1. MODAL VERBS Can Ability We can speak more than one foreign language
Possibility (theoretical)
My sister can be really arrogant
Sometimes, it can be cold in Murcia
Impossibility (Deduction)
That can’t be George’s. It’s not his style
Permission
Can I come in? Yes, you can
Offers
Can I help you with your homework?
Request
Can you switch on the PC, please?

2. MODAL VERBS Could Ability in the past
We could speak more than one local language in my country
Possibility (theoretical)
My sister could be really arrogant as a child
Sometimes, it could be hot in England
Permission
Could I come in?
Request
Could you switch on the PC, please?

3. MODAL VERBS Possibility (Factual)
May / Might
Possibility (Factual)
My sister might come for dinner tonight
(Maybe, she will come)
Permission
May / Might I come in?
Giving permission: only may
You may come later tonight, Bob.

4. MODAL VERBS Must Obligation (From the speaker)
You must stay in the classroom until the end of the exam
Deduction
Nobody answers the phone, they must be out
Strong advice
You must come and visit us in summer!

5. MODAL VERBS Have to / Need to Obligation (From external authority)
We have to stay in the classroom until the end of the exam
Strong advice
You have to come and visit us in summer!
Necessity
We need to change our computer as soon as possible

6. MODAL VERBS Mustn’t Don’t have to / Don’t need to Prohibition
You must not bring mobile phones to the exam
Don’t have to / Don’t need to
Lack of obligation or necessity
We don’t have to pay extra money for the exam. It is included in the taxes.
We don’t need to bring our calculators. They will supply us with one.

7. MODAL VERBS Should / ought to Probability
It is not too late. He should be at work
Advice
You ought to try a different accademy which works better

8. MODAL VERBS Present Past May/Might (Possibility) Should
Must (Obligation)
Must / Can’t (Deduction)
Past
May/Might have + Past Participle
They may have come earlier than I expected
Should have + Past Participle
They should have done it before
Had to
We had to wake up earlier than usual for work
Must/Can’t have + Past Participle
They can’t have done it. They must have been other people

9. MODAL VERBS Didn’t need to
I didn’t come to the meeting because I did not need to do it.
(It was not necessary and I didn’t do it)
Needn’t have + Past Part.
You needn’t have come to the meeting, why have you?
(He came even though it was not necessary)

10. MODAL VERBS What other Modal verbs are these expressions related to?
Be able to
Can, could (Ability, possibility)
I can / am able to play the sax
I could / was able to play the sax when I was 6 years old
Other Tenses
I have been able to play the sax since I was 6
Be allowed to
Can, could, may, might (Permission)
You can / may / are allowed to leave the class now
Other Tenses
I have been allowed to leave the school earlier than the rest of my classmates for the whole year