Modals expressing present and future permission / prohibition
To express permission and prohibition, the following structureThe way in which the parts of a sentence, clause or expression are arranged. E.g.: make somebody + infinitive in "The teacher made me rewrite the composition."s are used.
May I carry your suitcase, Madam?
You may leave if you have done your homework.
"You can leave your hat on."
Are we allowed to smoke in this room?
No, you aren't.
You may not leave until you have done your homework.
We can't enter this street; there's a sign!
You mustn't touch that Ming vase.
We mustn't use this lift if there is a fire.
Note that can is informalBelonging to colloquial or everyday speech E.g.: I want Mr Smith to call the guy that the committee has decided on., while may is rather formal.
Topics with similar tags
The following topics share one or more tags with the one you are viewing and may also be interesting.
- Modals in the IF-clause of first conditional sentences
- Modals expressing present and future offers
- Modals in the main clause of first conditional sentences
- Modals expressing past permission / prohibition
- Modals expressing present and future criticism
- Modals expressing present and future certainty / uncertainty
- Modals expressing present and future unlikelihood
- Second conditional in indirect speech
- Less likely conditions in second conditional
- Modals in second conditional
Comments and questions
Post new comment