Modals
Modal Meaning | Active Example | Passive Example |
Modal
|
Condition |
Present/Future Modal + Simple Form |
Past |
Present/Future Modal + "be" + participle |
Past
|
CAN | Ability | I can speak English. | I could speak English when I was 3. | A piano can be tuned with a tuning fork. | A piano could easily be tuned in 1850. |
CAN | Possibility | Temperatures can fluctuate rapidly in October. | It could have been cold yesterday. | The politician can be bribed. | He could have been bribed before he won the election. |
MAY | Possibility | There may be an opening in French. | There may have been a fire. | She may be elected. | He may have been caught by the police. |
MIGHT | Possibility | The block and tackle might be unsafe | There might have been a fire. | He might be forgotten. | He might have been caught by the police. |
COULD | Possiblity | Three unsafe conditions could exist. | There could have been a fire. | You could be arrested. | He could have been prosecuted. |
MUST | Logical Deduction | You must like to study. You have spent all day in the library. | There must have been a fire last night. | The building must be ruined after the fire. | The fire fighters must have been exhausted. |
MUST | Necessity | Parents must provide for their children. | Our parents must have provided for us. | We must be notified. |
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HAVE TO | Necessity | I have to study for this test. | I had to study last night. | The lab has to be cleaned. | The police had to be notified. |
BE TO | Necessity | The list is to contain all the names. | I was to go to the meeting. | The box is to be filled. | She was to be fired. |
SHOULD | Advisability | You should work hard. | You should have studied. | The metal should be heated to 30 degrees. | The glühwein should have been cooled. |
SHOULD | Expectation | The class should begin soon. | The bus should have arrived two hours ago. |
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SHOULD | Prediction | It should snow tomorrow. |
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OUGHT TO |
Advisability Expectation Prediction |
All citizens ought to vote. | The government ought to have encouraged the workers to vote. | The mixture ought to be heated for an hour. | The vehicle ought to have been serviced by now. |
WILL |
Intention Certainty |
We will read chapter 5. | I would have repaired the circuit but I was busy. | Your orders will be followed to the letter. | The plans would have been completed. |
WOULD |
Intention Expectation |
The colonies would develop after 1650. | The factory would have remained in operation. | In that tractor the battery would be located near the starter. | In the Roman Chariot, the brake would have been located near the railing. |
SUPPOSED TO | Expectation | He is supposed to rectify the situation today. | Jerry was supposed to deliver the goods last week. | That job is supposed to be done today. | The strawberry muffins were supposed to be baked by noon. |
Other modal constructions:
USED TO | past habit | Joe used to play the accordion before he met Nancy. |