modal verbs

modal verbs

present and paststructures

Modal verbs

must

have to

needn't & need

should/ought to

mustn't

can

could

assumptions

modal expressions

must

• I must tidy my room at last... It's so messy.

• You really must watch this film.

have to

• I have to get up early.
• He has to work at the weekends.

• I don't have to get up early.
• He doesn't have to work at the weekends.

• I had to get up early yesterday.

• I didn't have to get up early last Saturday.

need to & needn't

• I need to go to school. = I have to

• I needn't go to school. It's Sunday.

• I didn't need to go to school. It was Sunday.

• You needn't have bought me flowers, but it was so kind of you.

should & ought to

• You should/ought to study more, you're taking a test soon.

• You should/ought to have studied more, but you didn't and you failed the test.

mustn't = must not

You mustn't take photos here.

CAN

I can cook.

We can meet next week.

Can I borrow your bike?

Can you help me?

could

I could stand on my head when I was a child.

We could meet next week.

You could have told me earlier.

Could I borrow your bike?

Could you help me?

I'm sure that ...

I'm sure they are at home. They must be at home.

I'm sure they don't get on well. They can't get on well.

I'm sure they are arguing. They must be arguing.

I'm sure he did something wrong. They must have done something wrong .

I'm sure he has been playing computer games .He must have been playing computer games.

It's possible/likely that ...

Maybe she works from home. She can/may/might work from home.

It's possible he isn't over 18. . He may not be over 18.

Maybe she is shouting. She can be shouting.

It's likely that he didn't tidy up. He might not have tidied up.

Perhaps he hasn't been studying hard recently .He may not have been studying hard recently.

Modal structures

• obligation

• prohibition

• permission

• ability

• probability

THe end!