Modals

Modals

1. ABILITY

   • Can
     • ability in the present
       • "I can see the lake from the window" (there's not a problem)
   • Could
     • general ability in the past
       • "When I was I child I could speak French fluently. "
   • Was/were able
     • achievement of sth. with difficulty. Success in doing sth. once
       • We didn't know where David was, but we were able to find him in the end.

2. PERMISSION/PROHIBITION

   • Present
     • Can
       • permission
         • You can go out but you must be back at midnight!
     • Can't
       • prohibition in the present /general time
         • You can’t wait here I am afraid.
     • May (formal)
       • May I use you phone please? (to the teacher)
   • Past
     • Could/Couldn't
       • Children couldn’t answer back to their parents in the 1950s.

3. Requests, suggestions and polite orders

   • Can/could
     • Offer
       • Can I help you with that?
     • Request
       • Can you open the door for me, please?
     • Polite order
       • You could check that book for the information, while I check this one.
     • Suggestions
   • Might (more formal than may)
     • Might I use your phone, please? (to the dean)

4. POSSIBILITY/PROBABILITY

   • to speculate about the present and the future
     • May
       • She may get here on time if she catches the early train (possible)
     • Might (lower probability or more uncertainty)
       • She might get here on time, if she catches the later train (less probable)
     • Could
       • She could get here on time, if she decides to take the train (possible)
   • to speculate about the past: have+ past participle
     • May
       • She is not home. She may have gone to the supermarket.
     • Might
       • I left a message at the hotel, but they might not have got it.
     • Could
       • They could have gone together, if none of them are home.
   • to talk about possibilities in the past that did not actually happen: have+ past participle
     • May
     • Might
       • Didn’t you use a map? You might have got lost. (but you did not)
     • Could
       • She was very intelligent and could have gone to University. (but she did not)
   • to express negative certainty based on evidence
     • in the past
       • Can’t + have + past participle
         • This doesn’t taste right. They can’t have bought the cake I told them to.
     • in the present
       • Can't
         • This bill can’t be right! We just had 2 coffees.
   • theoretical possibility
     • Can
       • The school can take 1,000 pupils. (it usually does if I say that)
     • Could
       • The school could take 1,000 pupils. (less confidence than can. it usually doesn’t, but will in case of an emergency)
   • to speculate about events and situations in the immediate present and in the future.
     • Where is Sam? He might be studying in his room.
     • Fiona could be managing her own company a year from now.

5. Obligation

6. Necessity