|
MODAL |
USES |
PRES/FUTURE |
PAST |
| can |
ability |
I can
speak French. |
I could
speak Latin. |
| possibility |
I can
go. |
I could have
gone. |
| permission-informal. |
You can
have my car. |
You could have
had my car. |
| request-informal |
Can I
have some gum? |
|
| impossibility |
That can't
be wrong! |
That couldn't have
been wrong! |
| could |
past ability |
|
I could
speak Latin. |
| suggestion |
You could
hire a plumber. |
You could have
hired a plumber. |
| request |
Could I
have some milk? |
Could I
have had some milk? |
| possibility
(-50% certainty) |
Susan could
pass the test. |
She could have
passed the test. |
| impossibility |
You couldn't
be right! |
You couldn't have
been right! |
| shall |
offer in question
form |
Shall I
open the door? |
|
| future with I and
we.
(Br. English) |
I shall
speak with her. |
|
| emphatic form |
I shall do
it. |
|
| should |
advisability |
You should
study more. |
You should
have studied more. |
| certainty (future about
90%) |
You should
do well tonight. |
You should have
done well tonight. |
| will |
certainty (future) |
He will
marry me! |
He would have
married me. |
| willingness |
I will
help you with that. |
I would have
helped you with that. |
| promise |
I will
never lie to you. |
I would
never have lied to you. |
| polite
request |
Will you
help me? |
|
| would |
polite
request |
Would you
please help me? |
|
| preference |
I would
rather work in my
garden than study. |
I would
have rather worked in my
garden than study. |
| repeated
action
(past only) |
|
When I was young, I
would
play with my toys for
hours. |
| reported speech
("I will go.") |
|
She said she would
go. |
| may |
polite request |
May I
borrow a pencil? |
|
| formal permission |
You may
borrow it. |
You might have
borrowed it. |
| possibility
(-50% certainty) |
Mary may
be at the library. |
Mary may/ might
have been at the
library. |
| might |
possibility
(-50% certainty) |
Sara might
arrive tonight. |
She might have
arrived tonight. |
| must |
strong necessity |
I must
study! |
I had to
study! |
| strong certainty.
(95%) |
That must
be the wind. |
That must have
been the wind. |
| prohibition (neg.) |
You must
not smoke! |
|