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1. Modal Auxiliaries
present and future:
• Ability
• Can and be able to
• Be able to is used in situations where can does
not have the necessary grammatical form.
 I'd like to be able to swim. Not being able to swim
is annoying.
 Can is also used with ‘be’ to make criticisms.
 You can be really annoying, you know!
 Can is used with ‘be’ for capability.
 Winter here can be really cold.
• Fenerbahce stadium can take 30 thousand people.
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2. Certainty and uncertainty
• Must and can't
• These are used to make deductions, when
we are more or less certain about
something, especially with the verb to be.
 You must be tired after your journey.
(I suppose you are)
 That can't be Sue. She's in Brazil. (I'm sure
it's impossible)
• The plane must arrive soon.
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3. May, might and could
• These all express uncertainty or possibility.
They are usually stressed in speech.
• Might is less likely than may.
• May and might express possibility or
uncertainty
The committee may find a solution to the
problem.
∀ • Could is not used with not in this context.
 It may not rain.
I might go out, I don't know.
 04/19/12
I could get wet! 3

4. • May is used to express although clauses ( but,
however, although, though, etc…)
 He may be the boss, but that is no excuse for shouting
like that.
• May / might as well describe the only thing to do,
something which the speaker is not enthusiastic
about.
 Nobody else is going to turn up now for the lesson, so
you may as well go home.
• With an idiomatic expression with ‘try’, using may
for the present reference, and might for the past
reference.
• Try as I might, I couldn’t pass my driving test.
(Although I tried hard, I couldn’t pass my driving test.)
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5. Could is used:
• Possibility or uncertainty
 This could be the house.
• With comparative adjectives to express
possibility or impossibility.
 The situation could be worse. It could be better.
• To make suggestions.
 We could eat at home tonight.
• To express unwillingness.
 I couldn’t possibly leave Tom here on his own.
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6. shall
• Shall can be used with all persons to emphasise
something which the speaker feels is certain to
happen or wants to happen.
 I shall definitely give up smoking this year.
 We shall win. ( it is stressed in the sentence)
• Shall is used in formal rules and regulations.
 No player shall knowingly pick up or move the
ball of another player.
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7. Will
• Will is used to express assumption.
 -- The phone is ringing.
--That will be for me.
• Will and Won’t is used emphatically to tell
someone of the speaker’s intention, or to forbid
an action, in response to a will expression.
• -- I will take the money anyway !
-- You won’t !
-- I will !
• And I won’t can mean ‘I refuse.’ I will can
mean ‘I insist.’
 -- I won’t do it! -- Yes, you will!
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8. Would
• Would can refer to an annoying event,
typical of a person.
James would get lost, wouldn’t he! It is
typical!
• Would also expresses certainty, where the
sentence is a hidden conditional sentence.
 Nobody would agree with that idea. ( if we
asked them)
Life wouldn’t be worth living without you.
( if you weren’t there.)
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9. • Would can be used with ‘be’ followed by
an adjective doubtful, unlikely to
emphasise an uncertain action.
• Also after doubt in the same way.
It is unlikely that Jane would do
something like that.
I doubt whether Heidi would know the
answer.
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10. Need
• It is used as a normal verb.
 Do you need to use the photocopier?
• used as a modal verb, but in questions
and negatives.
Need you make so much noise?
You don’t need to come to school.
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11. . be bound to
• This refers to the future, whereas must
refers to the present.
You 're bound to see Paula If you go
there. {I'm sure you will)
You must see Paula if you go there.
(An obligation)
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12. Obligation
• Must and have to
• Have to describes obligations made by someone
else, while must is used to describe a personal
obligation. There may be no difference.
• You must start working harder! (I say so)
• You have to turn left here. (It's the law)
• Sorry, I must leave / have to leave now. (No
difference)
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13. • Mustn’t and don't have to
• Mustn't describes something which is not
allowed or an obligation not to do something.
 You mustn't leave any bags here. (It's against the
rules)
 You mustn’t leave the class before the end of the
test.
• Don't have to describes something which is not
necessary or absence of obligation.
 You don't have to apply yet. (It's not necessary)
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14. Should and ought to
• These have the same meaning. They
describe 'what is a good idea' and can be
used to give advice, or polite instructions.
I think you should see a doctor You ought
not to continue.
You should send in your application by
July 18th.
