| Must/Have to | Necessity | I must go to class today because
there is a test. I have to go to class today because there is a test. |
I had to go to class
yesterday because there
was a test. I had to go to class yesterday because there was a test. |
| Prohibition | You must not open that door. It’s dangerous! | ||
| Logical deduction | Mary isn’t in class today. She must be sick. | Mary wasn’t in class yesterday. She must have been sick. | |
| Will Be going to |
100% certainty | I will be there at 6:00. | |
| 100% certainty | I’m going to be there at 6:00. | ||
| Willingness | The phone is ringing. I’ll get it. | ||
| Polite request | Will you please pass the salt? | ||
| Definite plan | I’m going to paint my room. | I was going to paint my room, but I didn’t have time. | |
| Can | Ability | I can run fast. I can’t run fast. |
I couldn’t run fast when I was a child. |
| Informal permission | You can use my car tomorrow. | ||
| Informal polite request | Can I borrow your pen? | ||
| Impossibility | That can’t be true! | That can’t have been true! |
Gross, S. E. (2004). Manual for volunteers facilitating ESL conversation classes. Edmonton, Alberta: Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers. Used with permission.
Handout 12.20