VERB MEANING / USE EXAMPLE EXAMPLE (PAST)

(PRESENT)
MUST (have to) You must drink You should have
less eaten less
SHOULD (OUGHT Obligation You mustnt You had to eat
TO) smoke less
I have to return You ought to
the book now have apologized.
You should
No obligation apologise
DONT HAVE TO We didnt have
to wear a tie
We dont have to
Necessity wear a tie
MUST They had to have
clean water.
HAVE (GOT) TO They must have We had to get
clean water some sleep
NEED / NEED TO We have to get I needed new
some sleep shoes
NO necessity I need new shoes
DONT HAVE TO
NEEDNT We didnt have
DONT NEED TO We dont have to to wear a tie
wear a tie We neednt have
We neednt book booked in
in advance advance
We dont need to We didnt need
book in advance to book in
advance

ABILITY AND PERMISSION

CAN ABILiTY She can play the She could play

piano the piano
Be able to
We can buy a We were able to
new house buy a new house
Shes able to She was able to
play the piano play the piano
whenever she
CANT /CANNOT wants
 (not be able to) NO ability She couldnt play
She cant play the piano
the piano today yesterday.
She isnt able to She wasnt able
play the piano to play the piano
because her because her
hand hurts hands hurt.

CAN /MAY Permission

(be allowed to) We could park
You can park there.
here. Visitors could use
Visitors may use the car park.
the car park. Visitors were
Visitors are allowed to use
allowed to use the car park
CANT /CANNOT/ the car park.
MAY NOT Prohibition .
(not be allowed
to) We couldnt park
You cant park here.
here Visitors could not
Visitors may not use the car park.
use the car park. Visitors were not
Visitors are not allowed to use
allowed to use the car park.
the car park.

BE ABLE TO

We use be able to for particular instances, it often suggest managing to

overcome difficulties:

Ex: She was able to swim across the river althout it was very wide.

We also use be able to for things which a person will be capable of doing in
the future, but not now:

Ex. If she practices, shell be able to play the piano.

COULD

Could doesnt always have a past meaning.

You could visit the museum (now or in the future)

It could be very cold at night (generally speaking)