modal verbs

Characteristics of modal verbs

● Infinitive without to after most modal verbs
● Do not take -s in the third person
● Do not use auxiliary do / does to form negatives, questions or short answers
● Can form contractions when used in negative

Exceptions
● OUGHT TO
● HAVE TO
PRESENT

Ability & request Obligation, prohibition & Possibility & certainty

advice

can / can’t must / mustn’t may / may not

have to / don’t have to might / might not

could

● OUGHT TO & SHOULD: to give advice and make recommendations

● MUST & CAN: when we make a logical deduction
● MUST: when we are certain something is true
● CAN’T: when we are certain something is impossible
MODAL PERFECTS
To talk about past events → Subject + modal verb + have + past participle

must have + participle to express certainty or make a logical Dad must have felt
deduction in the past disappointed when he lost

can’t have + participle to express an impossibility in the past He can’t have been Rachael -
she was in London

might have / may have / could to express a possibility in the past Tim might / may / could have
have + participle gone to the cinema

could have + participle to suggest an alternative past action The police could have acted
more quickly

should have + participle when we wish something had We should have gone cycling
happened in the past, but it didn’t while it was sunny
happen

shouldn’t have + participle when we wish something had not I shouldn’t have stayed out so
happen in the past, but it did happen late last night