Extra Grammar 2

Modal Verbs in the Present and Past

Must, Mustnt, Have to, Had to, Dont have to
Use

I must be at the airport at six oclock or Ill miss the plane. (Its important for
me to be there at 6.)

S tudents must be at school before the bell rings at 8 a.m. (This is a rule we must
follow.)

You must take this medicine every day. (Strong recommendation)

We use mustnt when we want to express prohibition or when we think it is not

necessary that we do something:

 ou mustnt use the computers in the teachers room, Paul. (It is a prohibition
Y
for students.)

 ou mustnt worry about me; the course Im doing at university is great and
Y
Im happy with my accommodation. (Its not necessary for you to worry about me
because Im fine.)

We use have to to talk about rules or recommendations that other people want
us to follow:

I have to take this medicine three times a day. (Because the doctor has
recommended it.)

Note: Have to and has to need the auxiliary verbs do / does respectively for
interrogative and negative sentences:

Do you really have to go now?

She doesnt have to sit for the exam again according to her teacher.

We can also use dont have to to say that something is not necessary, or that you
are not obliged to do it:

 ou really do not (dont) have to get a special permit to visit this area of the
Y
museum.

When we want to talk about what was necessary in the past, we can use had to:

Yesterday I had to wait in line for an hour to make a cash deposit at the bank.

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We use must when we want to give orders, strong recommendation and rules.
We can also use must when we think it is important that we do something:

Extra Grammar 2
Note: Had to needs the auxiliary verb did for interrogative and negative sentences:

Did you have to study a lot to pass that exam last year?

S heila didnt have to ask me for money yesterday because she found some in
her bag.

Practice
1 Circle the best option.
a I think I have to / must / mustnt be going now. Ive got an exam
tomorrow morning and I want to go to bed early.

c L
 ast night we had to / have to / didnt have to help Mum do the washing
up as she was exhausted.
d W
 e mustnt / dont have to / must make reservations at the Opera Hotel
because it is never full.
e In this house, everybody has to / have to /must get up early every day, said
the captain to the children.
f Put out your cigarette, please. You mustnt / dont have to / didnt have to
smoke in this area of the restaurant, sir, she said.
2 C
 omplete these sentences using must, mustnt, have / has to, dont / doesnt
have to or had to.
a S andras boss says she
she wants to keep her job.

do a course in marketing management if

step on the grass. Theres a sign over there that says: Keep off
b We
the grass! he said.
c T
 he teacher says we
week.

hand in our assignment until the end of next

go on a diet. Ive been gaining some weight recently and

d I think I
Im beginning to get a potbelly.
e M
 y wife
a cleaning lady.

worry about the housework anymore because Ive hired

f I had a terrible toothache yesterday evening and I

right after office hours.
g T
 he optician says that I
is not very good.

see a dentist

start wearing glasses because my eyesight

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b T
 he dentist says I must / dont have to / have to stop eating so many
sweets or Ill get more cavities in future.

Extra Grammar 2
Can, Could, Was able to, Managed to, Will be able to, Can
I?, Could I?, May I?
We normally use can to talk about ability in the present:

My boyfriend can speak three languages very fluently.

I cannot (cant) drive in heavy traffic. It makes me nervous and stressed.

 hen I was at university I could spend a whole night studying without falling
W
asleep.

 y grandfather could not (couldnt) remember many details when he was

M
alive.

We use was able to / managed to when we want to say that somebody did
something on one specific occasion (with some special effort, dedication, etc.).
We do not use could in this case:

 wo days ago I managed to / was able to find the solution to the problem
T
we had with our laptop.

 id you manage / Were you able to solve the difficult puzzle we found in
D
that magazine?

 e lost the keys and were not (werent) able to / did not manage to open
W
the garage door until Peter arrived.

We use will be able to to talk about ability in the future:

I think I will (ll) be able to finish my studies at the end of this year.

Will you be able to read all those chapters for tomorrows class?

I m afraid she will not (wont) be able to finish the report in time for the
meeting.

When we want to ask for permission, Could I? and May I? are more formal
than Can I?:

Could / May I use your pen for a minute, Miss Jones? the student asked.

Can I just play games with your iPod, Dad? I asked.

When we want to ask somebody to do something, Could you? is more formal

than Can you?:

Could you do me a favour before you leave, Mr Jones? I said.

