MODAL AUXILIARY VERBS

MODAL AUXILIARY VERBS (1º BAC)
Ideas expressed
POSSIBILITY
Modal
Examples
Present
Past
→
→
CAN
COULD
I can go
I could go
= Puedo ir (nada me lo impide)
= Pude ir (nada me lo impidió)
Normal
→
Remote
→
MAY
MIGHT
COULD
I may go
I might go
I could go
= Puede que vaya (no sé si lo haré)
= Podría ir / A lo mejor voy (no estoy seguro)
= (casi igual que MIGHT, menos formal)
PROBABILITY
Alternative
TO BE ABLE TO
possibly
maybe
perhaps
STRONG PROBABILITY
CERTAINTY / DEDUCTION
SPECULATION
Affirmative →
Negative →
MUST
CAN'T
He must be in = Debe de estar allí (estoy casi seguro)
He can't be in = No puede estar allí (estoy seguro)
TO BE CERTAIN
TO BE SURE
TO BE PROBABLE
ABILITY
Present
Past
→
→
CAN
COULD
I can swim
I could swim
TO KNOW HOW TO
PERMISSION
Familiar
Formal
→
→
CAN
MAY
COULD
Can I / you...? = ¿Puedo...? / ¿Puedes...?
May I...?
= (igual pero más formal: “usted”)
Could I / you...?= ¿Podría...? (más formal / menos probable)
TO BE ALLOWED
TO LET / PERMIT
OBLIGATION (STRONG)
Present
MUST
He must go
= Él debe ir (está obligado / hay normas)
TO HAVE TO
TO BE OBLIGATORY
TO BE COMPULSORY
ABSENCE OF OBLIGATION Present &
NECESSITY
negative
NEEDN'T
I needn't go
= No tengo (por)qué ir (no estoy obligado)
NOT TO HAVE TO
(don't / doesn't / didn't have to)
PROHIBITION
Present &
negative
MUSTN'T
CAN'T
I mustn't go
I can't go
= No debo ir / No puedo ir (está prohibido)
= No puedo (no me dejan / no me lo permiten)
TO BE FORBIDDEN
ADVICE / WARNING
RECOMMENDATION
EXPECTATION
Present
SHOULD
OUGHT TO
You should go = Deberías ir (te lo aconsejo / en mi opinión)
I ought to go
= Debería ir (obligación moral)
She should
PAST HABIT
Past
USED TO
I used to go
= Solía ir (antes lo hacía, ya no)
SUGGESTIONS (plural)
OFFERINGS (singular)
Questions
SHALL
Shall we go?
Shall I do it?
= ¿Nos vamos? (¿Os parece bien si...?)
= ¿Lo hago? (¿Te parece bien si lo hagp?)
ASKING sb TO DO sth
Questions
WILL
Do it, will you? = Hazlo, ¿quieres? (= por favor)
•
•
•
•
= Sé nadar (porque he aprendido)
= Sabía nadar (aprendí a hacerlo)
Modal Verbs have no infinives, gerunds or participles.
Modal Verbs don't take the 3rd person singural “-S” when in present.
Modal Verbs are always followed by infinitive without TO (except OUGHT and USED).
Modal Verbs can be followed by perfect or continuos infinitives (always without “to”)
◦ He may have left = Puede que se haya ido.
◦ They must be studying = Deben estar estudiando.
◦ You needn't have come so early = No tenías porqué venir tan temprano.
◦ She could have been sleeping all day long = Ella podría haber estado durmiendo todo el día.
Adverbs
probably
certainly
surely
TO BE ADVISABLE
HAD BETTER
TO BE SUPPOSED TO
usually
WHAT / HOW ABOUT (-ing)...?
TO MIND (+ing) / TO WANT(to)