M.U.S.T…….Must
The negative of ‘must’ is ‘Must. Not’ –It is usual to join these two words together. Like this…. ‘mustn’t’.

I must stop smoking

You mustn’t tell George
That must’ve been a great holiday.

There is no past form of ‘must’. Instead we use ‘had to’

I had to give up smoking.

You didn’t have to tell George.

Did they have to get up so early?

Must’ DIALOGUE
SANDY: …it’s been ages since I’ve seen you.
JOHN: So how’s the new job? It must be hard work. You look very tired.
SANDY: Well actually, John, I quit yesterday.
JOHN: Wow! It must have been really bad!
SANDY: You’re not joking

2.
CAN 1
C.A.N. Can
The negative of ‘can’ is ‘Can. Not’ – cannot. Usually we join these two words together. In British English we say /ka:nt/ and this word is usually STRESSED.…
I can’t speak French. She can’t play the piano
In American English the negative of can is usually pronounced /cant/…
Work on your pronunciation. It is very important when you are speaking that there is a clear difference between ‘can’ and ‘can’t’. Remember ‘can’ is usually unstressed - /k..n/. ‘Can’t is usually stressed - ‘I can’t speak French’

3.
CAN 2
Ability. I can swim. I can’t speak Japanese.
Offering. Can I buy you a drink?
Possibility. You can always take a taxi.
Suggesting. Can we meet for lunch tomorrow?
Requesting.Can we have two coffees please?
Permission.Excuse me. Can I sit here?
Can. Possibility. The possible.

‘Can’ DIALOGUE
STEVE: Can I help?
HELEN: I’ve left my money in the office.
STEVE: Oh dear. Well, err... Can I buy you a drink?
HELEN: Well, that’s very nice of you but…
STEVE: Please.
HELEN: A coffee then. Thank you.
STEVE: (CALLING) Sam. Can we have two coffees, please?
HELEN: It’s very nice of you. Thank you.

4.
Modal verb: COULD 1

C.O.U.L.D. Could
The negative of ‘could’ is ‘Could. Not’ – could not. Usually we join these two words together. Like this…couldn’t.

Like ‘can’, all the meanings of ‘could’ have something to do with what the speaker believes is possible. But the difference is that with ‘could’ the speaker sees the possibility as ‘distant’

5.
Modal verb: COULD 2

Ability in the past. I could play the piano when I was a child.

Requests. Could you help me, please?
Suggestions. You could take the train tomorrow.
Possibilities in the present. He could be in the kitchen.
Possibilities in the future. We could visit my mother next week.
Possibilities in the past. He could have spoken to her yesterday.
Could. Possibility, plus distance. Distant possibility.

‘Could’ DIALOGUE
GIRL A: …he was so nice. But the other thing was he was really easy to talk to. The trouble is…
GIRL B: What?
GIRL A: I don’t know if he wants to see me again.
GIRL B: Ah! … you could call him
GIRL A: What? Just call him up: ‘oh hi. I really like you. Do you want to go out with me.’ No, I don’t think so.
GIRL B: Why not? (IMITATING GIRL A) Ooh he was lovely. We had a really good time.
GIRL A: Stop it! (pause) Um, ok then. Could I borrow your phone?

6.
MAY 1
M.A.Y. May

The negative of ‘may’ is ‘May. Not’ –It is possible to join these two words together. Like this…mayn’t. But this is very unusual. Most of the time we say ‘May. Not’.

‘May’ is not a very common word in English, and it is less common in American English than British English. ‘May’ is sometimes used like ‘can’ and ‘could’. But it is a much more formal word.

7.
Modal verb: MAY 2

Offering: may I help you?
Formal requests: may we have a bottle of wine, please?
Permission: may I sit here?
To speculate about or consider things that are probably true in the present: they may be outside.
To speculate about things that will probably be true in the future: he may come to the party on Sunday.
To speculate about or consider things that were probably true in the past. She may have spoken to him yesterday.

‘May’ DIALOGUE
MAN 1: …thanks very much, been very useful. But we still have a lot to talk about. We’ll need another meeting. What about next week?
GERMAN: May I make a suggestion?
MAN 1: Of course.
GERMAN: Could we meet again next month? We may have more information by that time.
MAN 1: Ah. Um. I may be on holiday next month.
GERMAN: I see. Well, next week then.
MAN 1: (CONVERSATION FADES) I think that’s best

8.
Modal verb: MIGHT 1

M.I.G.H.T. Might
The negative of ‘might’ is ‘Might. Not’ – These words are often joined together. Like this…mightn’t.
‘Might ‘ is the past form of ‘may’. But ‘might’ is NOT’ just used to talk about ‘past time’. In fact, ‘might’ and ‘may’ are used in similar ways to talk about the past, the present, and the future. But in some uses, mother-tongue English speakers prefer to use ‘might’ rather than ‘may’.

