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<!DOCTYPE html> <html class="no-js" lang="en"> <head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge"> <title>Modal Verbs and their substitutes - English Grammar</title> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"> <meta name="description" content="Modal Verbs and their substitutes, short explanation and exercises"> <meta name="keywords" content="english,learn,grammar,online"> <meta name="author" content="Lingo4you GbR"> <meta name="robots" content="index,follow"> <meta name="apple-itunes-app" content="app-id=424214010, affiliate-data=pt=276439&at=1000lHse"> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="/favicon.ico"> <link rel="meta" href="/labels.rdf" type="application/rdf+xml" title="ICRA labels"><link rel="canonical" href="https://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/modal-verbs"> <link rel="alternate" href="https://www.ego4u.de/de/cram-up/grammar/modal-verbs" hreflang="de"> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/css/style.min.css" media="all"> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://cdn.opencmp.net/tcf-v2/cmp-stub-latest.js" id="open-cmp-stub" data-domain="ego4u.com"></script> <script type="text/javascript" id="trfAdSetup" async data-traffectiveConf='{ "targeting": [{"key":"zone","values":null,"value":"education"}, {"key":"pagetype","values":null,"value":"article"}, {"key":"programmatic_ads","values":null,"value":"true"}, {"key":"ads","values":null,"value":"true"}] ,"dfpAdUrl" : "/307308315,1005672/ego4u.com" ,"clientAlias" : "ego4u-com" }' src="//cdntrf.com/preloader/6872.js" > </script></head><body lang="en" id="www-ego4u-com"><div id="container" class="g-container"> <header class="g-header"> <div class="inside"> <div class="logo"> <a href="/"><img src="/images/logo/ego4u_logo.svg" alt="ego4u Logo"></a> </div> <div class="slogan"> <span class="title">English Grammar Online</span> <span class="subtitle">… the fun way to learn English!</span> </div> <nav class="header-navigation"> <ul> <li> <a href="/de/dictionary"> <i class="fa fa-book" aria-hidden="true"></i> <span>Dictionary</span> </a> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.ego4u.de/de/cram-up/grammar/modal-verbs" hreflang="de" lang="de" title="auf Deutsch"> <i class="fa fa-2x fa-language"></i> <span lang="de">auf Deutsch</span> </a> </li> </ul> </nav> </div> </header><div class="g-top"> <div class="inside"> <nav class="breadcrumb-navigation"> <span id="mobile-menu" class="menu"> <i class="fa fa-bars fa-fw open" aria-hidden="true"></i> <i class="fa fa-times fa-fw close" aria-hidden="true"></i> </span> <a href="/"><i class="fa fa-home"></i></a> › Cram Up › <a href="/en/cram-up/grammar">Grammar</a> › <strong>Modal Verbs</strong></p> </nav> <h1>Modal Verbs and their substitutes</h1> </div> </div><main class="g-main"> <div id="content" class="inside">  <p>Modal verbs are for example <em>may</em>, <em>can</em>, <em>must</em>, <em>should</em>, <em>need</em>. They express an ability, permission, wish etc. to do something. (I may, can, must swim.) Many modal verbs cannot be used in all of the English tenses. That's why we need to know the substitutes to these modal verbs.</p> <table class="info-table" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <th>Modal Verb</th> <th>Substitute</th> <th>Example</th> </tr> <tr> <td>must</td> <td>to have to</td> <td>I must swim. = I have to swim.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>must not</td> <td>not to be allowed to</td> <td>I must not swim. = I am not allowed to swim.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>can</td> <td>to be able to</td> <td>I can swim. = I am able to swim.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>may</td> <td>to be allowed to</td> <td>I may swim. = I am allowed to swim.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>need</td> <td>to have to</td> <td>I need to swim. = I have to swim.