Can you wait for me here outside the shop, Jimmy? she asked her son.

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We normally use could to talk about general ability in the past:

Extra Grammar 2
Practice
1 F
 ill in the blanks using can (cant), could (couldnt), was (wasnt) able to,
managed to, didnt manage to or will (wont) be able to.
eat ginger or strawberries because
a W
 hen Sarah was younger she
eat them
she was allergic. Today, after a special treatment, she
without any problems.
b I tried to remove a stain from my blouse using soap powder but it didnt work.
clean it
When a friend of mine lent me OxiClean stain remover, I
in a few seconds.
c Do you think you

retire by 60, Mum? I asked her.

e A
 s you can see in my CV, I
meet deadlines without difficulty.

work under pressure and

get the tickets for todays show, dear.

f I think I
go to the theatre and get them, please? her husband said.
g Professor Davies decided to retire when he realised he
students well every time they had classes.

you
hear his

understand why our boss has

h Peters idea is brilliant and I
decided not to use it for our marketing campaign, Helen said to the board of
directors.
2 R
 ead these cues and write suitable questions using Can I / you?, Could I /
you? or May I?
a Y
 ou are lost in town and want to get to the post office. You stop a passer-by
and ask him:
?
Excuse me, sir.
b You left your dictionary at home and now you need it for your English classes.
You ask your classmate:
I think Ive left my dictionary at home, John.
?
c You have no credit left in your mobile phone and need to make an urgent
call. You see your teacher has finished using hers and you ask her: Excuse me,
Mrs Sullivan. I need to make an urgent call.
? Mine is out of credit, Im afraid.

Must, Cant, May (not), Might (not)

When we want to say that we are certain about something, we can use must:

That guy over there must be David. They said he was tall with short red hair.

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d 
you
download that programme from the Web,
Kevin? It was so difficult for me to do it this morning, his friend said.

Extra Grammar 2
When we want to express negative probability, we use cant:

 hat guy over there cant be David. He doesnt have red hair and he isnt tall
T
either. (You cant use mustnt in this case.)

 he weather looks horrible and they say we may / might / could have some
T
rain over the weekend.

 hat you are saying may not / might not (could not) be true because Jason
W
told me a different story. (Perhaps it isnt true.)

Practice
1 R
 ead and fill in the blanks using must, cant, may (not) or might (not). There
may be more than one possible answer in some cases.
a M
 any sceptic people think that ghost stories
others believe that witchcraft, magic and apparitions

be true. But some

be.

b T
 he police are looking for a criminal who is tall and blonde, so that guy over
be the man they are looking for because hes short and
there
dark-haired.
c Its been cold and cloudy for three days already and they say the weather
continue like this for a couple of days.
d There are many passengers at the airport who are waiting for flights that
leave as there is a pilots strike.
get disappointed to
e I f you ever meet a celebrity in person, you
see that they are not always what they look like in films, on stage or on TV.
f Early this morning I saw a long line of people waiting to get into the
be the time now when the clearance
shopping centre. I think it
sales begin and you can get fabulous discounts.
2 Read and complete with your own ideas.
a The story you told me cant be true because
.
b You must feel exhausted after
.
c If you do not apply yourself more at school, you might not
.

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When we want to say that something is possible but not certain (now or in
the future), we can use may (not), might (not) or could but we cant use could
not (couldnt):

Extra Grammar 2
d My friend Jack may get really upset if I
.
e Susan may not come to the party tonight because
.

Should, Shouldnt, Ought to

I think you should stop smoking so much. Youre coughing like a barking dog!

What should I do if I miss classes during the year, Miss Taylor?

When we want to say that something is a bad idea for us to do, we can use
shouldnt:

 ou shouldnt worry so much about the exams. You are a very good student,
Y
Mike.

We can use ought to instead of should when giving or asking for advice, but
this may sound rather formal. Ought to is sometimes associated with duties and
obligations:

We all ought to respect our elders.

You ought not speak evil of your neighbour.

Note: Remember that ought to loses the to in the negative. Instead of ought not to,
we say ought not. Ought not is more commonly used in British English. Americans
prefer should not.

