Functions of Modal verbs.

Permission : may / can / could

May - more formal (tener permiso para algo)
could - less formal
can - informal
Possibility : may / might / could
May / might - used for present or future possibility
might . expresses more doubt about the possibilities
May - not in the interrogative form. Could or might must be used instead.
Expressions for possibility, probability and certainty
perhaps . maybe . possibly . definitely
certainly . likely . probably . surely
Ability : can / could
Requests (peticiones) could / can (less formal)
Obligation : must / have to / to be
Must - Used to talk about the present and the future. Used in the affirmative form Must expresses the
speaker’s authority or an obligation that seems necessary or important to the speaker.
You must do the project to pass the subject.
A tourism student must speak at least two European languages.

Have to - In the affirmative form it expresses external obligation ( obligations imposed on somebody)
You have to listen to the teacher.

It can also express habit. I have to go to my lessons everyday

To be can be used to give orders in a formal way You are to stay here.
Prohibitions : Mustn’t
Mustn’t indicates prohibition . You mustn’t smoke in class.
Absence of obligation : Needn’t / not have to
Both express absence of obligation. Need is a modal verb which can be used to talk about the present and
the future.
You needn’t pick me up at the station tomorrow morning.
Deductions
Positive deductions in the present
must + inf. He must be in class. I saw him arrive.
must + present infinitive continuous Her face is very pale. She must be feeling sick.
Positive deductions in the past
must + perfect infinitive I wonder who’s robbed the exam. I must have been Peter. I saw him in my
office an hour ago.
Negative deductions in the present
can’t + present infinitive James can’t be in class. It’s only 3.00 pm.
It can’t be your essay. It’s too well written.
Negative deductions in the past.
can’t + perfect infinitive Who’s robbed the exam? It can’t have been James, because I’ve been with
him the whole afternoon.