Modal Verbs of Probability

Click here for all the exercises about modal verbs

We can use these modal verbs (also called modals of deduction, speculation or certainty) when
we want to make a guess about something. We choose the verb depending on how sure we are.

1: Talking about the present:

must / might / could / may / can't

must + infinitive

might / might not + infinitive

could / could not + infinitive

may / may not + infinitive

can't + infinitive

For example:

I am waiting for Julie with another friend, David.

I ask: 'Where is Julie?'

David guesses:
She must be on the bus. (I'm fairly sure this is a good guess)

She might come soon. (maybe)

She could be lost. (maybe)

She may be in the wrong room. (maybe)

She can't be at home. (I'm fairly sure this isn't true)

Notice that the opposite of 'must' is 'can't in this case.

Will / won't

We use will and won't when we are very sure:

She'll be at work now.

Should / shouldn't
Should and shouldn't are used to make an assumption
about what is probably true, if everything is as we expect:
They should be there by now.

It shouldn't take long to drive here.

This use of should isn't usually used for negative events. Instead, it's a better idea to use will:

The underground will be very busy now (not: 'should be').

Can

Can is used for something that is generally possible, something we know sometimes happens:

Prices can be high in London.

Can is not used to talk about specific possibilities:

He could be on the bus (not: 'can be').

2: Using modal verbs to talk about the past:

must have/ might have / could have / may have / can't have + past participle

(Click here to review how to make the past participle)

must have + past participle

might / might not have + past participle

could / couldn't have + past participle

may / may not have + past participle

can't have + past participle

For example:

You: Where was Julie last night?

David:

She must have forgotten about our date.

She might have worked late.

She could have taken the wrong bus.

She may have felt ill.

 She can't have stayed at home.

Will / won't + have + past participle

Will and won't / will not + have + past participle are used for past certainty (compare with
present use of 'will' above):

The parcel will have arrived before now.

Should + have + past participle

Should + have + past participle can be used to make an assumption about something that has
probably happened, if everything is as we expect (compare with present use of 'should' above):

The train should have left by now

Could

We can use could + infinitive to talk about a general possibility in the past (compare with the
use of 'can' above):

Prices could be high in the sixteenth century.

This is not used to talk about specific possibilites in the past (instead we use could + have +
past participle):

He could have been working late (not: 'could be'. As this is a specific possiblity, 'could
be' is present tense)

Click here for modal verbs exercises

Modal Verbs of Ability

Click here for all the exercises about modal verbs

When we talk about ability, we mean two things.

First, we mean general ability. This is something that once you have learned you can do any
time you want, like being able to read or swim or speak a language, for example.

The other kind of ability is specific ability. This mean something that you can or can't do in
one particular situation. For example, being able to lift something heavy, or find somewhere
you are looking for.

Present:

can / can't (for both general and specific ability)

I can play the piano.

 She can speak English.

He can't drive he's too tired.

We can't come now.

Past:

could / couldn't (for general ability)

I could read when I was four.

She could speak French when she was a child, but now she has forgotten it.

He couldn't dance at all until he took lessons.

My grandfather couldn't swim.

was able to / couldn't (for specific ability)

When the computer crashed yesterday, I was able to fix it.(not 'I could fix it')

She was able to pass the exam, even though she hadn't studied much.(not 'she could
pass')

He called us because he couldn't find the house.

I couldn't open the window.

could + have + past participle (an ability someone had in the past, but didn't use)

I could have played the piano well but I didn't practise enough.

We could have come earlier.

She could have studied law, but she preferred to become a secretary.

Future:

will / won't be able to (general ability)

At the end of the course, you will be able to make your own website.

He won't be able to speak Japanese in a week! It will take months.

can / can't (specific ability)

I can help you tomorrow

I can't come to the party

Click here for modal verbs of ability exercise 1

 Click here for all the modal verbs exercises

Modal Verbs of Obligation

Click here for all the exercises about modal verbs

We can use have to + infinitive, must + infinitive and should + infinitive to express
obligation (something you have to do).

Present Positive Negative

have to / strong obligation (possibly from no obligation
don't have to outside)
I don't have to work on
Children have to go to Sundays.
school.

(sometimes 'have got to')

You don't have to eat
anything you don't like.

must / mustn't strong obligation (possibly based on negative obligation

the speaker's opinion)
You mustn't smoke here.
I must study today.

should / mild obligation or advice mild negative obligation or advice

shouldn't
You should save some You shouldn't smoke so
money. much.

Be careful about the difference between mustn't and don't have to!
Mustn't means it's not allowed, or it's a bad idea:

You mustn't eat so much chocolate, you'll be sick

Don't have to means you don't need to do something, but it's fine if you want to do it:

I don't have to get up early at the weekend(of course, if I want to get up early, that's
fine, but I can stay in bed if I want).

