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'I'm tired and it must be getting late.'
- is a use of 'must' to express a logical deduction
- is a use of 'must' to express strong advice
- is a use of must which can be negated with 'needn't' or 'don't have to'
'May your life together be a long and happy one.'
- expresses permission
- is an odd, formal subjunctive use of the modal
- expresses possibility
The negative of 'must' for denying permission
- can be expressed using 'can't'
- can be expressed using 'don't have to'
- can be expressed using 'couldn't'
'You would have been able to do it if you'd done your revision.'
- is 'would' used to express likelihood
- is a double use of 'would' in a conditional sense
- is a common use of 'would' to express contingency in conditionals
The first-person use of 'should' is considered more formal than the use of 'would' in contingent uses.
- False
- Only in US English
- True
'Careful. There might be a snake in the hall.'
- is the use of 'might' to refer to permission
- is the use of 'might' that implies greater likelihood than 'could'
- is the use of 'might' to refer to unlikely present possibility
'I ought to write to my mother.'
- expresses strong advice
- expresses a sense of duty rather than obligation
- expresses strong obligation
'would' can be used to express requests
- False
- True
- Only when the request is based on a current or past habit
'I couldn't see what he was driving at.'
- is the use of 'could' for expressing a complaint
- is the use of 'could' for past ability
- is the use of 'could' for logical deduction
'should' can express
- advice, obligation, or deduction
- advice, possibility or permission
- permission, advice or obligation
'She must be here soon - it's getting late.'
- expresses a firm logical deduction
- expresses strong possibility
- expresses strong advice
'If you will just wait outside for a few minutes.'
- is the use of 'will' for intentional future
- is the use of 'will' in a conditional clause
- is the use of 'will' for polite requests
'You might try speaking French to him.' expresses
- a complaint
- a possibility
- a suggestion
'I could have left my car in his garage.'
- is always the same as 'I might have left my car in his garage.'
- is the same as 'I might have left my car in his garage.' when referring to ability
- is the same as 'I might have left my car in his garage.' when referring to possibility
'You might have told me.' and 'You could have told me.' express
- complaints only
- complaints or past possibility
- past possibility only
It is possible to omit the 'to' after 'ought'
- when it is used to express negative obligation
- when it is used to express advice
- False
'can' expresses
- ability, logical deduction, possibility and requests
- ability, permission, possibility and requests
- ability, permission, possibility and past ability
'would' can express
- past habits and requests
- requests and possibilities
- personal characteristics and permission
'must' is used informally for strong advice.
- True
- False
- Only in British English
'could', when used for asking permission, is
- considered more polite than 'can'
- considered more polite than 'might'
- a reference to someone's ability to do something in the future