MODAL VERBS
MODAL VERBS OF
OBLIGATION AND ABILITY
HAVE TO AND MUST ARE
SIMILAR
BOTH OF THEM EXPRESS
OBLIGATION OR SOMETHING
WHICH IS NECESSARY TO DO
MUST or HAVE TO ?
✔We use _____ must when the necessity comes from the speaker
( it is their personal opinion).
✔We use have to to express a general obligation usually
said by a person in authority or by external factors ( rules at work,
school or a law ) .
must
You ______
finish that today
Yes, I know I have to
_____
finish that today
YOU HAVE TO STUDY HARD IF YOU WANT TO PASS
YOUR EXAMS
IT IS AN EXTERNAL OBLIGATION
I MUST STUDY HARD IF I WANT TO PASS MY EXAMS
IT IS MY OPINION
MUST IS OFTEN USED IN WRITTEN RULES OR
INSTRUCTIONS AND IT IS MORE FORMAL THAN
HAVE TO
ANSWERS MUST
BE WRITTEN ON
THE ANSWER SHEET
BUT WE CAN USE MUST AND
HAVE TO INDISTINCTIVELY IN
THE FOLLOWING EXAMPLE:
I HAVE TO/ MUST WEAR A UNIFORM AT WORK
MUST OR MUSTN’T ARE USED
FOR PROHIBITIONS, STRONG
OBLIGATION OR STRONG
ADVICE/ RECOMMENDATION
YOU MUST BE OVER 18 TO DRINK ALCOHOL
(prohibition)
YOU MUST SEE THAT FILM
( strong recommendation/ advice)
YOU MUSTN’T EAT FAST FOOD IF
YOU WANT TO LOSE WEIGHT
( strong obligation)
YOU MUSTN’T SMOKE IN HOSPITALS
( prohibition)
SHOULD AND SHOULDN’T ARE
USED FOR ADVICE, BUT NOT
FOR STRONG ADVICE
WE CAN ALSO USE OUGHT TO
AND OUGHT NOT TO INSTEAD
OF SHOULD/ SHOULDN’T
You shouldn’t
talk so loudly
You ought not
to talk so
loudly
DON’T HAVE TO MEANS THAT YOU DON’T
NEED TO
DO SOMETHING, BUT YOU CAN DO IT IF YOU
WANT
YOU DON’T HAVE TO TAKE
THE DOGS FOR A WALK
TODAY BECAUSE THEY ARE
IN THE GARDEN
CAN/ COULD AND BE
ABLE TO FOR ABILITY OR
POSSIBILITY
Can is used to express ability
He can speak five languages
fluently
Can also expresses possibility in the present
Can you meet me at 5
o’clock?
Can is also used to make informal requests
and for orders
Can you bring me
the jumper that is in
my wardrobe ?
Could is used to talk about past ability
When I was a child I could do
handstands
Could is also used to make formal requests
Could you fax me that
document by Tuesday?.
In this situation, could is used
as a conditional
Be able to is also used to talk about ability
and possibility
Be able to can be used in all verb tenses
We can use it instead of can in the present or
could in the past in more formal situations
I will be able to see you next week
( possibility)
I am able to speak four languages( ability)
LET’S
PRACTISE
1. You ___________
DON’T HAVE TO
come to the
meeting but it would help us all if
you’re there.
2. I can’t get a connection on my
phone. ___________
CAN/ COULD/MAY I borrow
yours?
3. The rules say that you ________
CAN
only invite one guest to the club.
4. I ___________
MUST
stay on for a
few hours because I’d rather work
late today than over the weekend.
5. There’s a lot of noise coming
from outside.____________
CAN/ COULD/
MAY I close
the window?
HAVE TO
6. You _____________start saving
money if you want to retire early.
CAN’T
7. Did they tell you that you _____
come into this area ?.
It’s restricted to staff only.
DON’T HAVE TO /
8. We ____________be there
HAVE TO
fifteen minutes before the concert
starts.
