Modal auxiliary verbs

MODAL AUXILIARY MODAL AUXILIARY VERBSVERBSFEATURESFEATURES

-INVARIABLEINVARIABLE- AUXILIARY, NOT MAIN VERBSAUXILIARY, NOT MAIN VERBS-DEFECTIVE SINCE THEY LACK CERTAIN DEFECTIVE SINCE THEY LACK CERTAIN VERBAL TENSES (NO INFINITIVE, NO VERBAL TENSES (NO INFINITIVE, NO GERUND, ETC.)GERUND, ETC.)- FOLLOWED BY INFINITIVE WITHOUT FOLLOWED BY INFINITIVE WITHOUT TO.TO.

MODAL AUXILIARY VERBSMODAL AUXILIARY VERBS

CANCAN- Ability: I can play the guitar.Ability: I can play the guitar.- Request: Can you pass me the salt, please?Request: Can you pass me the salt, please?- Permission: Can I go to the toilet, please?Permission: Can I go to the toilet, please?- Possibility: You can ski in Sierra Nevada in AprilPossibility: You can ski in Sierra Nevada in April- Suggestion: You can buy me a drink.Suggestion: You can buy me a drink.


CAN’TCAN’T- Inability: I can’t play the piano.Inability: I can’t play the piano.- Prohibition: You can’t go out after 12 am.Prohibition: You can’t go out after 12 am.- Negative deduction: He can’t be old enough to drive.Negative deduction: He can’t be old enough to drive.- Impossibility in the past with the structure CAN’T Impossibility in the past with the structure CAN’T

HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE: He can’t have been at HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE: He can’t have been at home yesterday because I phoned him serveral times.home yesterday because I phoned him serveral times.

EXPRESSIONS WITH CAN’TEXPRESSIONS WITH CAN’T

- He can’t help … (No puede evitar …)He can’t help … (No puede evitar …)- I can’t stand / I can’t bear … (no I can’t stand / I can’t bear … (no

aguanto/ no soporto …).aguanto/ no soporto …).

Examples:Examples:

He can’t help being stupid.He can’t help being stupid.

I can’t stand rock music.I can’t stand rock music.


COULDCOULD

- Past ability: I could swim when I was four.- Past ability: I could swim when I was four.

- Polite request: Could you pass me the salt, - Polite request: Could you pass me the salt, please?please?

- Polite suggestion: You could visit your aunt from - Polite suggestion: You could visit your aunt from time to time.time to time.

- Possibility: John could pass his driving test.- Possibility: John could pass his driving test.


COULDCOULD- Deductions when we are not sure something is Deductions when we are not sure something is

true: I’m not sure but that could be Tom’s mum.true: I’m not sure but that could be Tom’s mum.- Impossibility in the past (couldn’t have +p.p.): Impossibility in the past (couldn’t have +p.p.):

He couldn’t have done his homework so He couldn’t have done his homework so quickly.quickly.


BE ABLE TOBE ABLE TO- Ability (for the other tenses where you can’t use Ability (for the other tenses where you can’t use

CAN & COULD):CAN & COULD):- You’ll be able to play next football match.You’ll be able to play next football match.- I’ve been able to play this football match.I’ve been able to play this football match.- I was able to run 1000 metres in under 3 I was able to run 1000 metres in under 3

minutes.minutes.


MAYMAY- Possibility: It may be true. (Puede que sea Possibility: It may be true. (Puede que sea

verdad / Puede ser cierto).verdad / Puede ser cierto).- Ask for and give permission: May I come in? Ask for and give permission: May I come in?

Yes, you may.Yes, you may.

( COULD is more polite than MAY; MAY is ( COULD is more polite than MAY; MAY is more polite than CAN).more polite than CAN).

MIGHTMIGHT

- Remote possibility: It might rain tomorrow. - Remote possibility: It might rain tomorrow.


MUSTMUST- Obligation, strong necessity: I must go to school Obligation, strong necessity: I must go to school

every day.every day.- Affirmative deduction: She must be 20. Affirmative deduction: She must be 20. - To give instructions: Patients must take their To give instructions: Patients must take their

medicine every day.medicine every day.- Possibility in the past when we are sure Possibility in the past when we are sure

something happened (must have + p.p.): He’s at something happened (must have + p.p.): He’s at home. He must have taken a taxi.home. He must have taken a taxi.

.


MUSTN’TMUSTN’T

Prohibition: You mustn’t smoke in public places.Prohibition: You mustn’t smoke in public places.

HAVE TOHAVE TO- Everyday obligations or necessities: I have to get

up early in the morning.- Obligations imposed by others: I have to be

home before midnight. Otherwise, my parents will be mad at me.


