Can

Can expresses ability or capability, possibility, incredulity or doubt, astonishment.

1. Physical or mental ability. (Indefinite Infinitive)

2. Possibility (Indefinite Infinitive)

a) due to circumstances
b) due to the existing laws
c) due to permission

3. Incredulity, doubt, astonishment (they are closely connected)

In these meaning can is used with all the forms of the Infinitive in interrogative and negative
sentences.

4. Could (couldn’t) with the Perfect Infinitive is used to refer to the fact someone had the
ability or the opportunity to do something in the past, which was not realized.

May
May expresses permission, uncertainty, possibility, reproach.

1. Permission. (Indefinite Infinitive)

Polite

2. Uncertainty as to the fulfilment of an action, state or occurrence, supposition implying

doubt, possibility of an action.

May and might denoting uncertainty are used with all the forms of the infinitive.

3. Possibility due to circumstances. (Indefinite infinitive)

May is used in this sense only in affirmative sentences. Can is also possible in this meaning.

4. Reproach (Perfect Infinitive)

When might is used with the Perfect Infinitive, it express reproach.

Must
Must expresses obligation, necessity, an urgent command or prohibition, and a supposition
bordering on assurance.

1. Obligation, necessity.

a) due to circumstances (=have to), is used only with the Indefinite Infinitive in
affirmative, negative and interrogative sentences.
b) arising out of the nature of man and consequently inevitable.
2. A command, and urgent request or a prohibition.

In this meaning it is used only with the Indefinite Infinitive.

3. Probability or supposition. (должно быть)

In this meaning must is used with all the forms of the Infinitive in affirmative sentences only.
If the actions refer to the present the Indefinite Infinitive is used; if the action refers to the
past the Perfect Infinitive is used.

Should and ought

“Should” and “ought” are used with the indefinite Infinitive, the Continuous Infinitive and the
Perfect Continuous Infinitive.

When reference is made to the past, the Perfect Infinitive shows that obligation was not
carried out, that something was done in the wrong way.

Both “should” and “ought to” express obligation, something which is advisable, proper or
naturally expected.

1. Obligation, very often a moral obligation or duty. In this meaning “ought” is more often used
than “should”.

2. Advisability.

In this meaning “should” is more common than “ought to”.

3. Something which can be naturally expected.

To be + Infinitive
This modal expression can be used in two tenses – the Present Indefinite and the Past
Indefinite (was, were).

To be + infinitive expresses a weakened order, an arrangement, possibility, something

thought of as unavoidable.

1. An order which is generally the result of an arrangement made by one person for another,
an arrangement which is not to be discussed. In this case only the Indefinite Infinitive is used.

2. An arrangement, or agreement, part of plan.

In this meaning both the Indefinite and the Perfect Infinitive can be used; the Perfect Infinitive
shows that the action was not carried out.

- “I was to do the questioning here”.

- “No, he was to have met me here the next morning”.

3. Possibility.

In this meaning the passive form of the Infinitive is used.

4. Something thought of as unavoidable. (очевидно)

To have + Infinitive (приходится, должен, вынужден)

The modal expression to have + Infinitive is used in three tense forms: the Present Indefinite,
the Past Indefinite and the Future Indefinite.

- I have to get up at six every day.

To have + Infinitive expresses an obligation or necessity arising out of circumstance. To have +

Infinitive is more impersonal than must.

Shall
Shall is never a purely modal verd. It always combines its modal meaning with the function of
an auxiliary expressing futurity.

1. Shall expresses volition with the first person subject in formal style.

2. In interrogative sentences shall is used with the first and third persons to inquire after the
wish of the person addressed.

3. Compulsion or strict order.

In this meaning it is always used with the second and third persons and has a strong stress

4. Thread or warning

In this meaning it is always used with the second and third persons and has a strong stress

5. Promise.

6. A restricted use of shall with the third person occurs in legal or quasi-legal discourse, in
stipulating regulations or legal requirements. Here shall is close in meaning to must.

Will
Will is hardly ever a purely modal verb. It generally combines its modal meaning with the
function of an auxiliary expressing futurity.

The modal verb will expresses volition, intention on the part of the speaker, or insistence.

1. Volition, intention.

It is used with all persons but mostly with the first person.

2. Persistence referring to the present or to the future.

It is used in speaking about habits.

3. Prediction referring to the present or to no particular time (in timeless statements).

- That will be the postman (on hearing the doorbell ring)

Would
Would expresses volition, persistence referring to the past.

1. Volition

In this meaning it is mostly used in negative sentences.

2. Persistence

Would is used to describe things that often happened in the past.

3. Would is used in polite requests, offers or invitations.

Dare
Dare means “to have the courage (or impertinence) to do something”. In the negative it
denotes the lack of courage to do something.

The verb “dare” as well as “need” has some peculiarities which make it different from other
modal verbs.

It is used both as a normal verb (taking the auxiliary do in the interrogative and negative
forms, -s in the third person singular and the to- Infinitive) and as an anomalous verb (without
the rules of normal verbs)

Dare for the present

Dared for the Past

Dare is mostly used in interrogative and negative sentences.

Need
Need expresses necessity. It is mostly used in negative and interrogative sentences.

- When need is used in the meaning of “to be in want of” it is treated as a normal verb.
He needs a new pair of shoes

Need has only one tense form – the Present. In the same way as dare, need is used as a normal
and as an anomalous verb.

Need is used both with the Indefinite and with the Perfect Infinitive.

Need | necessary (normal verb)

| must (anomalous verb)