Italiano
In English we use should / shouldn't /ought to / oughtn't to give advice. We use should / ought to to say something is a good thing to do and shouldn't / oughtn't to say something is a bad thing to do.
Example sentences :
Note : To ask for advice we can say: What should I do?
In English, "can" is a modal verb and only has a present, past and conditional form. It can also be used with a future meaning.
Example sentences :
Note : Can is not used to talk about specific possibilities.
Example sentences :
In English, could is used to talk about past ability/ permission/ possibility.
Example sentences :
"Be able to" can be used in the present, past, future, present perfect and as a gerund or infinitive.
Example sentences :
Note : be able to in the present and past is more formal than can or could.
In English we use might or may to say something in the future is possible, but not decided.
Example sentences :
To make questions with might we usually use Do you think...?
Example questions :
In English we can also use might in short answers.
Example short answers :
In English we use have to + infinitive to say something is necessary or obligatory. We normally use have to for a general obligation from an outside source, such as work or the law.
Examples sentences :
In English we use don't have to + infinitive to say something is not necessary or obligatory. It means you can if you want to, but it's not necessary.
Example sentences :
To make questions we use do/does.
Example questions :
Form : ( Must + infinitive without to )
In English we use must + infinitive to talk about rules and obligations. We normally use must when the speaker imposes the obligation, such as a teacher to students, or even to yourself.
Form : ( Mustn't + infinitive without to )
In English we use mustn't + infinitive to say something is prohibited.
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Note : You can often use can't or be + not allowed to instead of mustn't.
Example sentences :
Note : Mustn't and don't have to have completely different meanings.
Mustn't Vs Don't Have To
Note : Have to is a normal verb and exists in all tenses whereas must is a modal verb and its only forms are must and mustn't.
You can also use have to and must for strong recommendations.
Example sentences :
In English we use must when we are sure something is true.
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In English we use may or might when we think something is possibly true.
Examples sentences :
In English we use can't when we are sure something is impossible.
Examples sentences :
Note : In this context, the opposite of must is can't, NOT mustn't!
In the past, can't, could, may, might and must for probability change to can't have, could have, may have, might have and must have + past participle (Verb 3).
In the past, should and ought to change to should have and ought to have + past participle (Verb 3).
Note : the form of "must" for obligation and "can" are exceptions.
Must for obligation changes to had to + infinitive
Can changes to could or was able to
| Modal example sentences | |
|---|---|
| Okay, but can we talk about when to meet first? | Ok, ma possiamo parlare di dove incontrarci prima? |
| Um, sorry, I don't have the ad number, where can I find it? | Um, mi dispiace, non ho il numero dell’annuncio, dove posso trovarlo? |
| I can hear well, you don't have to shout at me, dear. | Io ci sento bene, non deve urlarmi contro, caro. |
| I see, can you get a month long holiday from work? | Capisco, puoi prenderti un mese di ferie dal lavoro? |
| Hmm, nope, I think we can buy everything here. | Hmm, no credo che possiamo comprare tutto qui. |
| I think they should be more understanding. | Credo che dovrebbero essere più comprensivi. |
| I can't hear you, Mike! | Non riesco a sentirti Mike! |
| We could use theirs for once. | Per una volta potremmo usare la loro. |
| Sure, the room is empty so you can move in whenever you like. | Certo, la stanza è vuota quindi puoi trasferirti quando vuoi. |
| You should, it might be more helpful to find some houses around here. | Dovresti, potrebbe essere utile per trovare qualche casa qui in giro. |
| Yeah, maybe next time you can put that as a note on the ad. | Già, magari la prossima volta puoi mettere quella nota sull’annuncio. |
| I have to go home and check on Pogo first. | Devo ritornare a casa e controllare Pogo. |
| He is a bit of a d*ck, as you might have already realised. | È un po' uno str*nzo, come forse avete già potuto capire. |
| How can you be so sure? | Come puoi esserne così sicuro? |
| Can you open the tube map for me? | Puoi aprire la mappa della metro per me? |
| That movie might even be older than me! | Quel film potrebbe essere anche più vecchio di me! |
| I've got my oyster card, can I use it to buy a ticket? | Ho la mia oyster card, posso usarla per comprare un biglietto? |
| I don't think so, she could have been her great-grandmother, maybe. | Non penso, avrebbe potuto essere la sua bisnonna magari. |
| Yeah, so how can you set wood on fire? | Già, quindi come dai fuoco al legno? |
| I said it was a mistake, I was terribly sorry, what else could I say? | Ho detto che era uno sbaglio, che ero terribilmente dispiaciuta, cos’altro potevo dire? |
