AUXILIARY

USES
polite request

PRESENT/FUTURE

may

I (1)

(only

!May I borrow your pen?

You may leave the room.

PAST

with I or we)

(2) formal permission (3) less than 50%

certainty

-W'here's John?
He may be at the library.

He may have been at the library. He might have been at the library.

might

I (1)

less than 50% certamty

-W'here's John?
He might be at the library.

(2) polite request (rare)

should

I borrow your pen? I should study tonight.

She should do well on the test.

I (1) advisability (2) 90% certainty (expectation)

I should have studied last

night, but I didn't. She should have done well on the test.

(future only, not present)

I ought to study tonight.
She ought to .do well on the test.

ought

to

(1) advisability

I ought to have studied last night, but I didn't.

She the test.

(2) 90% certainty (expectation)

had better

to have done well on

(future only, not present)

I (1) advisability with

threat of bad result (1) expectation

You had better be on time, or we will leave without y ou. Class is supp osed to begin at 10:00.

(past form uncommon)

be supposed
to

(2) unfulfilled
expectation

Class was supposed to begin at 10:00, but it didn't begin until 10:15.

must

I (1) strong necessity

I must go to class today.

You must not open that door.

(I had to go to class y esterday.)

(2) prohibition (negative) (3) 95% certainty

have to

Mary isn't in class. She must

Mary must have been sick yesterday.

be sick. (present only) I have to go to class today. I don't have to go to class

today.

I (1) necessity (2) lack of necessity (negative)

I had to go to class yesterday. I didn't have to go to class

yesterday.

have got will

to

I (1) I (1)

necessity 100% certainty

I have got to go to class today.

He will be here at 6:00.

(I had to go to class yesterday.)

(future only)

(2) willingness (3) polite request

I I

-The phone's ringing.

I'll get it. Will you please pass the salt?

AUXILIARY be going
to

USES

PRESENT/FUTURE He is

PAST

(1) 100% certainty (prediction) (2) definite plan (intention) (3) unfulfilled intention

to be here at

6:00.

(future onl:y)
I'nli bedroom.

to

my

(future onl:y)
I was

to

my room,

but I didn't have time. can

(1) ability/possibility (2) informal permission (3) informal polite

request

I can run fast.

I could run fast when I was a child, but now I can't.

You com use my car tomorrow.

Can I borrow your pen?

That can't be true! That can't have been true! I could run fast when I was a child.

(4) impossibility (negative onl:y)

could

(1) past ability (2) polite request (3) suggestion (affirmative onl:y) (4) less than 50%
certainty

Could you help me?

-I need help in math.

Could I borrow your pen?

You could have talked to your teacher. He could have been at home.

You could talk to your teacher. -W'here's John?

He could be at home. That couldn't be true! That couldn't have been true! I was able to

(5) impossibility (negative onl:y)

be able to

(1) ability (1) polite request (2) preference

you. I will I al'n able to be able to help you.

him.

would

Would you please pass the salt? Would you l'nind if I left early?
'

I would rather go to the park than stay

h9me.

I would rather have gone to the park. When I was a child, I would

(3) repeated action in

the past

visit my grandparents every

weekend.

(4) polite for "want" (with like) , (5) unfulfilled wish

used to

I would like an apple, please. I would have liked a cookie, but there were none in the house. I used to visit my grandparents every weekend. I used to live in Spain. Now I live in Korea.

(1) repeated action in

the past

(2) past situation that no

longer exists shall

(1) polite question to

make a suggestion

Shall I open the window?

I shall arrive at nine.

(2) future with "I" or

"we" as subject

(will

more common)