Modals verbs

OBLIGATION

Must and Have to

• Students must come to school at 9 o'clock.
• This must be the new pupil, I don't know him.
• You must do something to improve your english.
• They have to come to the school on time. They are always late.
• I have to go to the doctor, I hurt my knee.

NO OBLIGATION

Don't have to/ Don't need to/ needn't

• You don't have to come, there are enought of us.
• We needn't go to help them, they have hired a removal company.
• She doesn't need to bring money. Everything is paid by the school.

NECESSITY

Need to

• We need to agree on this point before starting.
• Everybody needs to be happy once a day.
• They need to know the train timetable to plan the trip.

PROHIBITION

Musn't

• Remember for our trip:
• We mustn't carry scissors in our hand luggage.
• We mustn't go in to the cathedral with shorts.
• We mustn't take pictures in this museum.
• We mustn't go out alone, we can get lost.
• We mustnt't drink tap water.

ADVISE

Should/Ought to/ Had better

• You should know by now which book to bring to the class.
• We should read the newspaper sometimes. There are good offers.
• She ought to buy a ticket soon if she wants to go to the concert.
• If you can't see well the blackboard, you had better visit the oculist.
• The bus is here. I had better to get on now.

ABILITY and KNOWLEDGE

Can/ Could/ Be able to

• We can do a very nice project today.
• Pablo can do a big drawing and the others can paint it,
• We couldn't finish the mural last week,
• If everybody works, we will be able to finish it this week.

PERMISSION

Can/ Could/ May

• Can I sit in this chair?
• Sorry, I'm late. May I come in?
• May I go to school with you tomorrow?
• You may always come with us.
• Could I borrow your book, please?

SPECULATION, DEDUCTION and PROBABILITY

May/ Might/ Could

• Are you coming on the excursion? I don't know, I may go
• Do you know what the weather will be like on saturday? No, it might rain
• or it might be sunny. I don't trust the weather forecast. When they say it's going to be cloudy
• it could be anything.
• Anyway we could take our raincoats.

May/ might not or Mightn't/ Could not or Couldn't

• We are driving to the airport, but we may not arrive on time.
• We couldn't arrive on time, there was a crash accident in the road.
• I am in the third year of the degree course and I might not finish it in june.

Must/ Can't

• Your jacket must be in the playground I saw you with it on.
• It can't be far from here, you were wearing it this morning.
• We must study hard for the exam,
• It can't be so difficult, we passed the other one.

REQUEST, OFFERS and SUGGESTIONS

Can/ Could/ Would/Shall

• Can you lend me your English book?
• Could you mind if I writer the answer in your book?
• Would you like to play in our team?
• Shall I show you the way?