MODAL CHART (CAN,MAY,MUST,HAVE TO,SHOULD)

MODALS-SUMMARY-1 

CAN	Present ability	Mary can play the piano.
	Possibility	Jane can come back early today.
	Permission	Can I take your umbrella?
	Request	Can you open the window, please?
	Negative present deduction	She never speaks English. She always speaks Turkish. She can’t be a teacher.
	Conditional Type I	If you study hard, you can get a good grade.
	with the verbs of perception	Can you hear the noise in the class?
COULD	past ability	Jane could swim when she was six.
	request	Could you bring me a cup of tea, please?
	permission	Could I borrow your car, please?
	gentle doubt or possibility for the present and future	We have got enough time we could go for a picnic.
	İn reported speech instead of can	Mary said, “I can play the piano.” Mary said that she could play the piano .
	In Conditional Type II	If she sent me a postcard, I could write back.
MAY	Possibility	Jill may come over this weekend.
	Permission	May I smoke here?
	In Conditional Type I	If he studies hard early, we can pass the exam.
	Hope, faith, wish and curse	May all your dreams be true.
	In the phrase “may as well”	I may as well help you finish the homework. I have finished mine.

MIGHT	Possibility	It might snow at any time during the day. We can’t be sure.
	Permission	Might I use your pen?
	In reported speech instead of may	Mary said, “I may go on holiday this week”
	In Conditional Type I  II	If she is here, she might call. If they visited us, we might go out for lunch.
	In the phrase “might as well”	You might as well go out.
MUST	Obligation	He must finish his homework.
	Present affirmative deduction	All the lights are on. They must be at home.
MUST NOT	Prohibition	You mustn’t smoke here.
NEED  NEEDN’T	Question	Need I go out for shopping?
	Lack of necessity	You needn’t get up early tomorrow. It is Sunday.
OUGHT TO	Moral obligation and duty	You ought to be ashamed of yourself.
	Advice	You ought to see a doctor.
	Strong probability	If they sent the letter yesterday, the postman ought to bring it at any minute now.
	Logical deduction	Jane worked hard all the year round. She ought to go on holiday.
SHOULD	Obligation and duty	We should obey our teachers.
	Advice	We should listen to our teachers carefully.
	Logical deduction	Mike is from London. He should know London very well.
	Strong probability	If she studied hard, he should pass the exams.

SHOULD	in conditional sentences(weak probability)	If you should find her address, please let me know.
	in subordinate clauses after “in case” (weak probability)	I’ll do my homework in case the teacher should come to class tomorrow .
	after certain verbs and adjectives in a subordinate clause with the meaning of something must be done	The doctor suggested Sam should have an operation.
	in reported speech instead of “shall” in the first person interrogative	He said, “Shall I open the door?” He asked me if he should open the door.
	personal reaction to events	It’s natural that she should laugh at him.
SHALL	in the future tense for the first person	I shall repair the car tomorrow. We shall study French next year.
	determination in the first person	I shall eat what I like. I don’t mind what my doctor says.
	determination, promise or threat in the second and third person	I shall  finish the letter today.
	in offers, suggestions, requests and advice	What shall we do at night?
WILL	in the future tense for all persons	I will watch a film at the weekend. He will wash the car at 8.
	willingness, promise and strong determination in the first person	I will give up smoking.
	strong determination in the second and third person	He will go to the cinema although his father doesn’t give permission to him.
	order	No one will use this telephone.
	habit	She will go to bed early. She is used to doing for years.
	invitation and offer	Won’t you have a cup of coffee?

WILL	request	Will you open the window, please?
	prediction	I think you will like it.
WOULD	request	Would you draw the curtains, please?
	past habits	When I was at primary school, I would finish my homework at night.
	in reported speech instead of “will”	She said, “I will send her some presents tomorrow.” She said that she would send her some presents the following day.
	in Conditional type II	If I were you, I would visit her.
	willingness after “I wish” and “if only”	I wish my mother would talk less. If only you would come home early.
	refusal in the past	She wouldn’t listen what I told her.
DARE	in negative and interrogative sentences	Dare you telephone her?
	indignation	How dare you play football in the classroom?
	in the phrase “I daresay”	I daresay she will telephone you today.
USED TO	past habits	He used to play football. She used to have a Mercedes.

 

MODALS-SUMMARY-2

OBLIGA TION NECESSITY	You He They	must have to had to ought to should	do it.
		ought to have should have	done it.
ABSENCE OF NECESSITY	They You	needn’t have         don’t have to haven’t got to didn’t have to didn’t need to hadn’t (got) to	do it.
WARNING   PROHIBITION	You He They	oughtn’t to shouldn’t had better not mustn’t aren’t to	smoke here. shout . eat much.

ARRANGEMENT	She He	will is going to is to was to		be getting ready today. come to us tomorrow. arrange a party.
		Will	you	be studying English?
PROMISES  REFUSALS	I	will won’t		help you. clean the room.
	You	will		visit us.

OFFERS  INVITATIONS		Shall	I	carry your parcel? turn on the lights? clean the room?
		Would	you	like me to open the door? like me to turn on the lights? like him to visit us?
		Will Won’t		have a seat? have some tea?
		Can	I	help you, sir? carry your parcel?
POSSIBILITY	He She	can/could may/might will		be a burglar. be a doctor at the door.
		could have		become ill. come back earlier.

PERMISSION		May Might Can Could Would	I	go out? go to bed? come in?
	He You	can may		come in?
REQUEST		Can Could	you	come this way? pass the sugar?
		Would Will		please come this way? please pass the salt?
ADVICE	You	should ought to had better		eat less. study hard.
		shouldn’t		eat anything fat.
		shouldn’t have		done that. told a lie.

HABIT	He	will used to would		speak too slowly. get up early when he was at a student.
PREFERENCES	I	would rather		go by bus.
				you went by train.
				have dogs than cats.
PROBABILITY	She	may must should		be angry. be at home. be sleeping.

EXPECTATION  DEDUCTION	He She Ali Mary	ought to should will		Come back by noon. answer the questions. win the reward.
		must		be sleeping. be tired.
		should be should have		arriving here now. arrived here by tomorrow.
DETERMINATION  WILLINGNESS	I	will would like to		do my best to get a licence.. live as I like.
		won’t shall not will never		cause another accident again.
	You He	will		stay at the hotel.
		Will	you	do the homework this weekend?

ABILITY	I	can am able to		do it by myself.
		could was able to		do it by myself when I was a child.
ORDERS	You	can / must		do it as I have told you.
		are to shall mustn’t		try it again.
		Do it again, will	you?