Permission or Possibility
You use this modal to ask if you're allowed to do something now. ("___ I go to the bathroom?")
Can
This modal is used for giving simple advice. ("You ___ drink more water.")
Should
This modal shows certainty about the future. ("I ___ call you later.")
Will
This is the most common modal for present ability.
Can
This semi-modal is used for things you did regularly in the past but don’t anymore.
Used to
This modal verb is a more polite or formal version of "can." ("___ I borrow your pen?")
Could, May
This one is stronger than “should” and often used for rules. ("You ___ wear a seatbelt.")
Must, Have to
This one is often used in polite requests or imaginary situations.
Would
This past-tense modal means you had the ability.
Could
Rewrite this sentence using a semi-modal for past habits:
“When I was a kid, I always played outside after school.”
I used to play outside after school
This modal expresses a weaker possibility than "may." ("It ___ rain later.")
Might
This modal implies an external obligation, like a rule or law.
Have to, Must, Need to
Complete this sentence: "If I had more time, I ___ travel more."
Would
Which modal phrase lets you talk about ability in different tenses, like the past or future?
(Was) able to
This modal can show repeated past actions, but not states. ("We ___ go fishing every summer.")
Would, Used to
This modal can be used for both possibility and permission, and is slightly more formal than "can."
May
This modal is softer than "must" and is often used for personal obligations.
Need to, Should
This modal shows both possibility and past ability.
Could
Rewrite this sentence to show future ability using the correct modal or modal phrase: 'I can finish it.
I will be able to finish it/ I'll be able to finish it.
Which of these modals can describe both past habits and states:
Used to
Would
Should
Used to
Use both a modal and a base verb to rewrite: "It's possible she knows the answer."
"She might know the answer"?
Explain the difference in meaning between these two sentences:
"You must call her now."
"You should call her now."
What’s the difference in the type of obligation being expressed?
"Must" expresses a strong or urgent obligation, often based on rules or the speaker’s insistence. "Should" expresses advice or a recommendation, but it's not as forceful or required.
Write a sentence using both "would" and "could" to describe an unreal or imaginary situation.
"If I could fly, I would travel the world"?
(Any correct sentence with both modals is acceptable.)
Use "could" for a polite ability-related request in a question.
Could you help me with _________?
You’re writing about your childhood. You want to describe two things:
You visited your grandparents every weekend.
You lived in the countryside.
Write one sentence using both would and used to correctly — and explain why each one is used where it is.
"I would visit my grandparents every weekend when I used to live in the countryside."
Explanation:
“Would” is used for the repeated action (visit).
“Used to” is used for the past state (live).
This shows how different modals are needed depending on whether you're describing a habitual action or a state of being.