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Using have to, be able to, be supposed to, had better, used to and similar expressions.
Semi-modal verbs are expressions that share some meanings or functions with core modal verbs but have different grammatical properties.
Common semi-modal expressions include have to, need to, be able to, be allowed to, be supposed to, ought to, had better, used to, and dare to.
I have to leave now.
Мне нужно уйти сейчас.
Have to for necessity.
She is able to speak French.
Она умеет говорить по-французски.
Be able to for ability.
You are supposed to wear a badge.
Вы должны носить бейдж.
Be supposed to for expectation.
Have to expresses necessity or obligation and behaves grammatically more like an ordinary verb than a core modal.
It can take different tenses and uses do-support in questions and negatives. For example, I have to leave, Did you have to leave?, and I do not have to leave.
I have to leave early.
Мне нужно уйти рано.
Have to for present necessity.
Did you have to wait long?
Тебе пришлось долго ждать?
Have to in past question with did.
I do not have to work tomorrow.
Мне не нужно завтра работать.
Negative with do-support.
Need to expresses necessity and is commonly used in everyday English.
For example, You need to call her and We need to leave soon.
You need to call her.
Тебе нужно позвонить ей.
Need to + base form.
We need to leave soon.
Нам нужно скоро уходить.
Necessity.
She needs to rest.
Ей нужно отдохнуть.
Third person: needs to.
Be able to expresses ability in grammatical contexts where can cannot normally be used.
For example, I will be able to help, She has been able to finish, and We hope to be able to come.
I will be able to help you tomorrow.
Я смогу помочь тебе завтра.
Future ability with will be able to.
She has been able to finish on time.
Она смогла закончить вовремя.
Present perfect: has been able to.
We hope to be able to come.
Мы надеемся, что сможем прийти.
Infinitive after hope.
Be allowed to expresses permission and can be used in different tenses.
For example, We are allowed to park here, We were allowed to enter, and They will be allowed to vote.
We are allowed to park here.
Нам разрешено здесь парковаться.
Be allowed to for present permission.
We were allowed to enter early.
Нам разрешили войти раньше.
Past permission with were allowed to.
They will be allowed to vote tomorrow.
Им разрешат голосовать завтра.
Future permission.
Be supposed to expresses expectation, arrangement, duty, or what is generally considered correct or intended.
For example, You are supposed to wear a badge and The train is supposed to arrive at six.
You are supposed to wear a badge.
Вы должны носить бейдж.
Expectation/duty.
The train is supposed to arrive at six.
Поезд должен прибыть в шесть.
Scheduled expectation.
They were supposed to call us.
Они должны были позвонить нам.
Past expectation.
Be expected to expresses an expectation about behaviour or an event.
For example, Students are expected to complete the assignment and Prices are expected to rise.
Students are expected to complete the assignment.
Ожидается, что студенты выполнят задание.
Expectation about behaviour.
Prices are expected to rise.
Ожидается, что цены вырастут.
Expectation about event.
He is expected to give a speech.
Ожидается, что он выступит с речью.
Future expectation.
Had better expresses strong advice, often with an implication that an undesirable consequence may follow otherwise.
For example, You had better leave now and We had better take an umbrella.
You had better leave now.
Тебе лучше уйти сейчас.
Strong advice with potential consequence.
We had better take an umbrella.
Нам лучше взять зонт.
Advice based on situation.
She had better not be late again.
Ей лучше снова не опаздывать.
Negative warning.
Had better and should can both give advice, but had better is usually stronger and more closely connected to a particular situation or consequence.
Compare You should see a doctor with You had better see a doctor before the clinic closes.
You should see a doctor.
Тебе следует обратиться к врачу.
Should: general advice.
You had better see a doctor before the clinic closes.
Тебе лучше обратиться к врачу до закрытия клиники.
Had better: stronger, time-sensitive.
We should try to leave on time.
Нам следует попытаться выйти вовремя.
Should: milder.
Ought to expresses advice, expectation, or what is considered appropriate or probable.
For example, You ought to apologize and The package ought to arrive tomorrow.
You ought to apologize.
Тебе следует извиниться.
Ought to for advice.
The package ought to arrive tomorrow.
Посылка должна прибыть завтра.
Expectation with ought to.
We ought to be more careful.
Нам следует быть осторожнее.
Recommendation.
Used to describes past habits or past states that are no longer true or no longer occur.
For example, I used to live in London and We used to play football every Sunday.
I used to live in London.
Я раньше жил в Лондоне.
Past state no longer true.
We used to play football every Sunday.
Мы раньше играли в футбол каждое воскресенье.
Past habit.
She used to smoke, but she quit.
Она раньше курила, но бросила.
Past habit now ended.
Negative and interrogative forms of used to vary by structure and dialect.
Common forms include Did you use to live here? and I did not use to like coffee. Usedn't you to... also occurs in some varieties of English.
Did you use to live here?
Ты раньше здесь жил?
Question with did + use to.
I did not use to like coffee.
Раньше я не любил кофе.
Negative with did not + use to.
Used you not to live there?
Разве вы там не жили?
Formal / British negative question with used to.
Dare can behave either as an ordinary verb or, in some structures, as a marginal modal.
For example, I do not dare to ask is an ordinary verb pattern, while How dare you speak to me like that? shows marginal-modal behaviour.
I do not dare to ask.
Я не осмеливаюсь спросить.
Ordinary verb pattern: do not dare to.
How dare you speak to me like that?
Как ты смеешь так со мной разговаривать?
Dare as marginal modal in fixed expression.
She dared not tell him the truth.
