Present meaning Example

MODAL VERBS

PRESENT	Meaning	Example
Will	Future	I will travel to Bukhara next week.
Might	Small probability	I might move to Canada some day.
Should	Recommendation	You should go to the doctor
Ought to	Formal recommendation	We ought to know about first aids
Had better	Warning	I had better study or I will fail the test
May	Permission Good probability	May I come in? We may visit Mexico this summer
Must	Responsibility Assumption	Everyone must pay taxes My mother’s car is parked next to the house. She must be at home.
Would	Past (used to)	When I was young, I would play violin.
Would	Unreal present	I would buy a car if I had money.
Shall	Offer Contractual obligation	Shall I help you? The company shall pay on January 1^st.
Could	Unreal ability Past ability	I could buy a car if I had money She could play the violin (but now she can’t)
Can	Present ability Permission	We can speak English Can I have a candy?

Do/does/did/shall/will
I have a book. – I don’t have a book. Do you have a book.
I go home. – I can go home. I may go home. I must go home. I have to go home.
Can/ may/must you do? I can’t/may not/mustn’t do.

PRESENT	EXAMPLE	PAST	FUTURE
CAN Physical and mental ability	I can speak English. I can run 5 km per day. I can hear you well.	1) I COULD speak English WHEN I WAS 3 years old. I could run 5 km per day 3 years ago. I could hear you well yesterday. 2) Could you help me, please? Could you give me some more apples, please? 3) You could have helped me. ( BUT I didn’t ask you to help me myself)	X
TO BE ABLE TO Physical and mental ability in a particular situation	I am not able to hear you, as I have a very bad internet connection.	WAS/WERE able to A lot of people were not able to leave the building yesterday when it was on fire.	I shall be able to have a better internet, when I come back to Tashkent.
MAY Polite request	May I have you for a second, please? May I go for a walk with my friends, please?	MIGHT 1) He might help you. Why don’t you call him? 2) You might have helped me. (BUT you didn’t help me, and I’m very angry with you because you didn’t help me on purpose)	X
MUST rule	Students must study hard. People must obey the rules.	HAD TO: I had to study hard when I was at university. People had to sit at home during the quarantine period last year. 2) Jeff must have helped you. (I know that he couldn’t have done it himself, and I know that Jeff is always ready to help him)	X
HAVE TO Unpleasant rule	I have to study hard, but I don’t like it at all. I have to wake up early in the morning, because I work far from home.	HAD TO: I had to study hard when I was at university. People had to sit at home during the quarantine period last year.	I will have to wake up early next week, as I’m starting my new job.
SHOULD	You look ill. You should go to your doctor.	I should have talked to my parents before buying this house. (I didn’t do it, BUT I’m very sorry for this.)	X
OUGHT TO	Children ought to take care after their old parents.	HAD TO When we were young people had to take care of their old parents.	X
NEED (TO)	I need go. Need you go? I need not go. I need to go. Do you need to go? I do not need to go?	1) I needed go home. I needed to go home. 2) You didn’t need to buy bread. (You didn’t buy it, and it is OK.) 3) You need not have bought bread. (BUT you had bought it.)	I will need to go there tomorrow.
DARE (TO)	How dare you? Don’t you dare yelling at me! I dare to go. I do not dare to go. Do you dare to go? I dare go. I dare not go. Dare you go?	DARED	I will dare to go there tomorrow.

He goes --- he can go --- he has to go

Does he go --- can he go --- does he have to go
You should go and see you doctor = you had better go and see your doctor.
It’s strange that you should tell me about it. S I was planning to see my doctor tomorrow.
If you should see Thomas, tell him to call me.