Modals in English Grammar

1. can
Use

Examples

ability to do sth. in the present (substitute form: to be able to)

I can speak English.

permission to do sth. in the present (substitute form: to be

allowed to)

Can I go to the cinema?

request

Can you wait a moment, please?

offer

I can lend you my car till tomorrow.

suggestion

Can we visit Grandma at the

weekend?

possibility

It can get very hot in Arizona.

2. could
Use

Examples

ability to do sth. in the past (substitute form: to be able to)

I could speak English.

permission to do sth. in the past (substitute form: to be

allowed to)

I could go to the cinema.

polite question *

Could I go to the cinema, please?

polite request *

Could you wait a moment, please?

polite offer *

I could lend you my car till tomorrow.

polite suggestion *

Could we visit Grandma at the

weekend?

possibility *

It could get very hot in Montana.

3. may
Use

Examples

possibility

It may rain today.

permission to do sth. in the present (substitute form: to be allowed to)

May I go to the cinema?

Use

Examples

polite suggestion

May I help you?

4. might
Use

Examples

possibility (less possible than may) *

It might rain today.

hesitant offer *

Might I help you?

5. must
Use

Examples

force, necessity

I must go to the supermarket today.

possibility

You must be tired.

advice, recommendation

You must see the new film with Brad Pitt.

6. must not/may not

Use

Examples

prohibition (must is a little stronger)

You mustn't work on dad's computer.

You may not work on dad's computer.

7. need not
Use

Examples

sth. is not necessary

I needn't go to the supermarket, we're going to the restaurant tonight.

8. ought to
simliar to should ought to sounds a little less subjective
Use

Examples

advice

You ought to drive carefully in bad weather.

obligation

You ought to switch off the light when you leave the room.

9. shall
used instead of will in the 1st person
Use

Examples

Use

Examples

suggestion

Shall I carry your bag?

10. should
Use

Examples

advice

You should drive carefully in bad weather.

obligation

You should switch off the light when you leave the room.

11. will
Use

Examples

wish, request, demand, order (less polite than

would)

Will you please shut the door?

prediction, assumption

I think it will rain on Friday.

promise

I will stop smoking.

spontaneous decision

Can somebody drive me to the station? - I will.

habits

She's strange, she'll sit for hours without

talking.

12. would
Use

Examples

wish, request (more polite than will)

Would you shut the door, please?

habits in the past

Sometimes he would bring me some flowers.

* These are no past forms, they refer to the future.

Modal Verbs for Advice

Modal Verbs are used to
give advice or
suggestions.
There are two modal
verbs used for advice:
Should and Would.
You can see how to give
advice with the lesson
below

Should

Should is used for advice in the present. The structure is as

follows:
Subject + Should + Base Verb

You should eat healthy food.

You should exercise every day.

Should is used for advice in the past. Here is the structure:

Should + Have + Past Participle

You should have gone to the party.

She should have studied more often.

It is common to use "should" to give negative advice. In this

case, add "not".

You should not smoke.

You should not eat too much candy.

The contraction is "shouldn't".

You shouldn't drive too fast.

Would
The modal verb "would" is used to give advice. In this
situation, the speaker is giving hypothetical advice as if he/she
were the listener. Here are some examples:

If I were you, I would return the book.

If I were you, I would not wear that jacket.

It is not always necessary to include "If I were you".

I wouldn't eat that.

I would choose the red shoes.

Normally, would is used to talk about yourself, and should is

used to talk about someone else.

Example:

I would study tonight if I were you.

You should study tonight.

It is also common to ask for advice using these modal verbs:

What should I do?

What would you do?

\
ability, permission, requests and advice

The modal verbs are can, could, may, might, shall, should, will and would.
The modals are used to do things like talking about ability, asking permission making
requests, and so on.
Ability:

We use can to talk about someones skill or general abilities:

She can speak several languages.
He can swim like a fish.
They cant dance very well.
We use can to talk about the ability to do something at a given time in
the present or future:

You can make a lot of money if you are lucky.