Она не осмелилась сказать ему правду.
Dare as marginal modal in negative.
Need can function as a marginal modal, especially in negative and interrogative constructions.
For example, Need I say more? and You need not worry. In everyday English, need to and do not need to are generally more common.
Need I say more?
Нужно ли мне говорить больше?
Need as modal in question.
You need not worry.
Тебе не нужно беспокоиться.
Negative modal need.
Need they have come so early?
Нужно ли им было приходить так рано?
Need as modal with perfect.
Need not and do not need to both express lack of necessity, but they differ in grammatical form and register.
Need not is more formal in many contexts, while do not need to is very common in everyday English.
You need not wait.
Тебе не нужно ждать.
Need not: formal lack of necessity.
You do not need to wait.
Тебе не нужно ждать.
Do not need to: everyday English.
They need not worry about the cost.
Им не нужно беспокоиться о стоимости.
Need not in formal context.
Have got to can express strong necessity or obligation, especially in informal spoken English.
For example, I have got to leave now. It usually refers to present or near-future necessity.
I have got to leave now.
Мне нужно уйти сейчас.
Have got to for strong present necessity.
She has got to finish this today.
Ей нужно закончить это сегодня.
Third person: has got to.
We have got to do better.
Мы должны делать лучше.
Strong obligation.
Have to and have got to can both express necessity, but have got to is generally more conversational and has a more restricted tense system.
Compare I have to work tomorrow with I have got to work now.
I have to work tomorrow.
Мне нужно завтра работать.
Have to: general necessity.
I have got to work now.
Мне нужно сейчас работать.
Have got to: more conversational, present emphasis.
Do you have to leave?
Тебе нужно уходить?
Question with have to and do.
Be going to can express a planned intention or a prediction based on present evidence.
For example, I am going to call her and Look at those clouds; it is going to rain.
I am going to call her.
Я собираюсь позвонить ей.
Be going to for intention.
Look at those clouds; it is going to rain.
Посмотри на тучи; собирается дождь.
Prediction based on evidence.
They are going to move to a new house.
Они собираются переехать в новый дом.
Plan.
Be likely to expresses probability and is often used as an alternative to a modal verb.
For example, She is likely to arrive soon and Prices are likely to increase.
She is likely to arrive soon.
Она, вероятно, скоро приедет.
Be likely to for probability.
Prices are likely to increase.
Цены, вероятно, вырастут.
High probability.
He is likely to win the competition.
Он, вероятно, выиграет соревнование.
Probability.
Be unlikely to expresses low probability.
For example, They are unlikely to agree and The project is unlikely to finish on time.
They are unlikely to agree.
Они вряд ли согласятся.
Low probability.
The project is unlikely to finish on time.
Проект вряд ли завершится вовремя.
Low probability.
It is unlikely to snow today.
Сегодня вряд ли пойдёт снег.
Low probability.
Be bound to expresses a strong expectation that something will happen or be true.
For example, You are bound to make mistakes when learning a language.
You are bound to make mistakes when learning a language.
Ты неизбежно будешь делать ошибки при изучении языка.
Strong expectation.
She is bound to succeed with such talent.
Она наверняка добьётся успеха с таким талантом.
Certainty.
He is bound to be late again.
Он наверняка снова опоздает.
Predictable behaviour.
Be due to can indicate that something is scheduled or expected to happen at a particular time.
For example, The train is due to arrive at six and The report is due to be published tomorrow.
The train is due to arrive at six.
Поезд должен прибыть в шесть.
Scheduled time.
The report is due to be published tomorrow.
Отчёт должен быть опубликован завтра.
Expected publication.
The baby is due in June.
Ребёнок должен родиться в июне.
Due as adjective for expected date.
Many semi-modal expressions can be changed into different tenses because they contain forms of be, have, or other ordinary verbs.
For example, had to, will have to, was able to, had been able to, and was supposed to.
I had to leave early yesterday.
Вчера мне пришлось уйти рано.
Had to: past obligation.
She was able to finish the project.
Она смогла завершить проект.
Was able to: past specific ability.
You will have to renew your passport.
Тебе придётся продлить паспорт.
Will have to: future necessity.
Semi-modals share modal meanings with core modals but differ in their syntax and inflection.
For example, have to takes do-support, while must does not; be able to can take different tenses, while can cannot.
You must leave now.
Ты должен уйти сейчас.
Core modal: must.
You have to leave now.
Тебе нужно уйти сейчас.
Semi-modal: have to with do-support possible.
Can you help me?
Ты можешь мне помочь?
Core modal: can.
Different semi-modal expressions have different levels of formality and frequency.
Have to, need to, and be able to are extremely common, while ought to, need not, and dare in marginal-modal use are more restricted.
I have to go.
Мне нужно идти.
Informal/common.
You need not worry.
Вам не нужно беспокоиться.
Formal/literary.
He is able to attend.
Он может присутствовать.
Neutral/formal.
Use semi-modal expressions with the correct auxiliary, infinitive, tense, and meaning.
Common mistakes include confusing have to with must, using incorrect forms after had better, confusing used to with be used to, and treating every semi-modal as if it behaved like a core modal.
I must to leave.
Мне нужно уйти.
Incorrect: no to after must; use "must leave" or "have to leave".
She had better to leave now.
Ей лучше уйти сейчас.
Incorrect: no to after had better; use "had better leave".
I used to living in London.
Я раньше жил в Лондоне.
Incorrect: "used to" followed by base form, not gerund.
Do you can swim?
Ты умеешь плавать?
Incorrect: no do-support with core modal can; use "Can you swim?"