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15. Should is used
• As expectation
• Should can also describe actions we expect to
happen.
 Brenda should be home by now. (She is expected
to be)
• As recommendation.
 I think you should talk it over with your parents.
• As a strong obligation politely, in writing.
 Guests should vacate their rooms by midday.
• As criticism
 You shouldn’t eat so much late at night.
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16. • Uncertainty
• Should I leave these papers on your desk?
• With be and adjectives describing change
like odd, strange, funny and with the
expression ‘ what a coincidence!’
• It is strange that you should be staying in
the same hotel.
• To emphasise unlikelihood with ‘in case’
• I am taking an umbrella in case it should
rain.
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17. Had better
• This refers to present or future time, and
gives advice about how to stop something
going wrong.
• I think you'd better leave now. (Before it is
too late)
• You 'd better not drive. (It might be
dangerous)
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18. Is / Are to
• This is used in formal instructions. Not is
stressed.
No one is to leave the room.
 You are not to leave the room.
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19. • Be careful with these;
• Most modal auxiliaries have more than
one meaning. You may have to think
carefully about the context to understand
the meaning.
• The negative forms mustn't and don't have
to have different meanings.
• You mustn't go. (It is against the rules)
• You don't have to go. (It isn't necessary)
• Should is a weaker obligation than must
and have to.
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20. exercises
• Choose the most suitable word or
phrase.
• There's someone at the door. It
………….. postman. He always comes
at this time.
A) can be B) must be
C) might be D) should
• must be
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21. 2. Don't worry, you …………… pay now.
A) don't have to
B) mustn't
C) can’t
D) mightn’t
• Don’t have to
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22. • I think you …………… take a pullover
with you.It may get colder later.
• A) had better B) would better
C) would rather D) would like
• Had better
• Jones …………… president if Smith
has to resign since he is the only one
who can handle the pressures of the
public.
• A) could be B) must be
• C) had to be D) were to
• Must be
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23. • Sorry, I can't stay any longer. I
…………… .
• A) have to go B) might go
C) can go D) may go
• have to go
• It was 5 o'clock an hour ago. Your
watch ………….right.
• A) can't be B) mustn't be
• C) needn’t D) doesn’t have to be
• can’t be
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24. 1. It's a school rule, all the pupils ………a
uniform.
A) have to wear B) must wear
C) can wear D) are allowed to wear
3. Have to wear
4. I suppose that our team ………….. but
I'm not sure.
A) must win B) should win
C) have to win D) is allowed to win
• Should win
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25. • Let us tell Diana. She .............. know.
• A) could not B) might not
• D) must not D) need not
 Might not
 In my opinion, the government ..........
something about this.
• A) might do B) should do
• C) Could do D) may do
• Should do
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26. • Don't stand up in the boat! You ……....... fall
in the river!
A) might B) must
C) should D) are able to
• might
12. Sue says she's stuck in the traffic and
she.................. be late.
A) might B) must
C) ought to D) should
• might
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27. • 13. You really.................. start spending
more time on your work.
• A) might B) must
• C) can D) could
• must
• 14. Tell Peter he.................. stay the night
here if he wants to.
• A) might B) must
• C) should D) ought to
• might
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28. • 15. That's a really stupid idea!
You .................. be serious, surely!
• A) might B) must
• C) mustn’t D) can’t
• can’t
• 16. You ......... ....... realise it, but this is very
important to me.
• A) mightn’t B) mustn’t
• C) can’t D) shouldn’t
• mightn’t
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29. • 17. Don't be silly. You .................. expect me to
believe you!
• A) mightn’t B) can’t
• C) mustn’t D) shouldn’t
• can’t
• 18. We're not sure but we.................. go to
Prague for Christmas this year.
• A) might B) must
C) should D) ought to
• might
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30. • 19. Me learn to fly! You .................. be
kidding!
• A) might B) can’t
• C) must D) mustn’t
• must
• 20. Bill cooked the lunch, so
you .................. expect anything special!'
A) mightn’t B) might
C) shouldn’t D) can
• shouldn’t
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31. • 21. I don’t think you …………… tell anyone
yet.
• A) could B) should
• C) might D) can
• should
• 22. I …………. possibly leave without paying.
• A) couldn’t B) shouldn’t
• C) mustn’t D) don’t have to
• Could not
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