Modal verbs

Modal verbs

Obligation and necessity

Obligation and necessity

MUST obligation comes from the speaker - I must

stop smoking. (my decision)
HAVE TO obligation comes from somebody else - I
have to stop smoking. (e.g. doctors orders)

Duty and advice (sometimes also rules and

instructions)

SHOULD/SHOULDNT - You should do it like this.

OUGHT/OUGHTNT

Duty and advice (sometimes also rules and

instructions)

No obligation

DONT HAVE TO - He doesnt have to be glamorous.

(but its not a problem if he is)
NEEDNT (dont need to)
NB when used in the past these modals have different
meanings e.g. She didnt need to go there. (and we
dont know if she went); She neednt have gone
there. (she went)

CAN/CANT - She can swim.

COULD/COULDNT past
She could swim when she was three years old.

CAN
COULD more polite
Can/Could I ask you a question?

MUSTNT - You mustnt walk here.

CANT - You cant treat animals that way.
COULDNT

CAN generally possible

COULD possibly true
MIGHT/MAY 50% possibility
CANT not possible

CAN
COULD more polite
Can/Could I ask you a question?
Prohibition

Possibility

CAN/CANT - She can swim.

COULD/COULDNT past
She could swim when she was three years old.
Permission

Prohibition

DONT HAVE TO - He doesnt have to be glamorous.

(but its not a problem if he is)
NEEDNT (dont need to)
NB when used in the past these modals have different
meanings e.g. She didnt need to go there. (and we
dont know if she went); She neednt have gone
there. (she went)
Ability

Permission

SHOULD/SHOULDNT - You should do it like this.

OUGHT/OUGHTNT
No obligation

Ability

MUST obligation comes from the speaker - I must

stop smoking. (my decision)
HAVE TO obligation comes from somebody else - I
have to stop smoking. (e.g. doctors orders)

MUSTNT - You mustnt walk here.

CANT - You cant treat animals that way.
COULDNT
Possibility

CAN generally possible

COULD possibly true
MIGHT/MAY 50% possibility
CANT not possible