Practice
1 Read and circle the correct option.
a My grandma always used to say that we oughtnt to / ought to/ oughtnt
tell lies.
b If that website is down for maintenance, you should / ought not to /
shouldnt try logging in later. It wont work!
c The doctor says I should / shouldnt / ought do more exercise and follow a
healthy diet plan.
d In a local magazine, they have just published five laws that all consumers really
ought / ought to / ought not know.
e Do you think we ought to / should / shouldnt all stay indoors if the bad
weather goes on? Mum asked us.
f Carla is always so nervous. She should not to / should / shouldnt shout at
her children when they misbehave, grandmother said.
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When we want to ask for or give advice, we can use should:

Extra Grammar 2
2 Read and complete using your own ideas.
a
b
c
d
e

S hould I always tell the truth when

My friends used to say that we should never
We ought to
We ought not
If I had a good job, I think I shouldnt

?
.
.
.
.

Need, Neednt, Dont (Doesnt) Need to

When we use need, it can either act as a modal verb or as an ordinary verb:
She needs to speak to Mr Jackson urgently. (ordinary verb: need + to infinitive)

Need you leave right now? Cant you stay a bit longer? (modal verb: need +
infinitive without to)
When we use need as a modal verb, it is almost always used in negative
sentences although it is sometimes also used in questions:

She neednt worry about that. It was not really a problem.

Need I say more? I think Ive said enough for today.

When need is used as an ordinary verb with to infinitive and with an s in the third
person singular, it appears in affirmative and negative sentences and in questions:

I need to follow these instructions carefully.

She needs to recharge the batteries of her laptop very often.

She doesnt need to study a lot for exams because shes a brilliant student.

Does Jane need to visit the doctor so often?

Im terribly thirsty. I need a drink. (We can use need with a noun too.)

We can use both neednt and dont need to to give permission to someone not to do
something in the immediate future. We can also use need as a noun in this case:

You dont need to study for tomorrows test. Its been cancelled.

You neednt study for tomorrows test. Its been cancelled.

 heres no need to study for tomorrows test. Its been cancelled. (need used as
T
a noun)

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Extra Grammar 2
However, when we are talking about general necessity, we normally use dont need to:

You dont need to get a special permit to visit this area of the museum.

You dont need to speak English when visiting Miami.

Practice

a Theres no ...
b Need I say
c I think you neednt
d My Dad
e Does Linda
f They dont
g We all need
h Mark is terribly tired and

1 worry so much. The exam will be very easy.

2 need to buy so many things shes never going to use?
3 needs a good rest.
4 need to get a visa to visit the UK.
5 need to worry about that, Jane.
6 to practise more if we want to pass the exam.
7 anything else? Is everything clear?
8 needs to see a dentist. Hes got a horrible toothache.

2 Read and complete using your own ideas.

a I believe I dont need

anymore.

b D
 oes my best friend need
phone him?

every time I

c W
 e really neednt
said so.

because our teacher

d Im really hungry and thirsty after the long journey. I need something to
e The test will be simple, so theres no need
f N
 eed I
understood what Ive just said.

.
? I think everybody has

g In my family, we all need to

h If you are planning to visit the USA, I think you need

Should have, Shouldnt have, May have, May not have, Might
have, Might not have, Must have, Cant have, Neednt have
We use should have + past participle when we want to say that something which
did not happen was the correct or best action to be done. We can also use this
construction to criticise somebody:

 ark should have told us he was not coming with us. We waited for him for
M
more than 30 minutes.

I think our boss should have shown more enthusiasm about our idea.

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1 Match these sentence halves.

Extra Grammar 2
When we want to say that something which did happen was not the correct
action to be done, we use shouldnt + past participle:

 onica shouldnt have complained about the food yesterday evening. It was
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her daughters first attempt at cooking.

We use may have and might have to show that something has possibly happened
now or happened at some time in the past:

I ts almost midnight. Claire and Sam might have arrived back home now.
(Perhaps they have arrived.)

They may have arrived back home hours ago. (Perhaps they arrived hours

They might not have arrived back home yet.

They may not have arrived back home as early as they supposed.

We use must have + past participle to say we are sure that something was true and
we have reasons for our belief:

 hey hadnt eaten all day. They must have been really hungry when they
T
arrived.

You look so relaxed this morning. You must have slept well.

