was the last time a weak opponent was able to beat a strong one? Do we use COULD for polite permission? The level of politeness is higher than Can. Excuse me, could I just tell you something? Could I use your phone, please? Could I go to the toilet, please? Please, ask to use my phone. Please, ask to go to the toilet. Do we use COULD forpossibility? It could snow tomorrow! What could happen if you smoke? What could happen if you drive fast? |
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Do we use MAY for very polite permission? The level of politeness is the highest. May I come in? May I use your phone, please? May I go to the toilet, please? Please, ask to use my phone. Please, ask to go to the toilet. Do we use MAY forpossibility and probability? It may rain at the weekend. Would you say that it may rain tomorrow? Would you say that I may lose my job if I go to work late regularly? |
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Do we use MIGHT for very polite permission? The level of politeness is the highest. Do we use Might as the Past of May in Reported Speech where we have to go one tense back? Might I suggest an idea? Might I use your phone, please? Might I go to the toilet, please? Please, ask to use my phone. Please, ask to go to the toilet. Do we use MIGHT forpossibility and probability? I might go on holiday to France next summer. Would you say that it might rain tomorrow? Would you say that I might lose my job if I go to work late? |
Do we use SHOULD/OUGHT TO for 50 % obligation or strong advice?
I should/ought to go to a dentist because I have a terrible toothache.
I have a terrible headache. = You should/ought to see a doctor.
I am feeling really tired, and I have an exam tomorrow morning. = You should/ought to …
I am driving too fast. = You should/ought to …
Do we use SHOULD/OUGHT TO for advice?
You should/ought to study for your exams.
I am looking for a job. What should I do?
I want to get fit. What should I do?
Do we use SHOULD/OUGHT TO forlogical conclusions?
He’s been running for an hour. = He should/ought to be very tired.
He’s been working all day long. = He should/ought to be very tired.
He has just lost his job. =
Her dog is lost. =
Do we use SHOULD/SHALL for suggestions and offers in questions?
Should/Shall I help you with this concept?
Should/Shall I bring you a glass of water?
Should/Shall I speak more slowly?
Do we use HAD BETTER for strong advice?
You’d better arrive on time.
You have an exam coming. = You’d better revise your lessons.
You are driving too fast. =
You are getting too fat. =
Do we use MUST HAVE + PARTICIPLE for logical conclusion / certainty about the past in the affirmative?
My brother arrived late. = There must have been a lot of traffic.
My brother arrived late. = There must have been a lot of traffic.
John was yawning at work. =
Maria was fired yesterday. =
Do we use CAN’T HAVE + PARTICIPLE/COULDN’T HAVE + PARTICIPLE for logical conclusion / Certainty about the past in the negative/certainty that something was impossible to happen?
Sam failed the exam really badly. He can’t have studied hard for it.
Sam is blind and she has been accused of burgling someone’s house last night. =
Tom is impotent and can’t have children. He is accused of having made his ex girlfriend pregnant.
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Do we use MAY HAVE + PARTICIPLE for deductions: possibility/probability in the past? Someone broke our window. It may have been one of our neighbours’ children or one of our own. I am not sure. A: Where were John and Maria? B: They may have gone to the beach or to the cinema. Are we sure about where they were? A: Where does Cathy work now? B: Cathy may have gone to work abroad. Do we know this for sure? |
Do we use MIGHT HAVE + PARTICIPLE for Deductions: Possibility/probability in the past?
John is still not here. He might have caught the wrong bus.
Your brother was angry with you. Why?
Your boss was looking for you. Why?
Do we use COULD HAVE + PARTICIPLE for Possibility which existed but which wasn’t done?
I am sorry, but you could have helped your brother.
Simon didn’t have fun at the weekend. His friends invited him to a party, but he didn’t go.
Cynthia didn’t get the job because she didn’t have any references in her CV.
Do we use WOULD HAVE + PARTICIPLE for desire to do something, but impossibility to do it for external causes?
If I had guessed the future, I would have taken some precautions against what happened.
Lisa forgot your address. That’s why she didn’t visit you.
Ron didn’t study enough. That’s why he failed the test.
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Do we use SHOULD HAVE + PARTICIPLE for regret/criticism in the past: affirmative? You should have listened to the teacher and studied harder. You have now failed all your exams. Mark’s brother told him not to go to that area. Mark went there and got robbed. Marissa’s mum told her to follow the recipe. She didn’t and burnt the food. |
Do we use SHOULDN’T HAVE + PARTICIPLE for regret/criticism in the past: negative?
He revealed her secrets. She shouldn’t have told them to him.
Tom’s friends convinced him to try drugs. He became a drug addict.
Tania got drunk and crashed her car.
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Do we use NEEDN’T HAVE + PARTICIPLE forsomething that wasn’t necessary to do, but we did it? I needn’t have read the chapter because it wasn’t part of the exam. I did it for no reason. You bought your nephew a pet dog. His mother had already bought him one two days before. You cancelled all your plans and went to your friend’s house to help her with some work, but she had hired a professional team. |
Do we use DIDN’T NEED TO/Didn’t have to for something that wasn’t necessary to do, but we didn’t do it or don’t know whether we did it?
I didn’t need to/didn’t have to study chapter 11 because I knew the concepts already. That’s why I didn’t do it.
It was Saturday. Did I need to go to school?
I was in the supermarket doing the weekly shopping and remembered that there was enough bread in the house but not enough milk.