MUST/

HAVE TO
CAN/CANT /
COULD/
BE ABLE TO
SHOULD/
OUGHT TO
MAY/MIGHT
MODAL VERBS
NEED TO /NEEDNT /
DONT HAVE TO/
MUSNT
WOULD
General rules:
They have just one form
musts musting

They dont need auxiliary do in the negative
and interrogative sentences
You dont can come
You cannot come

They always come before the base form of the verb

There are some modals that may behave slightly
different (be able to & have to)

CAN: ability I can run very fast
request Can I come with you?
possibility Lets go to the disco. It can be fun!
suggestion You can try the blue colour. Its nicer


CANT: absence of ability I cant ride a bike. Its too hard
certainty that something is impossible You are kidding. It
cant be true!
prohibition You cant park here


BE ABLE TO: ability (The same as can, but it can be used with all verbal
tenses) Will you be able to phone Mike?


COULD: past abilities I could run very fast
polite requests Could I come with you?
possibility (less possible than can) It could be fun if we went to the
disco
polite suggestions You could try the blue colour. Its nicer


CAN, CANT, BE ABLE TO, COULD
MAY: possibility It may rain tomorrow
polite request May I come with you?



MIGHT: possibility I might earn a lot of money
(less possible than may) with this business


The negative is may not and might not.
He might not / may not be at home.

In English they always go with a Subject, whereas
in Catalan we use the impersonal Potser /podria
ser que


MAY, MIGHT
WOULD: formal request Would you lend me 1 euro,
please?


offer Would you like a cup of tea?





WOULD
MUST: Obligation We must be quiet in this room
Certainty that something is true You must be
really angry with her

HAVE TO: Obligation I have to do the washing up
Necessity I have to go, Im sorry!

Often it doesnt matter which you use, but there are some
differences:
1. Must can only be used in present tense,
whereas Have to can be used in all verbal tenses
2. Must is used to talk about the feelings of
the speaker, while Have to is mostly used to talk about
obligations that come from outside laws, other peoples
orders, etc. I must stop smoking (I want to)
I have to stop smoking (Doctors orders)
MUST, HAVE TO

NEED TO obligation
You need to study harder
necessity
I need to talk to you


DONT HAVE TO / NEEDNT absence of obligation
I can stay in bed tomorrow because
I neednt / dont have to work.


MUSTNT: prohibition
You mustnt smoke in a hospital

NEED TO, NEEDNT, DONT HAVE TO, MUSNT
SHOULD & OUGHT TO: give advice

You should / ought to take an aspirin if you have a
headache.

SHOULD, OUGHT TO
MUST HAVE
COULD /
COULDNT HAVE
SHOULD/
OUGHT TO HAVE
MAY/MIGHT HAVE
MODAL PERFECTS
SHOULDNT HAVE
WOULD HAVE
NEEDNT HAVE
MUST HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE: certainty that something was true
(conclusi lgica)

This exam is brilliant. He must have studied a lot


MUST HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE
MAY / MIGHT HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE: a guess about a past
action
(suposici)

She is late. She may have had a lot of work in the office
MAY /MIGHT HAVE + P. PARTICIPLE
COULD HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE: ability to have done something but
in fact did not
(es podria haver fet alguna cosa per no es va fer)

You could have studied more. Next time try to do it better!


COULD HAVE + P. PARTICIPLE
COULDNT HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE: certainty that something
did not happen
(certesa de que all no podia haver passat)

I couldnt have borrowed you the suitcase since you were abroad
when I needed it


COULDNT HAVE + P. PARTICIPLE
WOULD HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE: willingness to have done
something but in fact could not
(es volia haver fet alguna cosa per no es va poder)

I would have studied more, but I left my book in the school!


WOULD HAVE + P. PARTICIPLE
SHOULD / OUGHT TO HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE: criticism or regret
after an event
(queixar-se i lamentar-se dalguna cosa que no es va fer)

I should have put more salt in the soup, its a bit too sweet!


SHOULD / OUGHT TO HAVE + P. PARTICIPLE
SHOULDNT HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE: criticism after an event
(queixar-se dalguna cosa que no hauria dhaver
passat)

You shouldnt have forgotten our wedding anniversary!


SHOULDNT HAVE + P. PARTICIPLE
NEEDNT HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE: an unnecessary action in the past
(no hi havia necessitat de fer-ho)

You neednt have bought me anything for my birthday, but thank
you!


NEEDNT HAVE + P. PARTICIPLE
Choose the correct option:
1. She (could walk / could have walked) before she was a
year old.
2. The party was supposed to be a secret. You (shouldnt
say / shouldnt have said) anything.
3. Im not sure, but I (might leave / might have left) early
tonight.
4. Im not afraid to go alone. You (neednt have come /
neednt come) with me.
5. Its late. You (must be / must have been) very tired.
6. You (ought to introduce / ought to have introduced) me
to your friends. I didnt know anyones name.
Use the correct modal perfect:
1. Nobody told her anything about the argument. She
....................................... (know) about it.
2. We arrived too early. We ....................................... (be) in such a
hurry.
3. She ....................................... (leave) the office because her coat and
bag arent here.
4. I ....................................... (drive) to work, but the weather was so
nice that I decided to walk.
5. Its possible that I ....................................... (forget) to tell Joe about
the meeting.
6. You ....................................... (call) her on her birthday. She never
forgets to call you.
couldnt have known
neednt have been /
shouldnt have been
must have left
could have driven
may /might have
forgotten
should /ought to have called
Build a new sentence by using a
modal or a modal perfect:
1. It isnt necessary for them to finish the job tonight.
They ......................................................................................................................
2. Its possible that I took your jacket by mistake.
I ......................................................................................................................
3. That man knows how to speak four languages.
That man ......................................................................................................................
4. I didnt wear a sunhat, and now my head hurts.
My head hurts. I ...................................................................................................................
5. It rained last night so the grass is wet.
It ...................................................................................................................... . The grass
is wet.
6. The man you saw wasnt Jack. Hes been abroad since the summer.
You ......................................................................................................................
neednt / dont have to finish the job tonight.
may / might have taken your jacket by mistake.
can / is able to speak four languages.
I should have / ought to have worn a sunhat.
must have rained last night
couldnt have seen Jack.