Common Modal Usage

Using Simple Tenses and Modals

To state facts

Present	Past	Modal
Lions live in Africa.	Dinosaurs roamed the earth for millions of years.	Mr. Jones can juggle.
Water consists of hydrogen and oxygen.	My grandmother passed away last March.	He couldn’t swim at age 10.

To express opinions

(I think) smoking is a disgusting habit.	That was delicious.	Gambling should be banned in the US.
The Internet is more useful than the library.	I thought she gave an excellent performance.	He must really like ice cream.
I think it was a beautiful concert.		You should have left earlier.

To indicate actions which occur every day or on a regular basis

I get up at 7:30 every day.	When I was in high school, I got up at 6:30.	I have to be at the office at 7.
My father drives to work on Tuesdays.	My mother rode the bus until she bought a car.	They used to take the subway.

With frequency adverbs

Jerry always comes to class on time.

At camp, she usually ate breakfast before 7:00.

You should never be late for work.

Using Modals in various situations