| Modal Verb | Expressing | Example |
|---|
| must | Strong obligation | You must stop when the traffic lights turn red. |
|---|
| logical conclusion / Certainty | He must be very tired. He's been working all day long. |
| must not | prohibition | You must not smoke in the hospital. |
|---|
| can | ability | I can swim. |
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| permission | Can I use your phone please? |
| possibility | Smoking can cause cancer. |
| could | ability in the past | When I was younger I could run fast. |
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| polite permission | Excuse me, could I just say something? |
| possibility | It could rain tomorrow! |
| may | permission | May I use your phone please? |
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| possibility, probability | It may rain tomorrow! |
| might | polite permission | Might I suggest an idea? |
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| possibility, probability | I might go on holiday to Australia next year. |
| need not | lack of necessity/absence of obligation | I need not buy tomatoes. There are plenty of tomatoes in the fridge. |
|---|
It was interesting for me to see the usage of modal verbs in the article site, where you have published it. Thank you for this table, it is very easy for studying now.
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