modals in the past

MODALS IN THE PAST

E.Lomozik

Modal Verbs

MUST / HAVE TO

NEED TO

SHOULD /OUGHT TO

possibility certainty uncertainty permission obligation willingness

CAN

COULD

MIGHT

MAY

MODALS IN THE PAST

FORMATION

modal

have

PP

-ed / 3rd form

HAD TO

MUST HAVE PP

refers to the speaker's certainty about a past action.

the past form of must - it refers to a past obligation

Sorry I'm late, I had to post some letters.

She must have taken it.

BUT IT'S OVER NOW :(

IT MUST HAVE BEEN LOVE

speaker's certainty

IT CAN'T HAVE BEEN JIM. HE IS IN SPAIN NOW.

past certainty

I SHOULDN'T HAVE EATEN SO MUCH LAST NIGHT

criticism of an action

I SHOULDN'T HAVE SAID THAT...

regret

The plane should have landed by now.

something which was supposed to happen

You shouldn't have bought me a gift!

polite expression of thanks on receiving a gift or a favour

COULD HAVE PP

COULD

PAST POSSIBILITY

PAST ABILITY

She could have learnt to swim, but she didn't.

She could swim when she was 6.

David could have won the race if he had tried

past possibility or uncertainty

You might have drowned!

past possibility which didn't happen

You might have told me my trousers were split!

annoyance at sb's failure

I would have accepted the job, but I didn't want to move.

events in the past which didn't actually happen

DIDN'T NEED TO

NEEDN'T HAVE PP

unnecessary action which wasn't done

unnecessary action which was actually done

You needn't have bought bread, we already have a loaf.

I didn't need to go to the dentist again, luckily!

practice

exercise 1

exercise 2