Page 23 - Learn English with short stories

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Grammar: Modal Verbs. Necessity,

obligation, advice, ability.

Grammar Reference: Modal Verbs.
Need / have to (necessity and obligation).
I need to stay at home, I can't go with you.
I don't need to stay at home, I can go with you.
Do you need to stay at home?
He needs to go to work tomorrow.

He doesn't need to go to work on Sundays.
I have to look after my child, I can't work.
I don't have to look after my child, I have a nanny.
He has to finish this work today, it is urgent.
He doesn't have to finish this work today, it is not necessary, it can wait

till tomorrow.
Must (obligation) / Should (advice).
I must finish this work on time.
Peter must go to work every day.
Peter mustn’t come late to the office.
You mustn’t break the rules.
Alice is ill, she should visit the doctor.

You should eat healthy food.
Children shouldn’t go to bed late.
Can / could (ability and permission).
I can speak English well, but I cannot speak French.
I can’t speak German. Can Lisa speak German?
My grandfather could speak French and Spanish.

I can see a strange man in the distance.
Excuse me, can I open the window?
To be able to (ability).
We use ‘be able to’ to express ability. "Able" is an adjective meaning:
having the power, skill or means to do something. If you say that someone
was able to do something, you usually mean that they had the ability to do it
and they did it.

We are not able to stay longer this time, we need to leave now.