MODALS & MODALITIES
Modal Verbs in English
Ability: Can, Could, Be able to
- Can you swim?
- I can’t open this bottle.
- She could swim when she was five.
- I’d like to be able to play the piano.
- I won’t be able to remember your phone number.
Permission: Can, Could, May, Be allowed to
Asking for permission:
- Can I borrow your pen, please?
- Could I use your phone, please?
- May I make a suggestion?
Talking about permission:
- You can/are allowed to drive a car in Britain when you are 17.
- When we were children, we could/were allowed to stay up late on Saturday nights.
Obligation and Necessity: Must, Have to, Have got to
There is sometimes a difference between “must” and “have to”
Must: when you say what you think is necessary, when you are giving your opinion.
Have to: when you are not giving your personal opinion, but just facts
-
- The government really must do something about unemployment.
- I must write to Ann. I haven’t written to her for ages.
- Ann’s eyes are not very good. She has to wear glasses for reading.
- At our school, we have to wear uniform.
In everyday speech, we use “have got to” instead of “have to”
- I’ve got to work late this evening
We only use “must” to talk about the present and the future. When we talk about past obligation or necessity, we use “had to”
- I had to work late yesterday.
Note:
Mustn’t = Prohibition
- You mustn’t drive without a licence.
Don’t have to: when it is not necessary to do something
- You don’t have to wash that shirt, it isn’t dirty.
Don’t have to = don’t need to, needn’t
- I needn’t/don’t have to get up early. It’s Sunday.
Possibility: May, Might, Could
To talk about present or future possibility
- “There is someone at the door.” “It may be Sarah.” (Perhaps it is Sarah)
- President Jones might win the election. (Perhaps he will win the election)
- “Where’s Simon?” “He could be in the living-room.” (Perhaps he is there)
Negatives: may not, might not/mightn’t, but not use “could not” with this meaning
- Simon may not be in the living-room.
Note the form: may/might/could + be + V-ing
- They may be having dinner at the moment. (Perhaps they are having dinner.)
Deduction: Must, Can’t
- He must know London very well. He has lived there for a long time. (I am sure that he knows London very well)
- There is a light in the house, so someone must be at home. (I am sure that someone is at home)
- She can’t be in Italy! I saw her today! (It is impossible that she is in Italy)
- You’ve just had lunch, you can’t be hungry. (It is impossible that you are hungry)
Advice: Should, Ought to (“Should” is more common than “Ought to”)
- I think you should talk to your teacher about it.
- You ought to stop smoking.
- You shouldn’t tell lies.
We also use these verbs to say what we think is right or good
- I think the police should arrest hooligans.
- What do you think I ought to do?
Modal Verbs in English
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