Modal Verbs and Their Meaning

Modals or modal verbs are special verbs which behave irregularly in English. They give additional
information about the function of the main verb that follows them.

Function Present Past

* She can play baseball very well.
Ability
* You ought to wait until the rain stops.
Advice
* You should revise your lessons.
* Tom has just bought a new apartment.
Certainty
He must earn a lot of money.
* He is just 15. He can’t drive a car.
Impossibility
* They needn’t/don’t have to buy any
Lack of necessity
tomatoes. There are plenty in the fridge.
* You must/have to respect the rules.
Obligation
* Can/Could/May I use your computer?
Permission
* It can/may/might rain. We aren’t sure.
Possibility
Prohibition * You mustn’t cheat in exams.
* They could have gone to an American
university, but they didn’t want to.
* You ought to have stopped when you
felt sick.
* You should have attended your
friend’s party. It was fun!
* We haven’t seen Carlos for a long time.
He must have changed his job.
* She didn’t have a penny when she was
in London. She can’t have bought that
expensive car.
* We needn’t have hurried to the airport.
The plane was delayed.
* The students had to bring their reports
on time.
* I was allowed to drive my mother’s car
whenever I wanted.
* The Parkers weren’t at home yesterday.
They might have travelled somewhere.
------

Fill in the blanks with the appropriate modals:

1- Look at their dirty and ragged clothes. They ……………………. be rich.
2- Roberto regrets immigrating to France. He ……………………. thought about it earlier.
3- Susan ……………………. asked for the visa because she didn’t have her passport last year.
4- A good citizen …………………. respect the law.
5- I …………………. continue my studies in Canada, but I am not sure about it.
6- Yesterday I met Anna. She was pale and her eyes were red. She …………………. been ill.
7- There are a lot of tomatoes in the fridge. You …………………. buy any.
8- It's a hospital. You …………………. smoke.
9- He had been working for more than eleven hours. He …………………. be tired after such hard work.
He …………………. prefer to get some rest.
10- The teacher said we …………………. read “Hamlet” for our own pleasure as it is optional. But we
…………………. read it if we don't want to.
11- …………………. you stand on your head for more than a minute? No, I …………………..
12- If you want to learn to speak English fluently, you …………………. work hard.
13- Take an umbrella. It …………………. rain later.
14- You …………………. leave small objects lying on the ground. Such objects …………………. be
swallowed by children.
15- People …………………. walk on flowers.
16- Drivers …………………. stop when the traffic lights are red.
17- “…………………. I ask a question?” “Yes, of course.”
18- You …………………. take your umbrella. It is not raining.
Answer Key:

1- can’t
2- should have
3- can’t have
4- must / has to
5- may
6- must have
7- needn’t
8- mustn’t
9- must - may
10- can – needn’t
11- Can – can’t
12- need
13- might
14- shouldn’t – may
15- mustn’t
16- must
17- May
18- needn’t