Meanings of modal verbs and their equivalents

	Modal Verb	Meaning/Use	Example
	can	1. ability 2. theoretical possibility 3. permission 4. requests 5. offers	· Can you play the piano? · Anyone can make a mistake. · Can I leave early, please? · Can you give me a hand? · Can I help you out?
	cannot / can’t	1. inability 2. possibility 3. prohibition 4. logical assumption 5. asking for permission hoping for a positive answer	· I can't play the piano. · Can't you come any earlier? (= isn't it possible) · You can't leave until I say so. · This bill can't be right. · Can’t I come tomorrow? – Of course, you can.
	can’t have	logical assumption	She's gone to the wrong door - she can't have seen the sign.
	could	1. past ability 2. possibility 3. requests 4. asking for permission 5. permission in the past 6. logical assumption 7. idiomatic expressions (annoyance)	· The shop had nothing that I could afford. · There could be trouble if the government tries to force this measure through. · Could you give me a hand? · Could I leave a bit early today? · When I was young, I could stay up late at weekends if I promised to be good. · That could be John's car I can hear - he said he was coming. · You could at least tell me what they said. (= Ithink you should...)
	couldn’t	1. past inability 2. impossibility 3. requests 4. prohibition in the past 5. logical assumption 6. idiomatic expressions 7. asking for permission hoping for a positive answer	· I couldn't walk until I was nearly two. · I couldn't eat another thing! · Couldn't you try again? · My mum used to insist that we couldn't go out until we'd tidied our bedroom. · It couldn't be Joe, could it? I thought he was away on business. · I couldn't agree more! (= I strongly agree. = I agree completely.) · Couldn’t I pay by check? – I’m afraid you can’t
	could have	1. possibility in the past 2. annoyance	· Your actions could have had serious consequences. · You could have told me! (= I wish you had told me) · I could have murdered him! (= I was very angry with him)
	couldn’t have	1. impossibility in the past 2. idiomatic expressions	· He couldn't have taken your car by mistake because he didn't have the keys. · It couldn't have been better. (= It was perfect)
	may	1. possibility 2. expressing hopes 3. permission offers 4. concession 5. idiomatic expressions	· We may go to France next year. · May you both be very happy! · You may go when you've finished. · May I be of any assistance? · They may live next door but we hardly ever see them. · All these things, if I may say so, are entirely irrelevant. · Who, may I ask, is Wotherspoon? · May I suggest that you consider the matter further before taking any action.
	may as well	spoken used to suggest that someone should do something, because there is no good reason to do anything else [= might as well]:	· If there's nothing more to do, we may as well go to bed. · You may as well tell us now - we'll find out sooner or later. · If no one else wants it, we might as well give it to him.
	may not	1. possibility 2. prohibition (very strict, usually in writing) 3. concession	· We may not go to France this year. · You may not go until you've finished. · I may not be very intelligent but I can work out the answer to that question.
	may have / may not have	1. possibility in the past 2. concession	· They may not have left yet. · He may have written books on the subject, but that doesn't mean he's a world expert.
	might	1. possibility 2. suggestions 3. requests (very polite and formal) 4. annoyance 5. concession	· This expedition might be quite dangerous. · You might try phoning directory enquiries. · Might I borrow some money? · You might at least say you're sorry! · He might seem rude, but he's not really.
	might not	1. possibility 2. possibility in the past 3. concession	· You might not like it. · He said he might not come with us. · He might not wear glasses, but his eyesight is not perfect either.
	might have	1. possibility in the past 2. annoyance 3. concession	· They might have been trying to contact us. · You might have told me! (= I wish you'd told me) · She might have worked hard, but you wouldn't know it from her results.
	might not have	1. possibility in the past 2. concession	· They might not have noticed the sign. · She might not have done all the work, but she certainly got good results
	must	1. logical assumption 2. speaker’s obligation 3. written orders and instructions 4. necessity 5. casual invitation	· What's that noise? It must be raining. · You must take your shoes off in here. · Staff must be at their desks at 9.00. · Something must be done to stop these accidents. · You must come and see us some time.
	mustn’t	1. emphatic advice 2. prohibition 3. refusing permission 4. negative obligation	· You mustn't worry - you'll be fine. · You mustn’t park your car on the double yellow line. · You mustn't use this phone (= informal) · You mustn’t repeat this to anyone.
	must have	1. logical assumption in the past 2. necessity in the past	· I must have left my wallet in the car. · In order to qualify for the job, you must havehad several years' experience.
	mustn’t have	necessity in the past	You mustn't have had any driving convictions or you won't get the job.
	shall	1. prediction (for I and we) 2. intention (for I and we) 3. offers (for I and we) 4. official orders 5. asking for advice	· Ithink we shall get back early next week. · We shall give our final decision tomorrow. · Shall I give you a hand? · All the candidates shall remain in their seats until the end of the examination. · What shall we do now?
	shan’t	1. prediction 2. intention	· We shan't get back much before ten. · I shan't let him do that again.
	shall have / shan’t have	prediction	· We shall have finished by this evening. (= Future Perfect) · We shan't have another opportunity if we don't win today.
