Mastering Can, Could, Have to, and Must

Mastering Can, Could, Have to, and Must

Learning Objective

At the end of the lesson, you will be able to differentiate between can, could, have to, and must and use them correctly in sentences.

What do you already know about using can, could, have to, and must?

Can

Can is used to express ability or permission. For example, 'I can speak Spanish' or 'You can go to the party.'

Could

Could is the past tense of can and is used to talk about past abilities or possibilities. For example, 'She could swim when she was five' or 'I could help you with your homework.'

Have to

Have to is used to express obligation or necessity. For example, 'I have to finish my homework' or 'You have to wear a seatbelt in the car.'

Must

Must is also used to express obligation or strong necessity. For example, 'You must submit the assignment on time' or 'I must study for the exam.'

Practice 1

Complete the sentence: 'I ____ finish my work before I can go out.'

Practice 2

Write a sentence using 'could' to talk about a past ability.

Example Sentences

1. I can play the guitar. 2. Could you pass me the salt, please? 3. We have to wear uniforms at school. 4. You must follow the rules.

Review and Discussion

Recap the differences between can, could, have to, and must. Discuss real-life scenarios where each modal verb would be used.

Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.

Have students enter three things they learned in this lesson. With this they can indicate their own learning efficiency of this lesson.

Write down 2 things you want to know more about.

Here, students enter two things they would like to know more about. This not only increases involvement, but also gives them more ownership.

Ask 1 question about something you haven't quite understood yet.

The students indicate here (in question form) with which part of the material they still have difficulty. For the teacher, this not only provides insight into the extent to which the students understand/master the material, but also a good starting point for the next lesson.