Modal Verbs
Auxiliary Uses Present/Future Past
may (1) polite request May I borrow your pen?
(only with I or we)
(2) formal permission You may leave the room.
(3) less than 50% certainty ― Where's John? He may have been at the
He may be at the library. library.
might (1) less than 50% certainty ― Where's John? He might have been at the
He might be at the library. library.
(2) polite request (rare) Might I borrow your pen?
should (1) advisability I should study tonight. I should have studied last
night, but I didn't.
(2) 90% certainty I should do well on the test. She should have done well
(expectation) (future only, not present) on the test.
ought to (1) advisability I ought to study tonight. I ought to have studied
last night, but I didn't.
(2) 90% certainty She ought to do well on the She ought to have done
(expectation) test. well on the test.
(future only, not present)
had better (1) advisability with threat of You had better be on time, or (past form uncommon)
bad result we will leave without you.
be supposed (1) expectation Class is supposed to begin at
to 10:00.
(2) unfulfilled expectation Class was supposed to
begin at 10:00, but it didn't
begin until 10:15.
must (1) strong necessity I must go to class today. (I had to go to class
yesterday.)
(2) prohibition (negative) You must not open that door.
(3) 95% certainty Mary isn't in class. Mary must have been sick
She must be sick. yesterday.
(present only)
have to (1) necessity I have to go to class today. I had to go to class
yesterday.
(2) lack of necessity I don't have to go to class I didn't have to go to class
(negative) today. yesterday.
have got to (1) necessity I have got to go to class today. I had to go to class
yesterday.
will (1) 100% certainty He will be here at 6:00.
(future only)
(2) willingness ― The phone is ringing.
I'll get it.
(3) polite request Will you please pass the salt?
be going to (1) 100% certainty He is going to be here at 6:00.
(prediction) (future only)
(2) definite plan I'm going to paint my
(intention) bedroom.
(future only)
(3) unfulfilled intention I was going to paint my
bedroom, but I didn't have
time.
can (1) ability/possibility I can run fast. I could run fast when I was
a child, but now I can't.
(2) informal permission You can use my car tomorrow.
(3) informal polite request Can I borrow your pen?
(4) impossibility That can't be true! That can't have been true!
(negative only)
could (1) past ability I could run fast when I was
a child.
(2) polite request Could I borrow your pen?
Could you help me?
(3) suggestion ― I need help in math. You could have talked to
(affirmative only) You could talk to your teacher. your teacher.
(4) less than 50% certainty ― Where's John? He could have been at
He could be at home. home.
(5) impossibility That couldn't be true! That couldn't have been
(negative only) true!
be able to (1) ability I am able to help you. I was able to help you.
I will be able to help you.
would (1) polite request Would you please pass the
salt?
Would you mind if I left early?
(2) preference I would rather go to the park I would rather have gone
than stay home. to the park.
(3) repeated action in the past When I was a child, I would
visit my grandparents every
weekend.
(4) polite for "want" I would like an apple, please.
(with like)
(5) unfulfilled wish I would have liked a
cookie, but there were none
in the house.
used to (1) repeated action in the past I used to visit my
grandparents every
weekend.
(2) past situation that no I used to live in Spain. Now
longer exists I live in Korea.
shall (1) polite question to make a Shall I open the window?
suggestion
(2) future with "I" or "we" as I shall arrive at nine.
subject (will = more common)
