Use & brief description Modal verb Example:

⇒ Ability in the present Can

Be able to
⇒ Ability in the past Could
Was/were able to
⇒ Note: to comment on a specific Managed to or was/were able to
achievement or single event in the past.

⇒ Possible in negative sentences Could/was-were able to

⇒ Permission May (formal)
These requests for permission always Could
refer to present or future. If it says could can
it´s not past.
⇒ In answers we use may/can,
never could.
⇒ Never contract may not.
⇒ Requests
⇒ For information requests Will-can
⇒ For more polite requests
Would-could
⇒ Advice
⇒ To say that something is Should-ought to
advisable
⇒ Note: should is often use for
questions, not ought to.
⇒ Suggestions Shall we….?
⇒ Necessity
⇒ Everyday use Have to
⇒ Also common in speaking and
informal writing Have (got) to
⇒ Mainly in writing (forms, signs,
notices,etc)
⇒ Orally: the speaker is in a Must
position of power or there´s urgent
necessity
⇒ Choice / no choice
⇒ The meaning is similar, Have to
something is necessary or required must
⇒ Something is not necessary. Don´t-doesn´t have to
There´s another possibility. There´s a
choice.
⇒ Expresses prohibition. There´s Must not
no choice. Only present use
⇒ Used to express prohibition in
writing, including official forms,signs
and notices
⇒ In spoken English we often use
can´t instead of must not.
⇒ In everyday use, must not is used
to give orders to children
⇒ It refers to the present or future,
not past. Had to- didn´t have to
⇒ To refer to the past
1
⇒ To refer to the future Will have to
Won´t have to

⇒ Expectations: to talk about Be supposed to

diff. kinds of expectations:
⇒ Rules & usual ways of doing
things
⇒ Predictions
⇒ Hearsay (what everyone says)
⇒ Plans or arrangements
⇒ Note: We use be supposed to
only in the present simple or past
simple. We use simple present to refer
to both, present and future. The past
simple suggests that something did not
happen.
⇒ Future possibility: May
Might
Could
⇒ To express the possibility that
something will not happen. Note: we May not
don´t usually contract might not and we Might not
never contract may not.
⇒ Questions about possibility: not
usually formed with may, might or
could. But with…

⇒ In answers to these questions we Will-be going to- present continuous.

often use May, might, could

⇒ Deduction: 100% certain

⇒ The modal we choose depends Aff neg
on ho w certain we are about our Must can´t, couldn´t
deduction Have (got) to may not
May might not
Might, could
⇒ Note: use could in questions. We 0% certain
rarely use might and we never use may
in questions about possibility.
⇒ Expressing regret about the past: Should have + verb in past part.
⇒ To talk about things that were ought to have + verb in past part.
advisable in the past but didn´t happen. could have+ verb in past part.
These modals often express regret or might have+ verb in past part.
blame.
⇒ In negative statements. should not have (more common) +
verb in past part.
ought not to have+ verb in past part.
Should have+ verb in past part.
⇒ In questions, this is the most
common form
⇒ Deduction in the past: 100% certain
⇒ We often make best guesses Aff neg
2
 about past situations based on the facts Must have +verb pp can´t have+verb pp
that we have. The modal that we choose
depends on how certain we are about Had to have+verb pp couldn´t have+vpp
our deductions may have+vpp may not have+vpp

Might have+vpp might not have +vpp

could have+ verb in past participle

0% certain
⇒ We don´t usually use had to have
for negative deductions.

⇒ Use could have+verb in past

part. in questions about possibility.1

1
Diplomatura Anual U.N.QUI .Lic. Verónica Cayo
3