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>need not</td> <td>not to have to</td> <td>I need not swim. = I don't have to swim.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>shall / should/ ought to</td> <td>to be supposed to / to be expected to / to be to</td> <td>I shall / should / ought to swim. = I am supposed to swim. / I am expected to swim. / I am to swim.</td> </tr> </table> <p class="exercise-link"><a href="/en/cram-up/grammar/modal-verbs/exercises">Exercise on modal verbs and their substitutes</a></p> <p class="exercise-link"><a href="/en/cram-up/grammar/modal-verbs/exercises?02">Exercise - modal verb or substitute</a></p> <p class="exercise-link"><a href="/en/read-on/animals/soccer/exercises">Exercise on 'must not'</a> and 'need not' (for soccer fans)</p> <div class="content-banner"></div>  </div> </main><aside class="g-sidebar"> <div class="inside"> <nav class="sidebar-navigation"> <h3><i class="fa fa-university fa-fw"></i> Cram Up</h3> <ul> <li class="active"><a href="/en/cram-up/grammar" title="English Grammar exercises and explanations">Grammar</a></li> <li><a href="/en/cram-up/grammar/exercises" title="English Exercises with 4287 random sentences">Pool of Exercises</a></li> <li><a href="/en/cram-up/writing" title="Punctuation, essays and stylistic devices">Writing</a></li> <li><a href="/en/cram-up/vocabulary" title="Explanations and English vocabulary exercises">Vocabulary</a></li> <li><a href="/en/cram-up/tests" title="English Grammar Tests">English Tests</a></li> <li><a href="/en/cram-up/learning" title="Tips on learning English">Study Tips</a></li> </ul><h3><i class="fa fa-book fa-fw"></i> Read On</h3> <ul> <li><a href="/en/read-on/countries" title="Information on English speaking countries and holidays">Countries</a></li> <li><a href="/en/read-on/animals" title="Interesting facts on animals and sports">Animals/Sports</a></li> <li><a href="/en/read-on/literature" title="Literature and nursery rhymes">Literature</a></li> </ul><h3><i class="fa fa-phone fa-fw"></i> Business</h3> <ul> <li><a href="/en/business-english/communication">Communication</a></li> <li><a href="/en/business-english/grammar">Grammar</a></li> <li><a href="/en/business-english/infos">Business-Info</a></li> </ul><h3><i class="fa fa-futbol-o fa-fw"></i> Chill Out</h3> <ul> <li><a href="/en/chill-out/games" title="Games, quizzes and riddles">Games & Riddles</a></li> <li><a href="/en/chill-out/ecards">E-Cards</a></li> </ul><h3><i class="fa fa-graduation-cap fa-fw"></i> Teach In</h3> <ul> <li><a href="/en/teach-in/cultural-studies" title="Teaching materials for English">Cultural Studies</a></li> <li><a href="/en/teach-in/lessons" title="Work sheets and ideas for lessons">Lessons</a></li> </ul> </nav> </div> </aside><div class="g-bottom"> <div class="inside"> </div> </div><footer class="g-footer"> <div class="inside"> <nav class="footer-navigation"> <ul> <li><a rel="nofollow" href="/en/team-up/imprint"><i class="fa fa-envelope"></i> Contact</a></li> <li><a rel="nofollow" href="/en/team-up/privacy"><i class="fa fa-cloud"></i> Privacy Policy</a></li> <li><a href="/en/team-up/about"><i class="fa fa-user"></i> About us…</a></li> <li><a href="javascript:window.__tcfapi('showUi', 2, function() {});"><i class="fa fa-cogs"></i> Cookie Settings</a></li> </ul> </nav> </div> </footer><div class="g-adv-top"> <div class="inside"> <div class="adv-header"> <div id="traffective-ad-Billboard" style="display:none" class="Billboard"></div> <div id="traffective-ad-Mobile_Pos1" style="display:none" class="Mobile_Pos1"></div> </div> </div> </div><div class="g-adv-side"> <div class="inside"> <div class="adv-sidebar"> <div id="traffective-ad-Skyscraper" style="display:none" class="Skyscraper"></div> </div> </div> </div><div class="g-adv-bottom"> <div class="inside"> </div> </div></div> <script src="/layout/js/main.js"></script><script> const tcfCallback = (tcData, success) => { if (success == false) { console.error("addEventListener throws error"); 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