Overview of Modal Verbs in English

(from Lange, Janet and Ellen Lange. 1999. Writing clearly: An editing guide. Heinle and Heinle, Massachusetts.) Modal Function To show ability To suggest a possibility or give an option To ask for or to give permission To show impossibility Form in the Present I can run 10 miles. Students can pre-enroll in classes. Can you call me? You can leave now. It cannot be Jim standing there. He went away for the weekend. I could run 10 miles when I was young. Could I call you? Why isnt Mary here? She could be busy. He could not be here at the party. He is out of town. You could try going this way. May I call you? The instructor may come to class late today. The instructor might come to class late today. You should try the new restaurant downtown. I should renew my drivers license. You should receive my letter in two days. You ought to exercise regularly. I ought to register to vote. You ought to receive my letter in two days. The instructor may have come to class late yesterday. The instructor might have come to class late yesterday. You should have tried the new restaurant downtown. I should have renewed my drivers license. You should have received my letter in two days. You ought to have exercisd regularly. I ought to have registered to vote by October. You ought to have received my letter two days ago. Why wasnt Mary at the party last night? She could have been busy. He could not have been at the party last night. He was out of town. You could have tried going that way. Form in the Past I could run 10 miles when I was young.

Can

To show past ability To ask a polite question To show possibility Could To show impossibility

May

To suggest a possibility/opportunity or give an option To ask for or to give permission (formal) To show possibility To show possibility To show advisability

Might

Should

To show obligation To show expectation

Ought to

To show advisability To show obligation To show expectation

Had better

To show advisability To show probability or to make a logical assumption To show necessity

Must

We had better leave. It is getting late. Janice must be out this evening. She does not answer the telephone. I must call my parent tonight.

Janice must have been out last evening. She did not answer her telephone. I was late for the meeting because I had to call my parents last night.

You must not cross the street on red light. To show necessity Mike has to make up the Mike had to make up the Have to class he missed. class he had missed. To show lack of I am glad that I do not have I did not have to cook last necessity to cook tonight. night. To indicate future time He will leave for the plane at 7 a.m. To make a promises or The federal government to show willingness will provide assistance to Will the hurricane victims. To state a general truth The new car they have developed will run on either gasoline or ethanol. To ask a polite question Will you help me with these boxes? To ask a polite question Would you help me with these boxes? To indicate a repeated When I lived in LA, I would Would action in the past go to the beach every day. To indicate future time Mark promised that he would in the sentence that is help me with my math in the past homework. To show a preference I would rather go to Would summer school than rather graduate late. To express a desire I would like to go to I would have liked to go to Would like medical school. medical school.

To show prohibition