Modal verb + infinitive (without “to”)
Past tense: modal verb + have + infinitive (without to)
Capability
I can speak Chinese.
Yolanda can’t speak French.
I could swim when I was seven.
I couldn’t write when I was two.
Suggestion
You could give Karyna some flowers.
Shall we go to the cinema?
Might we go for a walk later?
Request
Can you buy me another beer, please ?
Could you turn off the light?
May I take this chair?
Might we join you for lunch?
Would you like some more cake ?
Deduction
Delia couldn’t have eaten Will’s chocolate, because she’s in London.
She is wearing a wedding ring. She must be married.
Prohibition
You musn’t eat any more of Will’s chocolate, you’ll get fat.
You should never listen to reggaeton.
Necessity
You must walk faster.
Semi-modals – don’t need to / don’t have to
You don’t need to buy any milk. I already bought some.
Permission
You can eat my chocolate.
Could I eat your chocolate?
Possibility
It could rain tomorrow.
This lesson could be quite boring.
She may buy us some icecream.
I might come to Salamanca soon.
What would I have eaten, if your chocolate wasn’t in the fridge?
Speculation
Yolanda might have eaten the chocolate.
Someone may have already eaten Will’s chocolate.
Obligation
You have to buy me some more chocolate
You must walk the camino de Santiago before you die.
Advice
You should go to Granada, the Alhambra is beautiful.
You ought to try some Ribera del Duero wine.
Habits
‘Will’ and ‘would’ can be used to talk about habits or things we usually do, or did in the past.
- When we lived in Spain, we would often eat later in the evening.
- Yolanda will always be late!
Past Modals
Imaginary past
Past modals are often used in the third conditional.
Could have + past participle
Something that was possible that didn’t happen.
I could have played football for Real Madrid.
Real Madrid would have beaten Manchester city in last night’s champion’s league game had they scored more goals.