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.
Example sentences :
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.
Example sentences :
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 | |
|---|---|
| I don't think you can use any other rice for risotto. | Non penso si possa usare dell’altro riso per il risotto. |
| That's better, we can get some thighs. | Meglio, possiamo prendere un po’ di sovraccosce. |
| But... Maybe, we can say it's like the sci-fi version of Pinocchio. | Mah… Forse, possiamo dire che è come la versione fantascientifica di Pinocchio. |
| Okay, but can we talk about when to meet first? | Ok, ma possiamo parlare di dove incontrarci prima? |
| Can you come for a second? You can talk to him later! | Puoi venire per un secondo? Puoi parlargli più tardi! |
| Why can French restaurants serve bugs, but Chinese ones can't? | Perché i ristoranti francesi possono servire insetti, ma quelli cinesi non possono? |
| I don't want to upset you, but I have to tell you something! | Non voglio farti arrabbiare, ma devo dirti qualcosa! |
| You know I work from home, so I can easily take care of them both. | Sai che lavoro da casa quindi posso prendermi cura facilmente di entrambi. |
| You can buy me a beer for giving you my turn. | Puoi pagarmi una birra per averti ceduto il mio turno. |
| No, all the cutlery should be in the top drawer! | No, tutte le posate dovrebbero essere nel cassetto in alto! |
| Sorry... Beary! Come here, my boy, seems we have to wait a while. | Scusa… Beary! Vieni qui ragazzo, sembra che dovremo aspettare per un po’. |
| I don't know, it's up to you, you can cook anything you like. | Non so, fai tu, puoi cucinare qualsiasi cosa vuoi. |
| So you can enjoy your meal till I come. | E potrai goderti il tuo pasto fino a quando non torno. |
| That's nice, can we add some beer to it for me, also? | Bello, possiamo aggiungere anche un po’ di birra per me? |
| We can get the other things on the way back. | Possiamo prendere le altre cose mentre ritorniamo. |
| Okay, we can put all my winter clothes away, then. | Ok, possiamo mettere via tutti i miei vestiti invernali, allora. |
| But I have to do it sometimes to visit my family. | Ma qualche volta devo farlo per fare visita alla mia famiglia. |
| We can do it whenever you like. | Possiamo farlo quando vuoi. |
| I see, can you get a month long holiday from work? | Capisco, puoi prenderti un mese di ferie dal lavoro? |
| Maybe she could even put some poison in their food! | Magari potrebbe anche mettere del veleno nel loro cibo! |
