English modal verbs
16 concepts in English Grammar, in level order. Open one to read how it works and try practice items.
Beginner
- can and can't Saying what you are and are not able to do.
Pre-Intermediate
- have to and don't have to — obligation and no obligation Saying what is necessary and what is not necessary.
- might and might not for future possibility Saying that something is possible but not certain.
- must and mustn't — rules and prohibition Stating a rule and saying what is not allowed.
- should and shouldn't for advice Giving advice and asking for it.
Intermediate
- Ability and possibility — can, could, be able to Present, past, and the forms modals cannot make.
- Modals of deduction — might, can't, must How certain you are about a conclusion.
- Obligation and prohibition — have to, must, should What is required, forbidden, and advisable.
Intermediate Plus
- can, could, and be able to Ability across time, including where a modal will not go.
- Obligation, necessity, prohibition, and advice must, have to, need to, should, and their negatives.
Upper-Intermediate
- Past modals — must have, might have, should have Deduction and regret about the past.
Advanced
- Permission, obligation, and necessity The full modal and semi-modal range, including past forms.
- Speculation and deduction Modal and non-modal ways of saying how sure you are.
Advanced Plus
- Modal verbs — can, could, be able to, may, and might Ability and possibility, hedged precisely.
- Modal verbs — will, would, and should Prediction, habit, hypothesis, and expectation.
Proficiency
- Nuances of modality The difference between must, will, and is bound to.