modal verbs exercises should must and have to

Of course, we can also use the alternative forms (except for could) in other tenses. Max’s father also was supposed to/was expected to/was to work in the garage often. Max should work in the garage more often. To be supposed to/to be expected to/to be to Max’s father did not have to worry about his future either. Max’s father was allowed to help at the age of 13. Max can help in the garage at the age of 12. His father was not able to/couldn’t change tyres. His father was not allowed to touch anything dangerous. We use will (not)/shall (not) when we make a predicition about the future, or when we are sure about something in the future.Įxample: The car won’t/shan’t be ready tomorrow.To speculate about something in the past we use can’t/must + have + past participle.Įxample: Max’s father must have worked very hard. ( but not: Max’s grandfather can be retired.) We use m ust to express something we are 100% sure is true in the present.Įxample: Max’s grandfather must be retired, he’s 90 years old.We use can’t to express something we are sure is untrue or impossible in the present.Įxample: Max can’t be retired, he’s 12 years old.Example: Max’s grandfather may/might have wanted to retire when he was 50. To speculate about something in the past we use may/might (not) + have + past participle. We can replace may/might with could in positive sentences, but not with can.Įxample: Max’s father may/might/could retire soon, he is almost 60. We use may/might when we think something is perhaps true, but we are not 100% sure.Įxample: Max may/might not want to work in the garage forever.We cannot use must not to talk about the past. We can use must not to talk about the present or the future: Students must not leave bicycles here.The prohibition can be subjective (the speaker's opinion) or objective (a real law or rule). Must not expresses prohibition - something that is not permitted, not allowed. NB: like all auxiliary verbs, must CANNOT be followed by to. We conjugate it just like any other main verb. We can use have to in all tenses, and also with modal auxiliaries. In each of the above cases, the obligation is not the subject's opinion or idea. In England, most schoolchildren have to wear a uniform.In France, you have to drive on the right.The subject of have to is obliged or forced to act by a separate, external power (for example, the Law or school rules).

In general, have to expresses impersonal obligation. Look at these examples in the Present Simple tense: The basic structure for have to is: subject In the have to structure, 'have' is a main verb. Have to is often grouped with modal auxiliary verbs for convenience, but in fact it is not a modal verb. Note that we can use the have to expression in all tenses, for example: he has to, he had to, he has had to, he will have to Structure of have to

Modal verbs exercises should must and have to