He’s been playing very well recently.ĭo you think the company might hire more people next year? We can use both may and might to express a possibility or make a prediction. Possibility (in the past, present or future).May and might are modal verbs that can have a similar meaning. The only modal verb that doesn’t follow these rules is ‘have to’, which acts like a normal verb. These similarities can really help you when you speak because you don’t have to worry about different forms or rules. For example, She would like to be allowed to arrive ten minutes late. They are followed by the verb without ‘to’.For example, They couldn’t attend the meeting. We make the negative form by adding ‘not’.The question form is created by inverting the subject and the verb.Modal verbs don’t add -s for the third person singular, so the form is always the same.The convenient thing about modal verbs is that they all have some key things in common: Modal verbs can express obligation, advice, permission, offers, the future, and possibility. For example, the phrase “They go to school” can change meaning with a modal verb in the following ways: While auxiliary verbs help make questions and negatives and put a verb in a particular tense, modal verbs add a special meaning. So here’s your chance to find out more about these two important modal verbs, then you can practice using them yourself.Ī modal verb is a verb that is used in combination with a normal verb. Perhaps you’ve heard about ‘may’ and ‘might’ and not been sure about what they mean and when they’re used. To make sure that you understand the correct answers, our answer keys offer simple explanations as well as handy tips and tricks.You’ve probably already studied some modal verbs in English, like ‘can’ and ‘must’. Our online exercises for English help you to learn and practice grammar rules in an interactive manner. Max’s father couldn’t work in the garage alone. Was Max able to change the tyre yesterday? Max’s father could remember changing his first tyre. Example: Max’s father could do everything in the garage. The negative couldn’t can be used in all three cases. We use was/were able to when we talk about something specific in the past. We use could for general ability and with the verbs feel, hear, see, smell, taste, remember and understand. * We use could and was/were able for the past of can. Of course, we can also use the alternative forms (except for could) in other tenses. Max’s father also was supposed to/was expected to/was to work in the garage often. Max should work in the garage more often. To be supposed to/to be expected to/to be to Max’s father did not have to worry about his future either. Max’s father was allowed to help at the age of 13. Max can help in the garage at the age of 12. His father was not able to/couldn’t change tyres. His father was not allowed to touch anything dangerous. We use will (not)/shall (not) when we make a predicition about the future, or when we are sure about something in the future.Įxample: The car won’t/shan’t be ready tomorrow.
To speculate about something in the past we use can’t/must + have + past participle.Įxample: Max’s father must have worked very hard. ( but not: Max’s grandfather can be retired.) We use m ust to express something we are 100% sure is true in the present.Įxample: Max’s grandfather must be retired, he’s 90 years old.We use can’t to express something we are sure is untrue or impossible in the present.Įxample: Max can’t be retired, he’s 12 years old.Example: Max’s grandfather may/might have wanted to retire when he was 50. To speculate about something in the past we use may/might (not) + have + past participle. We can replace may/might with could in positive sentences, but not with can.Įxample: Max’s father may/might/could retire soon, he is almost 60. We use may/might when we think something is perhaps true, but we are not 100% sure.Įxample: Max may/might not want to work in the garage forever.
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