Modal verbs for advice, obligation and permission in English
How it works
Modal verbs such as ‹must›, ‹should›, ‹can› and ‹may› express different degrees of necessity, permission and recommendation in English. ‹Must› is used for strong necessity or obligation (e.g. ‹You must do your homework.›). ‹Should› expresses advice or recommendation (e.g. ‹You should eat more vegetables.›). ‹Can› stands for ability or permission (e.g. ‹You can go outside.›). ‹May› is usually used for formal permission (e.g. ‹May I leave the room?›). ‹have to› is also very often used for obligation or external necessity (e.g. ‹You have to wear a helmet at school.›). The choice of modal verb or related form changes the meaning of the sentence and shows how urgent, necessary or permitted an action is.
Choose the appropriate verb to express advice, obligation or permission correctly in the sentence. Make sure that ‹must› stands for strong necessity or obligation, ‹have to› for obligation or external necessity, ‹should› for advice, ‹can› for ability or permission and ‹may› for formal permission.
An example
Choose the correct modal verb for an obligation: ‹You ___ finish your project before Friday. It is a school rule.›
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50 Exercises
To the learning unit →Own explanation and own practice exercises by AmyMath. Subject reference framework: English. The topic assignment may vary by federal state.