	should / ought to (the uses marked * are appropriate both to should and ought to)	1. giving your opinion* 2. expressing doubt 3. advice* 4. obligation* (duty) 5. instructions 6. conditional 7. with that-clauses after certain verbs 8. with that-clauses after adjectives 9. in clauses of purpose expressing doubt	· The traffic should / ought to be lighter today. · I should think it will rain today. · You should / ought to go out more often. · People should / ought to treat each other better. · All visitors should report to reception. · If anyone should phone / Should anyone phone, tell them I'll be back this afternoon. · I suggested that he should take a break. · It is essential that you should contact us. · They spoke quietly so that nobody should hear what they were saying.
	shouldn’t / oughtn't to	1. advice* 2. obligation* (duty) 3. giving your opinion* 4. with that-clauses after certain verbs expressing doubt	· You shouldn't / oughtn't to drive so fast. · People shouldn't / oughtn't to be so aggressive. · The traffic shouldn't / oughtn't to be too bad today. · I suggested that he shouldn't work so hard. · I shouldn't think he'd enjoy it. (the uses marked * are appropriate both to shouldn’t and oughtn't to)
	· should have · ought to have · shouldn’t have · oughtn’t to have	1. advice in the past 2. giving your opinion about the past* 3. expressing doubt about the past 4. obligation* (duty) in the past 5. with that-clauses after certain verbs	· You should have told me before. · The traffic should have / ought to have been lighter earlier today. · I shouldn't have thought he'd have enjoyed it. · You should have / ought to have been there hours ago. · They shouldn't have driven so fast. · I suggested that he should havetaken a break.
	will	1. prediction 2. predicting the present truths and facts 3. obligation / orders 4. habits 5. annoying habits 6. willingness 7. intention	· They 'll be here soon. · They 'll be there by now. · This car will only run on unleaded petrol. · All passengers will proceed to Gate 7 immediately. · She 'll always try to help you whenever she can. · He will smoke when I'm trying to eat. · I'll give you a hand if you like. · I'll put the letter in the post this evening.
	won’t	1. prediction 2. predicting the present truths and facts 3. refusal 4. intention	· They won't be here for a while. · They won't be there yet. · This car won't start! · He won't join in unless he's first. · I won't come this evening, I'm afraid.
	will have / won’t have	1. prediction 2. predicting the past	· I won't have finished this book by this evening. · They'll have easily got there by now.
	would	1. predicting the present 2. describing imaginary situations 3. habits in the past 4. annoying habits in the past 5. requests 6. intention in the past 7. typical (annoying) behaviour 8. advice	· They said they would be here soon. · I thought they'd be there by now. · You'd look better with your hair shorter. · She would always try to help you. · He would smoke when I was trying to eat. · Would you open the door for me? · He said he'd put the letter in the post later. · It would start raining just as we went out. · I'd talk to him about it if I were you.
	wouldn’t	1. prediction 2. predicting the present 3. describing imaginary situations 4. refusal in the past 5. requests 6. intention in the past 7. advice	· They said they wouldn't be here for ages. · I thought they wouldn't be here yet. · You wouldn't say that if you'd met him. · He wouldn't do what I asked. · You wouldn't open the door for me, would you? · He said he wouldn't be coming tonight. · I wouldn't do that if I were you.
	would have / wouldn’t have	1. events in the past which didn't happen or which did happen 2. tentative thoughts 3. logical assumptions in the past	· I'd have met you at the station if I'd known you were coming. · I wouldn't have told you if I'd known you'd be so upset. · I'd have thought he'd have jumped at the chance. · I first went to Italy when I was at University; that would have been in 1982. · He promised he would have posted it before five o'clock.
	to be able to	1. particular ability (present, past, future) 2. ability to do smth in a particular situation in the past	· Are you able to type? · I think our baby will be able to walk in a few weeks. · Since his accident he hasn’t been able to leave the house. · Although the pilot was badly hurt, he was able to reach the airport. · Although it was dark, he was able to find his way.
	to have to	1. external obligation 2. necessity	· The staff have to wear uniforms at all hours. · Shall I have to go? – Yes, you will. / No, you won’t. · I have to complete this project by Monday. · There were no busses so he had to walk.
	don’t have to / didn’t have to	1. absence of necessity 2. permission not to do smth	· You don’t have to take a taxi; I’ll drive you to work. · We didn’t have to stay in a hotel, they put us up. · You don't have to cutthe grass, I'lldo it later.
	need	1. very seldom in affirmative sentences 2. (in questions) shows concern and hope for a negative answer	· You need only touch one of the pictures for all the alarm bells start ringing. · Need I go, mum? – No, you needn’t.
	need not	absence of obligation	· You needn’t make two copies. One will do.
	needn’t have	no obligation but action performed unnecessarily	· You needn’t have watered the flowers. It’s going to rain. · You needn’t have written such a long essay. Only 300 words were required.
	dare	1. idiomatic expressions (I suppose) 2. indignation 3. acceptance of what has been said without it making any difference to the interlocutor	· I dare say (= daresay) things will improve. · Don’t you dare talk to me like that! · How dare you accuse me of lying! · Dare we admit this? · We drive on the left in England! – I daresay you do, but here we drive on the right.
	daren’t	lack of courage	· I daren’t go home.

Дата добавления: 2015-10-29