9.
MIGHT 2

Asking in a very formal way for permission: Might I make a suggestion?
Making suggestions: You might want to see a doctor.
Talking about things that are probable in the future: They might come to dinner tomorrow.

To speculate about things that are probably true in the present: She might be in the office.
To speculate about things that were probably true in the past: I might have left my books on the bus.

Might: probability, plus distance. I believe that this is distantly probable.

‘Might’ DIALOGUE
HELEN: I can’t find my phone.
STEVE: It might be in your briefcase.
HELEN: No. I always….oh dear. I think I might have left it in the taxi.
STEVE: Oh Helen. You’d better call them.
HELEN: Oh great, yes, of course. (CONVERSATION FADES)
But I haven’t got a phone, have I?

10.
WILL 1
W.I.L.L. Will.

The negative of ‘will’ is ‘Will. Not’ –It is usual to join these two words together. Like this….‘won’t’.

‘Will’ is most commonly used in English to talk about the future. It is also very common in sentences like - ‘You’ll feel better if you take this medicine’ or I’ll tell him when I see him’. It is possible to use ‘shall’ with ‘I’ or ‘we’, especially in British English, in place of ‘will’, but this is considered very formal and is not used so much any more.

11.
WILL 2
W.I.L.L. Will.
Talking about the future: He’ll be here in half an hour ` Predicting the present: They’ll be having dinner now.
Making a promise: I’ll do it.
Offering: Will you have some more?
Speculating about the past: That will have been in 1980 I suppose.

Requests: If you’ll follow me…..

Talking about habits or characteristics: He’ll sit for hours reading.

Refusals: I won’t do it.

Will….From what I understand of the situation, I’m sure that this is true

‘Will’ DIALOGUE
GIRL 1: Honestly. They’re still not here. They’re always late! Where are they?
GIRL 2:: Oh, I’m sure they’ll be here soon.
GIRL 1: Well I hope so. The party will be starting now. If they don’t get here in the next ten minutes, I’ll never talk to them again!
GIRL 2: (conversation fades) Calm down….

12.
WILL 3
The difference between ‘will’ and ‘going to’. ‘Will’ is used as a future when the speaker has only just decided about something. They have not thought about it for a long time before they say it.

Would you like a drink? Yes please. I’ll have a coffee.

The speaker has just decided to have a coffee. It’s a spontaneous or instant decision. This is a very common use of ‘will’ as a future tense.

‘going to’ is sometimes used when the speaker has thought about the future for some time. It is not an instant decision.

I’m going to meet my parents this weekend.

13.
WILL 4

‘Will’ DIALOGUE 1
GIRL 2: So what will you have to drink?
GEORGE: I’ll have a coffee. Alice?
ALICE: I’ll have an orange juice. So what have you two been up to recently (conversation fades)
GIRL 1: Well, I’ve been working….

‘Will’ DIALOGUE 2
STACEY: But Mum! I don’t like hot chocolate! I won’t drink it!
MOTHER: You’ll do as I say! Now finish that drink or you won’t get any ice-cream.
STACEY: (fade out) Oh, mum!

14.
WOULD 1
W.O.U.L.D…….Would

The negative of ‘would’ is ‘Would. Not’ –It is usual to join these two words together. Like this…. ‘wouldn’t’
‘Would’ is the past form of ‘will’ and is used in the same way as ‘will’ but to talk about events in the past. It is also very commonly used to add politeness or formality to requests and offers - ‘would you give me a hand?’ - ‘would you like a cup of tea?’
If I had a million dollars I’d go to the moon.

15.
WOULD 2

Polite requests: Would you open the window?

Offering: Would you like a drink?

Talking about likes and preferences: I’d like to go to France. I’d prefer a black coffee. I’d rather have some tea.

Talking about the future in the past: He met the woman he would one day marry.
Speculating about the past: That would have been in 1980 I suppose.

Talking about habits or characteristics in the past: He’d sit for hours reading.

‘Would’ DIALOGUE 1
SAM: How about you ma’am?
OLD WOM: Um. You wouldn’t have any decaffeinated coffee would you? Real coffee seems to stop me sleeping.
SAM: Certainly. So a warm coffee and a decaff.

