REVIEW: USES OF MODAL VERBS (PRESENT MEANING)

OBLIGATION

DEDUCTION (I am sure
this is true)

You must go to the doctors

He must be the doctor,

hes wearing a white coat
DEDUCTION ( I am sure
this is not true)

MUST

PROHIBITION
CANT

MAY/
MIGHT

You cant park here. It is forbidden.

She cant be his wife. She

is too young.

POSSIBLE INTENTION

DEDUCTION (it may be a

possibility)
He did not come to class,
he might be ill.

I might see a film tonight (Perhaps I

will see a film)
ADVICE/ OPINION
SHOULD

You should drink less coffee.

New: PAST MODALS

The statues are very big.
MUST + have* + pp

**CANT +have+ pp

DEDUCTION/ SPECULATION
(I am sure this WAS true)

Speculation They must

have been hard to move.

DEDUCTION/ SPECULATION
( I am sure this WAS not true, it
is impossible)

The islanders couldnt

have moved the stone! It
was too heavy.
The islanders might not
have moved the statues
over land. They could
have used boats.

MAY/ MIGHT/
COULD + have+pp

DEDUCTION/ SPECULATION (it

may have been a possibility in
the past)

SHOULD +have+pp

Somebody did not do the right

thing, (mistake)

OUGHT TO+
have+pp

I should have studied a

degree, now I would have
a better job.

* HAVE is an infinitive and it does not change.

**The opposite of MUST HAVE is CANT HAVE (not mustnt have).
4th Level

Modals

Unit 4.B

REVIEW: OBLIGATION AND ABILITY IN THE PAST

OBLIGATION IN THE PAST

HAD TO +INF

OBLIGATION in the past

Im sorry I am late. I had

to take the children to
school.

NEEDNT HAVE/

Not necessary but I did

it; I made a mistake

I neednt have bought a

ticket but I did not know
then that the trip had
been cancelled

DIDNT NEED TO

Not necessary; I didnt

do it

I didnt need to buy a

ticket because the trip
was cancelled.

ABILITY IN THE PAST

COULD

GENERAL PAST
ABILITY

WAS ABLE TO

SPECIFIC PAST ACTION Unfortunately the

doctors were not able to
save the patient.

4th Level

Modals

When I was young I

could swim very fast.

Unit 4.B