Past Positive Negative

had to / didn't obligation in the past no obligation in the past
have to
I had to wear a school We didn't have to go to
 uniform when I was a child. school on Saturdays.

must* changes to 'had to' -

should have + pp a past action which didn't happen:
a past action which didn't happen:
/ shouldn't have the advice / regret is too late
the advice / regret is too late
+ pp
You should have gone to bed
You shouldn't have taken
earlier, now you have missed
that job., it was a bad idea.
the train.

* Remember 'must have done' is a modal verb of deduction or speculation, not obligation in
the past. For example: Julie must have left. Her coat's not here. See modals of probabilty for
more information.

Click here for modal verbs of obligation exercise 1

Click here for all the modal verbs exercises

Modal Verbs of Permission

We can use verbs such as 'can', 'could' and 'may' to ask for and give permission. We also use
modal verbs to say something is not allowed.

For example:

Could I leave early today, please?

You may not use the car tonight.

Can we swim in the lake?

Modal Verbs of Habits

We can use 'will' and 'would' to talk about habits or things we usually do, or did in the past.

For example:

When I lived in Italy, we would often eat in the restaurant next to my flat.

John will always be late!

Past modals

The past modals 'could have + past participle', 'should have + past participle' and 'would have +
past participle' can be confusing. I explain about them here.
Permission

We can use verbs such as 'can', 'could' and 'may' to ask for and give permission. We also use
modal verbs to say something is not allowed.

For example:

Could I leave early today, please?

You may not use the car tonight.

Can we swim in the lake?

Habits

We can use 'will' and 'would' to talk about habits or things we usually do, or did in the past.

For example:

When I lived in Italy, we would often eat in the restaurant next to my flat.

John will always be late!

Past modals

The past modals 'could have + past participle', 'should have + past participle' and 'would have +
past participle' can be confusing. I explain about them here.

Could have, should have, would have used in

hypothetical situation, to talk about thngs
that didnt happen really in the past
These past modal verbs are all used hypothetically, to talk about things that didn't really happen
in the past.

Could have + past participle

1: Could have + past participle means that something was possible in the past, or you had the
ability to do something in the past, but that you didn't do it. (See also modals of ability.)

I could have stayed up late, but I decided to go to bed early.

They could have won the race, but they didn't try hard enough.

Julie could have bought the book, but she borrowed it from the library instead.

He could have studied harder, but he was too lazy and that's why he failed the exam.
Couldn't have + past participle means that something wasn't possible in the past, even if you
had wanted to do it.

I couldn't have arrived any earlier. There was a terrible traffic jam (= it was impossible
for me to have arrived any earlier).

He couldn't have passed the exam, even if he had studied harder. It's a really, really
difficult exam.

2: We use could have + past participle when we want to make a guess about something that
happened in the past. (See also modals of probability.) In this case, we don't know if what we're
saying is true or not true. We're just talking about our opinion of what maybe happened.

Why is John late?

He could have got stuck in traffic.

He could have forgotten that we were meeting today.

He could have overslept.

We can also choose to use might have + past participle to mean the same thing:

He might have got stuck in traffic.

He might have forgotten that we were meeting today.

He might have got stuck in traffic.

Should have + past participle

1: Should have + past participle can mean something that would have been a good idea, but
that you didn't do it. It's like giving advice about the past when you say it to someone else, or
regretting what you did or didn't do when you're talking about yourself.

Shouldn't have + past participle means that something wasn't a good idea, but you did it
anyway.

I should have studied harder! (= I didn't study very hard and so I failed the exam. I'm
sorry about this now.)

I should have gone to bed early (= I didn't go to bed early and now I'm tired).

I shouldn't have eaten so much cake! (= I did eat a lot of cake and now I don't feel
good.)

You should have called me when you arrived (= you didn't call me and I was worried. I
wish that you had called me).

John should have left early, then he wouldn't have missed the plane (= but he didn't
leave early and so he did miss the plane).
2: We can also use should have + past participle to talk about something that, if everything is
normal and okay, we think has already happened. But we're not certain that everything is fine,
so we use 'should have' and not the present perfect or past simple. It's often used with 'by now'.

His plane should have arrived by now (= if everything is fine, the plane has arrived).

John should have finished work by now (= if everything is normal, John has finished
work).

We can also use this to talk about something that would have happened if everything was fine,
but hasn't happened.

Lucy should have arrived by now, but she hasn't.

Would have + past participle

1: Part of the third conditional.

If I had had enough money, I would have bought a car (but I didn't have enough money,
so I didn't buy a car).

2: Because 'would' (and will) can also be used to show if you want to do something or not
(volition), we can also use would have + past participle to talk about something you wanted
to do but didn't. This is very similar to the third conditional, but we don't need an 'if clause'.

I would have gone to the party, but I was really busy.

(= I wanted to go to the party, but I didn't because I was busy. If I hadn't been so busy, I
would have gone to the party.)

I would have called you, but I didn't know your number.

(= I wanted to call you but I didn't know your number, so I didn't call you.)

A: Nobody volunteered to help us with the fair

B: I would have helped you. I didn't know you needed help.
(= If I had known that you needed help, I would have helped you.)

Try an exercise about these past modals here.