Modal verbs

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DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SIMILAR MODAL VERBS
MODAL VERB DIFFERENCE EXAMPLES
CAN VS. COULD
MAY VS. MIGHT
MUST VS. HAVE TO
SHALL VS. WILL
SHOULD VS. OUGHT TO
CAN IS FOR PRESENT ABILITY, COULD IS
FOR PAST ABILITY OR POLITE
REQUESTS.
MAY SHOWS HIGHER POSSIBILITY,
MIGHT SHOWS LOWER POSSIBILITY.
MUST IS FOR PERSONAL OBLIGATION,
HAVE TO IS FOR EXTERNAL OBLIGATION.
SHALL IS FORMAL AND USED IN LEGAL
CONTEXTS, WILL IS COMMON FOR
FUTURE ACTIONS.
BOTH EXPRESS ADVICE, BUT OUGHT TO
IS SLIGHTLY MORE FORMAL.
SHE CAN SWIM. 
 HE COULD RUN FAST AS A CHILD.
IT MAY RAIN LATER. 
 SHE MIGHT COME TO THE PARTY.
I MUST STUDY. 
I HAVE TO PAY TAXES.
WE SHALL PROCEED. 
I WILL CALL YOU LATER.
YOU SHOULD APOLOGIZE. 
YOU OUGHT TO BE CAREFUL
Different Tenses
MODAL VERBS IN 
TENSE MODAL VERBS
PRESENT/FUTURE
EXEMPLE
PAST
PERFECT (COMPLETED
ACTION)
PROGRESSIVE (ONGOING
ACTION)
CAN, MAY, MUST, SHALL,
WILL, SHOULD, OUGHT TO
COULD, MIGHT, HAD TO,
SHOULD HAVE, WOULD
HAVE, COULD HAVE
MUST HAVE, COULD HAVE,
SHOULD HAVE, MIGHT
HAVE, WOULD HAVE
MUST BE, COULD BE,
SHOULD BE, MIGHT BE,
WOULD BE
SHE CAN SWIM WELL. 
 HE SHOULD STUDY MORE.
SHE COULD SWIM AS A CHILD. 
 YOU SHOULD HAVE CALLED ME.
HE MUST HAVE FORGOTTEN THE MEETING. 
 SHE COULD HAVE WON THE RACE.
HE MUST BE WORKING LATE. 
SHE MIGHT BE STUDYING NOW.