Ought to is also used to express a strong probability. – He ought to (should) be ashamed of himself. In most cases, Ought to can be replaced with Should. – Every day he would get up at six o’clock and light the fire Oought To – Dare – Need Ought To In this sense, WOULD can be used instead of Used to. – He would have been very happy if he had known about it.ĭescribe a past habit. – He said he would send it to me, but he didn’t. Used to form the future in the past or tenses in conditional sentences. – I won’t forget little Margaret’s birthday. – All right I will pay you at the rate you ask.

Used in the simple future, to express a plan, a willingness, a promise, or a determination. – Members who want tickets for the dance should apply before September 1st to the Secretary Will – Would Will Use instead of Must when you don’t want to express a meaning that forces someone to do something. – People who live in glass houses should not throw stones. – You should do what the teacher tells you. Used in sentences telling someone what to do, and is equivalent to ought to. – These people want to buy my house, but they shan’t have it. – He shall suffer for this he shall pay you what he owes you. – If you work hard, you shall have a holiday on Saturday. Used in the Simple structure Future in the first person.Įxpress a promise (promise), a determination (determination), or a threat (threat). – Passengers have to cross the line by the bridge. – Passengers must cross the line by the bridge However, Must means compulsion coming from the speaker while Have To means compulsion coming from external circumstances. Must and Have To – can both be used to express compulsion. Have To cannot replace Must in logical reasoning. – We shall have to hurry if we are going to catch the twelve o’clock train Have To is used instead of Must in forms that Must do not have. When we want to express the negative form of Must with the meaning “unnecessary”, people use Need Not (Needn’t). Must Not (Mustn’t) describes a restraining order. – You have worked hard all day you must be tired. – Are you going home at midnight? You must be mad! Must is used in logical reasoning sentences. Must means “must” express order or a compulsion. – You might try to be a little more helpful. – You might listen when I am talking to you. Might (not May) is sometimes used in sentences to express a petulant reproach. – She was studying so that she might read English books. In this case, people often use Can/Could instead of May/Might. May/Might is often used in adverb clauses of purpose. – Try as he might, he could not pass the examination. – Try as he may, he will not pass the examination. May/Might is used instead of an adverb clause of concession. – He trusted (hoped) that we might find the plan to our satisfaction. – I trust (hope) that you may find this plan to your satisfaction. May/Might is used in clauses following the verbs hope and trust. Used in exclamation sentences, May/Might expresses a wish (In this usage, May can be seen as a kind of Subjunctive) – He admitted that the news might be true. May/Might is used to describing a possibility that may or may not happen. – She asked if she might go to the party. May and the past form Might express permission. – I finished my work early and so was able to go to the pub with my friends. If the statement implies success in doing (succeeded in doing), then Was/Were able to be used, not Could.– The window was locked, and I couldn’t open it. – Huy hurt his foot, and he couldn’t play in the match. If the action describes an ability, a knowledge, Could is used more often than Was/Were able to.– I could do the job today, but I’d rather put it off until tomorrow. – His story could be true, but I hardly think it is. – Could you tell me the right time, please?Ĭould is used to express a mild distrust or protest. – Can you change a 20-dollar note for me, please? In informal terms, Could is seen as more polite than Can. CouldĬould is also be used in conditional sentences. – Listen! I think I can hear the sound of the sea. When used with the verb of perception, Can give the same meaning as the Continuous Tense. – It surely can’t be four o’clock already!Ĭan not is used to express a virtual impossibility. In questions and exclamations, Can means ‘Is it possible…?’ – In London buses, you can smoke on the upper deck, but you can’t smoke downstairs.Ĭan also express a possibility. In everyday speech, Can is used instead of May to express permission, and the negative Cannot is used to express a prohibition. – She could ride a bicycle when she was five years old. Can also be used as an auxiliary verb to form certain expressions.Ĭan and Could mean “can”, expressing a possibility (ability) In other forms, we use the equivalent verb “be able to”. Can have only 2 tenses: Present and Simple Past.

English modal verbs exercises pdf