THE MODALS TABLE

Auxiliary Uses Present / future Past

1. Polite request May I borrow your pen?
2. Formal permission You may leave the room.
may
3. Less than 50% A: Where's Tom? He may have been at
certainty B: He may be at the office. the office.
1. Less than 50% A: Where's Tom? He might have been at
might certainty B: He might be at the office. the office.
2. polite request Might I borrow your pen?
I should help my father in the I should have helped my
1. advisability
morning. father yesterday.
should
She should pass the exam! She should have
2. 90% certainty
(future only, not present) passed the exam!
I ought to have
1. advisability I ought to study tonight
studied last night
ought to
She ought to do well on the test. She ought to have
2. 90% certainty
(future only, not present) studied last night.
1. advisability with You had better be on time, or we
had better (past form uncomon)
threat of bad result will leave without you.
He was supposed to
be supposed to 1. expectation He is supposed to come at 12.
come at 12.
You were to be here at
be to 1. strong expectation You are to be here at 9:00.
9:00
I had to go to class
1. strong necessity I must go to class today
yesterday
must 2. prohibition (negative) You must not open that door.
Mary isn't in class. She must be Mary must have been
3. 95% certainty
sick (present only) sick yesterday.
I had to go to class
1. necessity I have to go to class today.
yesterday
have to
2. lack of necessity I had to go to class
I don't have to go to class today.
(negative) yesterday.
I had to go to class
have got to  1. necessity I have got to go to class today.
yesterday.
He will be here at 6:00 ((future
1. 100% certainty
only)
will The phone's ringing.
2. willingness
I'll get it.
3. polite request Will you please pass the salt?
He is going to be here at 6:00
1. 100% certainty
(future only)
be going to I was going to paint my
I'm going to paint my bedroom.
2. definite plan room, but I didn't have
(future only)
time.
I could run fast when I
1. ability / possibility I can run fast. was a child but now I
can't.
2. informal permission You can use my car tomorrow.
can
3. informal polite
Can I borrow your pen?
request
4. impossibility That can't have been
That can't be true!
(negative only) true!
could 1. past ability
I could run fast when I
was a child.
Could I borrow your pen?
2. polite request
Could you help me?
3. suggestion A: I need help in English. You could have talked
B: You could talk to your English to your teacher.
teacher.
 4. less than 50% A: Where's John? He could have been at
certainty B: He could be at home. home.
5. impossibility That couldn't have
That couldn't be true!
(negative only). been true!
I am able to help you. I will be
be able to  1. ability I was able to help him.
able to help you.
Would you please ass salt? Would
1. polite request
you mind if I left early?
I would rather go to the park than I would rather have
2. preference
stay home. gone to the park.
would
When I was a child, I
3. repeated action in the would visit my
past grandmother every
weekend.
When I was a child, I
1. repeated action in the would visit my
used to  
past grandmother every
weekend.
1. polite question to
Shall I open the window?
make a suggestions
shall
2. future with "I" or I shall leave at nine. (will = more
"we" as subject common)