USE PRESENT/FUTURE PAST

Ability>< inability She can sing very well because she has a beautiful When I was 8, I could swim.
voice. I couldn’t speak English well when I was small.
You won’t be able to find a good job without a good We were not able to attend school due to the serious
command of English. outbreak of Covid 19 pandemic.

Possibility >< impossibility He may be dead. [50% certain] He may/might have lost his phone. [perhaps he lost his
He might be dead. [40%] phone.]
He could be the culprit. [50%] They could have had an accident. [unluckily, they didn’t.]
He can be the culprit. [90%]

Logical assumption
He must be angry; his face turns red. [I’m sure he is
angry.] => POSITIVE
It’s Friday today; she can’t be at home. [I don’t think
she is at home now.] => NEGATIVE.
They couldn’t be on holiday. [less common]
Your hair looks wet; you must have run in the rain. =>
POSITIVE
She looks so tired; she must have been working all day.
She can’t have married Tom. [I’m sure she didn’t marry
Tom.] => NEGATIVE
They couldn’t have been there. [less common]

Permission You may board the plane I could hang out with friends as I had finished my

Anyone can join the club. homework.

We were allowed/permitted to stay out late even when we
Might I bring my friends along??? [formal => less
were small.
common]
May I go to the toilet?
Can I open the window?
Prohibition You must not park here. I couldn’t stay out late because I was too small.
You can’t take photos here. We were not allowed/permitted to stay out late.
You may not smoke in this restaurant. [formal]
We were forbidden to stay out late.
You are not allowed to bring your own food into the
We were banned/prohibited from smoking.
cinema.

Obligation/ Necessity I have to hand in this homework by 8 o’clock. You didn’t need to make any more food. [so you didn’t]
I must cancel the meeting because of bad weather. You needn’t have made any more food. [but you did]
I need to consult a dictionary.
You need come tomorrow.

Advice You should think carefully before making a decision. You shouldn’t have allowed your children to eat too much
He ought to try hard or he will fail. junk food.
We had better set off right now. You should have bought that house.
You ought to have done this work yesterday.

Suggestions/Offers/Requests Shall we go? [suggestion] ----

Would you like to come to my house? [suggestion] He offered to help me.
Could/Can you please tell me how to get to the bus He suggested going out.
station? [request] He asked me to pass him the salt.
Will/Would you pass me the salt [request]
Would you mind if I turned off the light?
Do you mind if I turn off the light?
Shall I help you with this suitcase? [an offer]