Functions​ ​of​ ​Modals

Modal Meaning​ ​/​ ​Use Examples

can,​ ​could Physical​ ​and​ ​mental ● Women​ ​discovered​ ​that​ ​they​ ​could​​ ​build​ ​airplanes
be​ ​able​ ​to ability and​ ​manage​ ​a​ ​business.
Manage​ ​to,​ ​succeed​ ​in ● Body​ ​fat​ ​cannot​​ ​appear​ ​from​ ​thin​ ​air.
Possibility ● Despite​ ​their​ ​disabilities,​ ​they​ ​were​ ​able​ ​to​​ ​learn.
Request ● This​ ​new​ ​program​ ​could​​ ​create​ ​a​ ​problem.
Offer ● Can/could​​ ​I​ ​help​ ​you?

should Advisability ● Schools​ ​should​​ ​give​ ​children​ ​more​ ​than

ought​ ​to Obligation knowledge​ ​and​ ​skills.
Expectation ● We​ ​ought​ ​to​​ ​teach​ ​them​ ​how​ ​to​ ​deal​ ​with​ ​conflict.
● Are​​ ​we​ ​supposed​ ​to​​ ​do​ ​this​ ​for​ ​homework?
be​ ​supposed​ ​to

must Necessity ● Children​ ​need​ ​to​ ​be​ ​with​ ​other​ ​children​ ​of​ ​the
have​ ​to Obligation same​ ​interests​ ​and​ ​abilities​ ​during​ ​part​ ​of​ ​every
need​ ​to day.
● Every​ ​teacher​ ​has​ ​to​ ​have​ ​a​ ​basic​ ​love​ ​of
children.
● We​ ​must​​ ​find​ ​ways​ ​to​ ​deal​ ​with​ ​violence​ ​in​ ​school.
Modal Meaning​ ​/​ ​Use Examples

don’t/doesn’t Lack​ ​of​ ​necessity ● People​ ​in​ ​large​ ​countries​ ​don’t​ ​have​ ​to​​ ​learn​ ​many
have​ ​to (It​ ​isn’t​ ​necessary…) languages.

mustn’t Prohibition/forbidding ● Harassment​ ​mustn’t​​ ​be​ ​overlooked.

must Assumption/likelihood ● The​ ​fear​ ​of​ ​languages​ ​must​​ ​come​ ​from​ ​their
(“Obviously,​ ​probably,​ ​I’m​ ​sure schooling.​ ​No​ ​other​ ​explanation​ ​is​ ​possible.
that…,​ ​I​ ​assume​ ​that…”)

may Possibility ● A​ ​boy​ ​or​ ​girl​ ​in​ ​a​ ​middle-class​ ​American​ ​family​ ​may
might Probability spend​ ​as​ ​long​ ​as​ ​ten​ ​years​ ​making​ ​the​ ​transition​ ​from
childhood​ ​to​ ​adulthood.
● These​ ​same​ ​children​ ​might​ ​not​ ​be​ ​aware​ ​of​ ​their
situation.