Modals Chart Flashcards
1
Q
May
A
- Polite request
- Formal permission
- Less than 50% certainty
2
Q
Might
A
- Less than 50% certainty
2. Polite request (rare)
3
Q
Should
A
- Advice
2 90% certainty
4
Q
Ought to
A
- Advice
2. 90% certainty
5
Q
Had better
A
- Strong advice with threat of bad result/bad consequence
6
Q
Be supposed to
A
- Expectation
7
Q
Must
A
- Strong necessity/strong advice
- Prohibition (negative)
- 95% certainty
8
Q
Have to
A
- Necessity/strong advice
2. Lack of necessity (neg.)
9
Q
Have got to
A
- Necessity/strong advice (colloquial)
10
Q
Will (express less certainty)
A
- Spontaneous
- Politique request
- Promise
11
Q
Be going to (express more certainty)
A
- Intended 100% certainty
2. Definite plan (planned premeditated)
12
Q
Can
A
- Present ability/possibility
- Informal permission
- Informal polite request
- Impossibility (negative only)
13
Q
Could
A
- Past ability
- Polite request
- Suggestion (advice)
- Less than 50% certainty
- Impossibility (negative only)
14
Q
Be able to
A
- Ability
15
Q
Would
A
- Polite request
- Preference
- Repeated action in the past
- Informal desire
