Modali e Condizionali livello B2/C1 per CEL

MODAL VERBS AND CONDITIONALS

1. MODAL VERBS

Modal verbs are used to express: ability, permission, obligation, advice, possibility,

probability, requests or deduction.

Basic structure: subject + modal + base verb.

Examples:

She can swim.

 You should study.

 He might be late.

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Important rules:

After a modal, use the base form: can go, should study, might come.

 Do not use “TO” after a core modal: not *can to go*.

 Modal verbs do not add -s in the third person: not *he cans*.

 Many modals do not have all tenses, so English often uses other forms such as: be

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able to, have to or be allowed to.

Meaning Typical form Example

ability can / could / be able to She can drive. / She was able to solve it.

Can I sit here? / Students are allowed to

permission can / may / be allowed to use dictionaries.

You must be quiet. / I have to wear a

obligation must / have to badge.

advice should / ought to You should revise every day.

possibility may / might / could It might rain later.

deduction must / can’t / could / might He must be tired. / She can’t be at home.

1.1 CAN / COULD / BE ABLE TO

Use can for present ability and general possibility.

Use could for past ability, polite requests and some possibilities.

Use be able to when you need a tense that can cannot form well, or when you want to

stress a successful action in a specific situation.

Present ability: She can speak Spanish.

 Polite request: Could you open the window?

 General past ability: When I was ten, I could swim.

 Specific successful past action: We were able to find the hotel after two hours.

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Useful contrast:

could = general past ability

 was/were able to = managed to do something in one situation

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1.2 MUST / HAVE TO / MUSTN’T / DON’T HAVE TO

Form Meaning Example

strong obligation, often from the

must You must call your mother.

speaker

external obligation: rule, law,

have to I have to wear a uniform at work.

timetable, situation

mustn’t prohibition: it is not allowed You mustn’t park here.

lack of necessity: it is not

don’t have to You don’t have to come early.

necessary

1.3 SHOULD / OUGHT TO / HAD BETTER

Use should and ought to for advice, recommendation and criticism.

Use had better for strong advice, especially when there may be a consequence if you do

not follow it.

Examples:

You should sleep more.

 You ought to apologise.

 You had better leave now, or you’ll miss the train.

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Past advice and criticism:

You should have told me earlier.

 He shouldn’t have said that.

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1.4 MAY / MIGHT / COULD (possibility)

These forms can express possibility. In many real contexts, may, might and could

overlap. In teaching, might is often presented as slightly less direct or less certain,