MUST vs HAVE TOMUST vs HAVE TOMUST: no suele utilizarse en interrogativa. Se trata de un MUST: no suele utilizarse en interrogativa. Se trata de un

deber impuesto por la persona que habla; implica a deber impuesto por la persona que habla; implica a veces el cumplimiento de normas, de leyes (Soldiers veces el cumplimiento de normas, de leyes (Soldiers must obey their captain). A veces la obligación con must obey their captain). A veces la obligación con MUST tiene el sentido de recomendación o consejo MUST tiene el sentido de recomendación o consejo (You must visit the British Museum in London). (You must visit the British Museum in London).

HAVE TO: obligación impuesta por una persona o HAVE TO: obligación impuesta por una persona o circunstancias externas. No implica el cumplimiento de circunstancias externas. No implica el cumplimiento de ninguna norma.ninguna norma.

They’ll have to hurry because shops close at 10 o’clock.They’ll have to hurry because shops close at 10 o’clock.

MODAL AUXILIARY VEBSMODAL AUXILIARY VEBS

NEED TO NEED TO - Not a modal verb per se but used in the Not a modal verb per se but used in the

affirmative form to convey OBLIGATION or affirmative form to convey OBLIGATION or NECESSITY.NECESSITY.

- You need to study hard in order to pass all your You need to study hard in order to pass all your examinations.examinations.

MODAL AUXILIARY VERBSMODAL AUXILIARY VERBSNEEDN’T TO ---DON’T/ DOESN’T / NEEDN’T TO ---DON’T/ DOESN’T /

DIDN’T NEED TODIDN’T NEED TO- Lack of obligation or necessity:Lack of obligation or necessity: It’s only eight o’clock, we needn’t hurry /we don’t It’s only eight o’clock, we needn’t hurry /we don’t

need to hurr / We didn’t need to wait. There was no need to hurr / We didn’t need to wait. There was no queue.queue.

Son sólo las ocho. No tenemos que darnos prisa.Son sólo las ocho. No tenemos que darnos prisa.NEEDN’T HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLENEEDN’T HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE

To say we did something in the past although it wasn’t To say we did something in the past although it wasn’t necessary.necessary.

I needn’t have come to school. The teacher was ill and I needn’t have come to school. The teacher was ill and there were no lessons.there were no lessons.


DON’T HAVE TODON’T HAVE TO- Lack of obligation or necesity, that is, Lack of obligation or necesity, that is,

absence of legal rule.absence of legal rule. You don’t have to wear tie (No hay que You don’t have to wear tie (No hay que

llevar corbata)llevar corbata)MUSN’TMUSN’T

- Prohibition: You mustn’t smoke in class - Prohibition: You mustn’t smoke in class (No debes/Está prohibido …).(No debes/Está prohibido …).


WOULDWOULD- Invitations/Offers: Would you like something to Invitations/Offers: Would you like something to

drink? ¿Le gustaría ..?drink? ¿Le gustaría ..?- Formal request: Would you help me, please? Formal request: Would you help me, please? ¿Podría ayudarme, por favor?¿Podría ayudarme, por favor?

SHOULDSHOULD- Advice: You shouldn’t eat too much.Advice: You shouldn’t eat too much.- Moral obligation: Children should look after Moral obligation: Children should look after

their parents when they are old.their parents when they are old.


OUGHT TOOUGHT TO- Advice, weird in negative and interrogative Advice, weird in negative and interrogative

sentences.sentences. You ought to work harder.You ought to work harder.- Criticism of past actions with the structure - Criticism of past actions with the structure OUGHT TO HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE OUGHT TO HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE

(SHOULD also posible).(SHOULD also posible). He ought to have studied more for the He ought to have studied more for the

exam.exam. He should have studied more for the examHe should have studied more for the exam ..


SHOULD vs OUGHT TOSHOULD vs OUGHT TO

Utilizaremos SHOULD a la hora de dar un consejo Utilizaremos SHOULD a la hora de dar un consejo personal o de señalar que una opción es mejor que otra.personal o de señalar que una opción es mejor que otra.

- We should visit her.We should visit her.- We shouldn’t wear only a T-shirt. It’s cold.We shouldn’t wear only a T-shirt. It’s cold.

Si SHOULD expresa una opinión subjetiva, OUGHT TO Si SHOULD expresa una opinión subjetiva, OUGHT TO alude a una idea generalizada y externa de que algo no alude a una idea generalizada y externa de que algo no es recomendable.es recomendable.

- You ought not to smoke.- You ought not to smoke.

Date post:	19-Jul-2015
Category:	Education
Upload:	mystudentslearning
View:	205 times
Download:	8 times

Modal auxiliary verbs

Education