Modals of
Deduction:
can, could,
might,
may,must,
can’t
Must for certainty
We use must when we feel sure that
something is true because there’s very strong
evidence:
He must be at home. The lights are on
CAN’T EXPRESSES We use can’t to
IMPOSSIBILITY say that we are
100% sure that
IN THE PRESENT something is
impossible
She can't be so ill
–
I saw him playing
volleyball
yesterday
MAY, MIGHT, COULD: POSSIBILITY IN THE
PRESENT AND FUTURE
We use could, may and might+
base verb to express degrees of
possibility in the present or
future when you are not very
sure about something.
Many native speakers disagree
on which one expresses more or
less certainty
They may/
could / might be
arriving tomorro
w
MAY, MIGHT AND COULD FOR DEDUCTIONS
Some people say that the difference
between the three modals is that may
expresses something that is more
possible or certain( perhaps 50% possible
or certain) while could are less certain or
possible. And might is the least possible
out of the three
MAY NOT OR MIGHT NOT+ BASE VERB
Both may
not and might
not + base verb
mean that it is
possible that
something will not
happen or is not
happening now
He might/ may/
could not go to
the match
tomorrow
LET’S
PRACTISE
Fill in each gap with: must; might/may/could; can’t; might/may not
• 1 I'm sure he is here - I can see his car in front of the building.
must
• He __________ be here. I can see his car in front of the building.
Fill in each gap with: must; might/may/could; can’t; might/may not
• 2 They're coming this week but I don't know which day.
might/may/could
• They _____________________ be coming tomorrow.
Fill in each gap with: must; might/may/could; can’t; might/may not
• 3 I'm not sure I'm going to pass the exam. I don't feel very
confident.
might/may not
• I ___________________ pass the exam. I don't feel very confident.
Fill in each gap with: must; might/may/could; can’t; might/may not
• 4 I've bought a lottery ticket. There's a chance I'll become a
millionaire!
might/may/could
• I __________________ become a millionaire!
Fill in each gap with: must; might/may/could; can’t; might/may not
• 5 I'm sure she doesn't speak French very well - she's only lived in
Paris for a few weeks.
can’t
• She _____________ speak French very well. She's only lived in
Paris for a few weeks.
Fill in each gap with: must; might/may/could; can’t; might/may not
• 6 My key's not in my pocket or on my desk so I'm sure it's in the
drawer.
• My key's not in my pocket or on my desk so
must
it _________________be in the drawer.
Fill in each gap with: must; might/may/could; can’t; might/may not
• 7 Someone told me that Mark was in Mexico but I saw him yesterday
so I'm sure he's not abroad.
can’t
• Mark _______________ be abroad.
Fill in each gap with: must; might/may/could; can’t; might/may not
• 8 You got the job? That's great. I'm sure you're delighted.
must
• You got the job? That's great. You ____________ be delighted.
Fill in each gap with: must; might/may/could; can’t; might/may not
• 9 They told me to prepare the project by tomorrow but it's almost
impossible to have it done so fast.
might, could, may
• I ______________________ finish it by tomorrow if I stay at work all
night, but I'm not sure.
Fill in each gap with: must; might/may/could; can’t; might/may not
• 10 I asked them to send the goods as soon as possible;
might, could, may
• we _____________________ receive them by the end of the week if
the post is fast.
MODAL PERFECTS
MUST HAVE+ PAST PARTICIPLE
MAY/ MIGHT/COULD HAVE+ PAST
PARTICIPLE
CAN’T HAVE+ PAST PARTICIPLE
MUST HAVE+ PAST PARTICIPLE FOR
POSSIBILITY
MUST HAVE + PAST
PARTICIPLE IS USED WHEN
YOU ARE SURE OR ALMOST
SURE THAT SOMETHING
HAPPENED IN THE PAST
THERE ISN’T ANYBODY
INSIDE. HE MUST HAVE LEFT
THE HOUSE
MIGHT/ MAY/ COULD HAVE+ PAST PARTICIPLE
MIGHT/ MAY/ COULD HAVE + PAST
PARTICIPLE IS USED TO TALK ABOUT
SOMETHING WHICH HAS POSSIBLY
HAPPENED NOW OR AT SOME TIME
IN THE PAST, BUT YOU ARE NOT
100% SURE ABOUT
I CAN’T FIND MY WALLET.
