CD532983-BD1D-4BD4-BA29-748A1F71EEDA

Ability

Be able to

Can

Could

Negatives in the past
( we can also use able to in negatives in the past)

We can use be able to particulary in more formal contexts and to talk ability on a
specifi occasion in the past

Less formal, usually prefer with verbs of sense
and verb of thinking

Example: They couldn’t prevent the fire damaging the school’s sports center

Example : The hotels on the island are able to accommodate hundreds of visitors

Example : I can fly like butterflies

Possibility

May

Miight

Used in questions, but is rather formal . Also used to say that things are not possible or that it is possible things are not te case

To talk about more general Possibly of something happening

Example: The temperature in the mountains may fall below freezing even at this time of year

Example: I think we should call off the strike, but other people might not agree with me ( it’s possible that people don’t agree with me )

Conclusions, willingness, habitual events

Will

Would

Used to

We can use will to draw conclusion or state assumptions about things we think are true

We use would to talk about willingness in the future, in conditionals , and when we say that we are willing but unable to do something

Example: No doubt yo will have heard the news by now

Example: Many people would be happy to pay higher taxes for better public services.

We can use either would or used to to talk about things that happened repeatedly in the past

Example: The crossing *used to* take over an hour at least

Necessity, deduction

Must

Have (got) to

We can use either must or have to to say that it is necessary to do something, although have to is less formal and is also preferred in questions

Example: The cabin staff must accept the new working conditions if the airline is to complete

When we say that something was necessary in the past we use had to not must

Example: Up to 200 teachers and pupils had to evacuated from a school in South Wales today

Not necessary

didn’t have to

needn’t have

Didn’t need to

To say it was necessary to do in the past

To say it was necessary to do in the past

When we think something that was done in the past was not necessary we use need not have

Example: He didn’t have to wait long for a response

Example: He didn’t need to wait long for a response

Example: The event organizers expected the bad weather to affect ticket sales. However, they need to have worried, as every ticket was sold

Obligation

Should

Ought to

We can use either should or ought to to talk about obligation

We can use either should or ought to to say that something is likely because we have planned it or expect it to happen

Example: I think we should keep Borland for the islanders !

Example: They say the road will be ready in five years, but they ought to be able to build is faster

Dare and Need

Had better

As modals dare and need are mostly used in negative context. We can use either date to or dare without to when it is not followed by not

But no one would dare to climb up the outside of the building

We needn’t interview everyone in the block

We can use had better instead of should/ ought to, especially in spoken English to say that we think it is good idea to do smth

We’d better find out all we can about that guard as soon as possible

Be supposed to

Be allowed to

We can use could or was/ were allowed to to say that in the past someone had general permission to do something

Only the security guard could/ was allowed to stay in the museum after it closed

We can use be supposed to to express a less strong obligation that with should or ought to

The entry code is supposed to be known only by the security guard