Level 3 Modal Auxiliaries
can
Ability, present to future
AUXILIARY + THE SIMPLE FORM OF A VERB
Olga can speak English.
Olga can’t speak English.
Olga cannot speak English.
Olga can not speak English.
You can’t leave early.
Permission, informal
You can leave early.
Polite Question, to ask
permission or agreement
Can I borrow your pen?
Polite question, asking for
cooperation
Can you please close the door?
Ability, past
Our son could walk when he was one year
old.
Our son couldn’t walk when he
was six months old.
Possibility, present to
future
It could rain tomorrow.
It couldn’t be Tom.
It could not be Tom.
Polite Question, to ask
permission or agreement
Could I borrow your pen?
Polite question, asking for
cooperation
Possibility, present to
future
Could you please close the door?
It may rain tomorrow.
It *may not rain tomorrow.
Permission, very formal
You may leave early.
You may not leave early.
Polite Question, to ask
permission or agreement
May I borrow your pen?
might
Possibility, present to
future
It might rain tomorrow.
It *might not rain tomorrow.
should
Advice
Mary should study harder.
Mary should not smoke.
could
may**
Mary shouldn’t smoke.
had better
Advice, with a possible
consequence; when in the
negative, often implies a
warning
I had better study tonight.
I’d better study tonight.
Jack had better not get any more
speeding tickets, or he will lose his
license.
Jack’d better not get any more
speeding tickets, or he will lose his
license
must
Necessary
Jack must see**** a doctor today.
Jack must not get any more
speeding tickets, or he will lose his
license.
Jack mustn’t get any more
speeding tickets, or he will lose his
license.
Prohibition when used in
the negative
Logical Conclusion
You mustn’t smoke in the
building.
You haven’t eaten in 48 hours. You
must be hungry!
I will be in class tomorrow.
will
I will not be in class tomorrow.
I won’t be in class tomorrow.
Polite question, asking for
cooperation
would
Polite question, asking for
cooperation
have to
Necessary
Will you please close the door?
He would help if he could, but he can’t.
He would not close the door.
Would you please close the door?
He wouldn’t close the door.
AUXILIARY + TO +THE SIMPLE FORM OF A VERB
I have to study**** tonight.
“hafta study”
He has to study tonight.
“hasta study”
I don’t have to study tonight.
He doesn’t have to study tonight.
Not necessary when used
in the negative
have got to
Necessary, conversational
I have got to study**** tonight.
“I’ve gotta study tonight.”
He has got to study tonight.
“He’s gotta study tonight.”
ought to
Advice
Mary ought to study harder.
*~Mary ought not to smoke.
Let’s
Subject of let is us
MAKING SUGGESTIONS
Let’s go to the beach.
Notice punctuation
Why don’t
Why doesn’t.
Subject can be you, he,
etc.
Why don’t we go the beach?
Why doesn’t he study more/
Prefer + n + to + n
STATING PREFERENCES
I prefer apples to oranges.
Like + n + better than + n
I like apples better than oranges.
Would rather + base verb + n + than + n
I would rather eat apples than oranges.
(Noun can be gerund also)
In the question change than to or
Would you rather have an apple or an
orange?
* Do not contract in American English
** He may be sick. (may + be: modal + SV) do not confuse with Maybe he is sick. (“maybe” is an adverb)
~ not common in American English
**** the past of have to, have got to, and must is had to