YOU MIGHT HAVE LEFT IT IN THE
COFFEE SHOP
It’s ten o’clock. They might have arrived now
[= Perhaps they have arrived]
CAN’T/ COULDN’T HAVE+ PAST PARTICIPLE
WE USE THIS STRUCTURE WHEN WE ARE
SURE OR ALMOST SURE THAT
SOMETHING WASN’T TRUE OR DIDN’T
HAPPEN. COULDN’T HAVE IS MORE
FORMAL THAN CAN’T HAVE
HE CAN’T/ COULDN’T HAVE LEFT THE
PARTY . I SAW HIM ONE MINUTE AGO
EXPRESSING REGRET. SHOULD/SHOULDN’T HAVE+ PAST
PARTICIPLE
WE USE SHOULD/ SHOULDN’T
HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE TO
EXPRESS REGRET ABOUT
SOMETHING THAT WE DID IN THE
PAST AND WE CANNOT CHANGE
I GOT A HANGOVER. I SHOULDN’T
HAVE DRUNK SO MUCH
YESTERDAY
LET’S PRACTISE
USE CAN’T/ COULDN’T
HAVE;
MIGHT/MAY/COULD
HAVE; MUST HAVE
Fill in each gap with: must have ; might/may/could have; can’t/ couldn’t have; might/may
not
• 1 I am sure he was here. I saw his car in front of the building.
must have
• He _________________ been here.
Fill in each gap with: must have ; might/may/could have; can’t/ couldn’t have;
might/may not
• 2 A: Where is James? He should already be here, shouldn't he?
• B: Yes, he should but I don't know why he isn't here
• – he __________________
may/could/might have missed the bus.
Fill in each gap with: must have ; might/may/could have; can’t/ couldn’t have;
might/may not
• 4 A: Last summer I took four exams and failed them all!
must have
• B: You ____________________ been very disappointed.
Fill in each gap with: must have ; might/may/could have; can’t/ couldn’t have;
might/may not
• 5 She speaks excellent French. I'm sure she's lived in Paris for a long
time.
• She ____________
must have lived in Paris for a long time.
Fill in each gap with: must have ; might/may/could have; can’t/ couldn’t have;
might/may not
• 6 A: Their plane was delayed and they had to wait 36 hours in the
airport.
can’t/couldn’t have
• B: They ______________________ been very happy with the
airline.
Fill in each gap with: must have ; might/may/could have; can’t/ couldn’t have;
might/may not
• 7 Someone told me that Mark was in Mexico last week, but I saw
him here so he ____________________
can’t/couldn’t have been in Mexico.
Fill in each gap with: must have ; might/may/could have; can’t/ couldn’t have;
might/may not
• 8 A: I saw John yesterday - he looked very pleased with himself. He
didn't say why but I think he got that job he applied for.
• B: He ____________________ got that job he applied for.
may/could/might have
Fill in each gap with: must have ; might/may/could have; can’t/ couldn’t have;
might/may not
• 9 They gave me very little time to do the job. It's possible I'd have
finished if I'd worked all night, but I'm not sure.
They gave me very little time to do the job.
•I ____________________
may/could/might have finished if I'd worked all night,
but I'm not sure.
Fill in each gap with: must have ; might/may/could have; can’t/ couldn’t have;
might/may not
• 10 We agreed to meet yesterday, but when I got there I didn't see
him. It's possible he was waiting elsewhere.
• We agreed to meet yesterday but when I got there I didn't see him.
may/could/might have been
• He _________________________________ waiting elsewhere.
WELL DONE!!!!