We use cant have + past participle to say we are sure that something was not true
and we have reasons for our belief:

 iona tossed and turned in bed many times last night. She cant have had a
F
good nights sleep.

If we say that somebody need not (neednt) have done something, we mean that
he or she did it but it was not really necessary. In other words, it was probably a
waste of time:

 e neednt have cooked dinner for so many guests. Most of them recently
W
phoned to say they wouldnt be coming.

 um neednt have worn her best clothes to the party. Everybody had
M
previously arranged to go casual but they never told her.

Note: if we say that somebody did not (didnt) need to do something, we are simply
saying that it was not necessary (whether or not it was done):

I had plenty of credit in my mobile phone so I didnt need to top up.

 e didnt need to repair the lock on the front door. It started working well
W
this morning.

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ago.)

Extra Grammar 2
Practice
1 Read and circle the best option.
a Y
 esterday, our uncle Peter told us about an experience he once had. By the sad
look on his face, we think it must have been / should have been / cant
have been something terrible.
b Our flight has been delayed once again. Every time we fly this airline, the same
thing happens. We may have flown / should have flown / might have
flown a different airline.

d The man we saw this morning must have been / may not have been/
cant have been the suspect the police are looking for because hes middleaged and dark-haired. The suspect is in his late forties but hes got fair hair.
e I think the Joneses may not have called /may have called / should have
called us this morning. Theres a red blinking light on the keyboard of our
cordless phone indicating that somebody called. Lets check the callers number!
f T
 om hasnt answered my text message yet. I sent him one half an hour ago, but
he might not have read / may have read/ neednt have read it because
he is at the airport and is probably just about to take a plane.
g O
 h, thank you! This watch looks really expensive, darling, and its so beautiful.
You shouldnt have spent / cant have spent / might not have spent so
much money.
2 Read and complete using your own ideas.
a M
 y friend Carla should have
because Im in trouble now.
b W
 e neednt have
teachers questions were simple.

because the

c T
 he lady at the train station must have
because the police were after her.
d O
 ur teacher should have
we have no time to study.

because now

e All my classmates got very low marks in the exam. It cant have
.
f M
 y friend called me this morning to say he hadnt received my birthday gift.
.
I think the shop might not have

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c Our test results were finally published on the school blog. We didnt need to
ask / shouldnt have asked/ neednt have asked our teacher to show
them to us this morning.

Extra Grammar 2
Answer Key
Must, Mustnt, Have to, Had to, Dont have to

1 a must
b have to
c had to
d dont have to
e must
f mustnt

a has to
b mustnt
c dont have to
d must
e doesnt have to
f had to
g have to

a couldnt; can
b managed to / was able to
c will be able to
d Were (you) able to / Did (you) manage to
e can; can
f will not (wont) be able to; Can / Could
g couldnt (couldnt)
h cant

a Could you tell me the way to the post

office, please? / Could you tell me how to

get to the post office, please?
b Can you lend me your dictionary (yours),
please?
c May / Could I use your mobile phone?

Must, Cant, May (not), Might (not)

a cant; must
b cant
c may / might / could
d may not / might not
e may / might / could
f must

Suggested answers
a  today I read something completely
different in the newspapers.
b such a long journey.
c pass the final exam.
d dont phone him / her today.
e she said she was tired.

Should, Shouldnt, Ought to

a oughtnt
b shouldnt
c should
d ought to
e should
f shouldnt

Suggested answers
a my Mum asks me a question?
b be late for a football match.
c respect our elders.
d judge others.
e worry about money problems.

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 an, Could, Was able to, Managed to, Will be able to, Can I?,
C
Could I?, May I?

Extra Grammar 2
Need, Neednt, Dont (Doesnt) Need to

a 5
b 7
c 1
d 8
e 2
f 4
g 6
h 3

Suggested answers
a to worry about that
b to shout at me
c study for tomorrows class
d to eat and drink.
e to study so hard.
f say anything else?
g  wear glasses because we have poor
eyesight.
h (to get) a visa.

a must have been

b should have flown
c neednt have asked
d cant have been
e may have called
f might not have read
g shouldnt have spent

Suggested answers
a told me the truth
b studied so hard
c stolen something
d postponed the exam dates
e been an easy test.
f delivered it yet.

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Should have, Shouldnt have, May have, May not have, Might have,
Might not have, Must have, Cant have, Neednt have