16.
WOULD 3
The difference between ‘used to’ and ‘would’.
Both are used to talk about things that were true at some time in the past but are not true any more.

‘I used to have a car. I don’t have a car now’.
‘When I had a car, I would drive everywhere’.

The difference is that ‘used to’ is used for both states and repeated actions
I used to live in London

I used to travel by train

‘Would’ can only be used for actions that were repeated and which the speaker sees as characteristic or habitual.
When I was young I would read for hours every evening.

17.
WOULD 4

‘Would’ DIALOGUE
JANE: And do you remember Mr Cox? He used to be a real devil! Always shouting!
SHEILA: Yes. But he’d always be nice to you Jane. I think you were one of his favourites.
JANE: I’m not so sure about that! But he did give me an interest in History. Before I met him, I never thought I’d study it at university.
SHEILA: And look at you now! Professor Jane Smith. (fade out) So what’s it like at Cambridge?

18.
MUST 1
M.U.S.T…….Must
The negative of ‘must’ is ‘Must. Not’ –It is usual to join these two words together. Like this…. ‘mustn’t’.

I must stop smoking

You mustn’t tell George
That must’ve been a great holiday.

There is no past form of ‘must’. Instead we use ‘had to’

I had to give up smoking.

You didn’t have to tell George.

Did they have to get up so early?
MUST. Necessity. I believe that it is necessary

19.
MUST 2

To give orders or strong advice: I must stop smoking. You must be here early. You mustn’t wear jeans.

To say that we are sure about something in the present: Mary is crying. She must be unhappy.

To say that we are sure about something in the past.

John’s car was here. It’s not here now. He must have gone.

Must. Necessity. I believe that it is necessary

‘Must’ DIALOGUE
SANDY: …it’s been ages since I’ve seen you.
JOHN: So how’s the new job? It must be hard work. You look very tired.
SANDY: Well actually, John, I quit yesterday.
JOHN: Wow! It must have been really bad!
SANDY: You’re not joking.

20.
MUST 3

Verb ….have to
H.A.V.E…have…T.O. ….To. Have to.
The negative of ‘have to’ follows the usual rules for a verb. ‘I have to’ becomes ‘I don’t have to’ and so on.
In British English, ‘have got to’ is also commonly used in place of ‘have to’.
To talk about what is necessary: I have to go to work early tomorrow. I’ve got to go to work early tomorrow.
To talk about what is not necessary: I don’t have to wear a tie to work.

21.
MUST 4
Must and have to: the differences

I must give up smoking’ means ‘I want to give up smoking’.

‘I have to give up smoking’ means ‘The doctor (or someone else) has told me to give up smoking’.

‘You mustn’t smoke in here’.

You don’t have to wear a tie, but you can wear a tie if you want to.

22.
SHOULD 1

S.H.O.U.L.D…….Should

The negative of ‘should’ is ‘Should. Not’ –It is usual to join these two words together. Like this….‘shouldn’t’.

‘Should’ has a lot of uses that do not fit easily into one pattern. The best way to approach this word is to take note of each use as you hear it.

If you should see him, tell him I’ve left.

He should be here soon. I should be perfectly happy if I won a million pounds.

He should see his mother more often.

What should I do? I think you should call her.

23.
SHOULD 2

‘Should’ DIALOGUE
WOMAN: …state about things. For Heaven’s sake!
MAN: Where are they? They should have been here ages ago.
WOMAN: Oh, Pete. Calm down! Look. Should I go and get them?
MAN: No, no. You’re right. I shouldn’t worry so much. We’ve still got plenty of time. (fade out) Anyway, fancy another coffee?

24.
SHOULD 3

‘Should’ DIALOGUE
WOMAN: …Yes, O.K., that’s fine.
AMERICAN: So that’s the deal. It’s important that we should agree on this as soon as possible.
WOMAN: You’re right. Well I should be able to get my boss to sign all the papers tomorrow.
AMERICAN: Thanks Helen. You know, more English companies should be like you. Quick and efficient!
WOMAN(Laughs) Well that’s kind of you. We try to do our best.

25.
SHOULD 4
He should visit his mother more often.

He ought to visit his mother more often.

The difference between ‘ought to’ and ‘should’.

Both are used to talk about duties or obligations, to give advice and to say what we think it is right for people to do.

We can use both ‘should’ and ‘ought to’ to talk about our own feelings.

But we usually prefer to use ‘ought to’ when we are talking about outside rules or laws and so on.