Modal verbs: present and future

1.       Don’t have to:

•         Don’t have to refers to an absence of obligation

You don’t have to work tomorrow

2.       Must not:

•         Must not refers to an obligation not to do something

You must not leave the room before the end of the test

3.       Should:

•         Expectation

This film should be really good

•         Recommendation

I think you should talk it over with your parents

•         Criticism of an action

You shouldn’t eat so much late at night

•         Uncertainty

Should I leave these papers on your desk?

•         To make an opinion less direct

I should think that model would sell quite well

•         With be and adjectives describing changes

It’s strange that you should be staying in the same hotel!

•         After in case to emphasize unlikelihood

I’m taking an umbrella in case it should rain

4.       Could:

•         Could is used to express possibility or uncertainty

This could be the house

•         Could is used with comparative adjectives to express possibility or impossibility

The situation couldn’t be worse

•         Could is used to make suggestions

We could go to that new restaurant opposite the cinema

•         Could is used to express unwillingness

I couldn’t possibly leave Tim here on his own

5.       Can:

•         Can with be is used to make criticisms

You can be really annoying, you know!

•         Can is also used with be to refer to capability

Winter here can be really cold

6.       Must and can’t:

•         These refer to present time only. In expressing certainty, they are opposites

This must be our stop (I’m sure it is)

This can’t be our stop (I’m sure it isn’t)

7.        May and might:

•         May can be used to express although clauses

She may be the boss, but that is no excuse for shouting like that

•         May and might both express possibility or uncertainty

The peace conference may find a solution to the problem

8.       Shall:

•         Shall can be used with all persons to emphasize something which the speaker feels is certain to happen or wants to happen

I shall definitely give up smoking this year

•         We use shall to make suggestions

Shall we try the new Indian restaurant tonight?

9.       Will:

•         Will can be used to express an assumption

A: The phone’s ringing. B: That will be for me

•         Will/ won’t can be used emphatically to tell someone of the speaker’s intention, or to forbid an action, in response to a will expression

I will take the money anyway, so there!

10.   Would:

•         Would is often used in situations where a conditional sense is understood but not stated

Nobody would agree with that idea

•         Would is used to make requests

Would you make me a cup of tea, please?

•         Would is used to express willingness to do something

If you would take a seat, I’ll tell her you’re here

11.   Need:

•         Need to is a modal auxiliary, and behaves like a normal verb

Do you need to use the photocopier?

•         Need is a modal auxiliary, but mainly in question and negative forms

Need you make so much noise?

12.   Had better:

•         This is a recommendation and refers only to the present or future

You had better not phone again

13.   Be bound to:

•         This makes a future prediction of certainty

It’s bound to rain tomorrow