Help. I cant breathe.
They can run but they cant hide.
We use could to talk about past time:
She could speak several languages.
They couldnt dance very well.
We use could have to say that someone had the ability/opportunity to do something,
but did not do it:
She could have learned Swahili, but she didnt have time.
I could have danced all night [but didn't].
Permission:

We use can to ask for permission to do something:

Can I ask a question, please?
Can we go home now.
could is more formal and polite than can:
Could I ask a question please?
Could we go home now?
may is another more formal and polite way of asking for permission:
May I ask a question please?
May we go home now?
We use can to give permission:
You can go home now if you like.
You can borrow my pen if you like.

may is a more formal and polite way of giving permission:

You may go home now, if you like.
We use can to say that someone has permission to do something:
We can go out whenever we want.
Students can travel free.
may is a more formal and polite way of saying that someone has permission:
Students may travel free.
Instructions and requests:

We use could you and would you as polite ways of telling or asking someone to do
something:
Could you take a message please?
Would you carry this for me please?
Could I have my bill please?
can and will are less polite:
Can you take a message please?
Will you carry this for me please?
Suggestions and advice:

We use should to make suggestions and give advice:

You should send an email.
We should go by train.
We use could to make suggestions:

We could meet at the weekend.

You could eat out tonight.
We use conditionals to give advice:
Dan will help you if you ask him.
Past tenses are more polite:
Dan would help you if you asked him.
Offers and invitations:

We use can I and to make offers:

Can I help you?
Can I do that for you?
We can also use shall I
Shall I help you with that?
Shall I call you on your mobile?
We sometime say I can ... or I could ... or Ill (I will) ... to make an offer:
I can do that for you if you like.
I can give you a lift to the station.
Ill do that for you if you like.
Ill give you a lift to the station.
We use would you like (to) ... for invitations:
Would you like to come round to morrow?
Would you like another drink?
We use you must or we must for a very polite invitation:

You must come round and see us.

We must meet again soon.
Obligation and necessity

We use must to say that it is necessary to do something:

You must stop at a red light.
Everyone must bring something to eat.
You can wear what you like, but you must look neat and tidy.
Im sorry, but you mustnt make a noise in here.
We use had to for this if we are talking about the past:
Everyone had to bring something to eat.
We could wear what we liked, but we had to look neat and tidy.

- See more at: http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/modalverbs/ability-permission-requests-and-advice#sthash.AVxNV3PZ.dpuf

Should
"Should" is most commonly used to make recommendations or give advice. It can also
be used to express obligation as well as expectation.
Examples:
When you go to Berlin, you should visit the palaces in Potsdam.
You should focus more on your family and less on work.
I really should be in the office by 7:00 AM.
By now, they should already be in Dubai.

RECOMMENDATION

ADVICE

OBLIGATION

EXPECTATION

Using "Should" in Present, Past, and Future

Most modal verbs behave quite irregularly in the past and the future. Study the chart
below to learn how "should" behaves in different contexts.

Modal Use

Positive Forms
1. = Present 2. = Past 3. =
Future

Negative Forms
1. = Present 2. =
Past 3. = Future

You can
also use:

should

1. People with high cholesterol

should eat low-fat foods.

1. Sarah shouldn't
smoke so much. It's not
good for her health.

ought to

RECOMMENDATION,
ADVISABILITY

2. Frank should have eaten

low-fat foods. That might have
prevented his heart attack.
3. You really should start
eating better.

2. Sarah shouldn't
have smoked so
much. That's what
caused her health
problems.
3. Sarah shouldn't
smoke when she
visits Martha next
week. Martha hates
when people smoke
in her house.

should

I should be at work before 9:00.

NO NEGATIVE
FORMS

be
supposed
to

1. Susan should be in New York

by now.

1. Susan shouldn't be in
New York yet.

2. Susan should have arrived

in New York last week. Let's
call her and see what she is up
to.

2. Susan shouldn't
have arrived in New
York until yesterday.

ought to,
be
supposed
to

OBLIGATION

We should return the video

before the video rental store
closes.
"SHOULD" CAN ALSO EXPRESS
SOMETHING BETWEEN
RECOMMENDATION AND OBLIGATION.
"BE SUPPOSED TO" EXPRESSES A
SIMILAR IDEA AND CAN EASILY BE USED
IN THE PAST OR IN NEGATIVE FORMS.

should
EXPECTATION

3. Susan should be in New

York by next week. Her new
job starts on Monday.

3. Susan shouldn't
arrive in New York
until next week.