Modal verbs
MODAL VERBS
|
Modal verb |
When is it used? |
Negatives |
Questions |
|
CAN |
When something is POSSIBLE or when you KNOW HOW to do something |
She CAN'T do it |
CAN you do it? |
|
MAY |
When something is PERMITTED / ALLOWED |
He MUSTN'T go there |
MAY I go home? |
|
MUST / HAVE TO |
When something is NECESSARY |
He NEEDN'T go |
|
|
He DOESN'T HAVE TO go |
DO YOU HAVE TO go? |
||
|
SHOULD |
When something is a GOOD IDEA |
I SHOULDN'T tell you |
SHOULD I go? |
* MAY also means that something is probable. The negative is then MAY NOT
(Lucy may come late. X Lucy may not come late.)