USES
ABILITY
Can
Could (past)
POSSIBILITY
Can
Could
May
(general or theoretical )
PERMISSION
Can
Might
(less probablethan may)
May
(formal)
REQUEST
OBLIGATION
Can /
Could
Will
May
Would
(formal)
(formal)
(formal)
Must
Have to
(imposed by the
speaker)
LACK OF
Dont have to
OBLIGATIO
N
DEDUCTION /
Must
CONCLUSION
Neednt
Should
Cant
(less certain)
PROHIBITION
Mustnt
Cant
May not
ADVICE
Should
Ought to
Might
OFFER
Shall
Would
SUGGESTION
Shall
Would
Could
Should
(formal)
EXAMPLES
1.She can drive a lorry
2.You dont have to get up early on Saturday
3.Look at the snow; it must be cold outside.
4.You mustnt smoke here.
5.I might get a job soon
6.Shall we go to the theatre this evening?
7.Will you please help me with my homework this afternoon?
8.You have to be at school at 8:45.
9.If you want to pass English, you should study hard
10. Helen hasnt come to school since Monday. She must be ill
11.Can you take me to the bus station?
12.You may only use a pen during the exam
13. I had to go to school very early when I was in England
14.It may not rain again this winter
15.Its very cold outside; you ought to wear a coat.
USE
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MODAL PERFECTS
MODAL+HAVE+PAST PARTICIPLE refers to the past
MAY HAVE / MIGHT HAVE (positive and negative) possibility in the past: It is possible that something happened or
didnt happen in the past.
- You may have lost your keys at work (= perhaps you left them at work.)
- They might not have heard the news (= maybe they didnt hear the news.)
COULD HAVE suggests an alternative in the past: an opportunity that we didnt take or a possible result that didnt
happen.
- We could have gone somewhere but we were too tired.
- You were lucky. You could have caused an accident.
MUST HAVE Deductions about the past. We are sure that something happened or we see it as logically true.
- My watch says its only ten past five. It must have stopped.
- The lights were on. He must have been at home (= Im sure he was at home.)
CANT / COULDNT HAVE impossibility in the past : we are sure that something didnt happen or we see it as logically
impossible.
- He only spent five minutes in the job. He couldnt have done it properly (= its impossible that he did it properly.)
SHOULD HAVE / OUGHT TO HAVE unfulfilled obligation in the past : we were expected to do something but we didnt
or we were advised to do something but we didnt follow the advice.
- He hurt her feelings. He should have talked to her (= he was expected to do it but he didnt.)
- You failed the history test. You ought to have studied harder (= I advised you to do it but you didnt.)
SHOULDNT HAVE / OUGHT NOT TO HAVE criticism of a past action : something wasnt the best thing to do but we did
it or we were advised not to do something but we did it anyway.
- He hurt her feelings. He shouldnt have said such cruel words to her (= it was not the best thing to do.)
- You failed the history test. You shouldnt have been so confident that you would pass (= I advised you not to be so
confident but you were.)
NEEDNT HAVE lack of obligation : something that we did but later we realised it was unnecessary.
- After driving at top speed, Laura arrived half and hour early. She neednt have hurried.
PRACTICE: Rewrite the underlined sentences using modal perfects so that they mean the same.
1. Im sure David didnt forget about the party. I reminded him this morning.
David couldnt ___________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Im sure that something delayed him.
Something _____________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Perhaps the missing girl ran away from home.
The missing girl _________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. The computer didnt make a mistake. Thats impossible.
The computer___________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Its possible that the thief had a key.
The thief_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
6. Theres a parcel outside. Im sure the postman left it.
The postman ___________________________________________________________________________________________________
7. Im sure he was English.
He____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
8. We advised her not to be late for her job interview but she was.
She ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
9. When he went out, we recommended him to lock the door but he didnt.
He ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
10. Its impossible that John pressed the right button.
John __________________________________________________________________________________________________________
11. Maybe Phil missed the train.
Phil ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
12. We paid the waiter but it was a waste of money because service was included in the bill.
We____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
13. Its possible that the driver didnt see the warning sign.
The driver ______________________________________________________________________________________________________
14. We left early but it was unnecessary because we have done the journey much more quickly than I expected.
We____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
15. We had the chance to buy the car but in the end we decided not to buy it.
We ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
16. Perhaps 16. John lost his way. It isnt very easy to find this place.
John __________________________________________________________________________________________________________
