Welcome to your “Can” / “Must” / “May” lesson! In this topic we talk about:
• “Can”
• “Must”
• “May”
• Conjugating “Can” and “Must”
Take the quizzes when you’re ready! If you’re having problems, use the comment box to contact our English Teachers.
“Can”
“Can” and “must” are modal verbs and are always followed by the infinitive verb (without “to”). These words do not exist in all tenses.
“I can speak Japanese.”
“Can” is used to talk about what we can, or are able to do. You can also use it to ask permission:
“She can drive.”
“Can I go to the toilet?”
“Must”
“Must” is used to talk about what we have to do because it’s good, or it’s useful. In the negative form it’s used to talk about interdiction:
“I must do my homework.”
“You mustn’t do that!”
“May”
“May” is used to talk about something that is possible, but not certain:
“I may have sushi tonight.”
In it’s question form, it is used to ask permission. “May I” is a more polite version of “Can I”:
“May I leave the table?”
Conjugating “Can” and “Must”
| Forme affirmative |
Forme négative |
|||
| can | must | can | must | |
| Present | can | must | can’t | mustn’t |
| Past | could | had to | couldn’t | – |
| Future | will be able to | will have to | won’t be able to | – |
In its negative form, “to have to” means that you don’t have to do something:
“You don’t have to go to school tomorrow, you can if you want to.”
