Modal Verbsor

Modal Auxiliary Verbs

Modal Verbs

We have lots of “modal verbs”, such as: Can Could May Might Will Would

Shall Should Ought to Must Need Dare

USE of Modal Verbs We use modal verbs to talk about possibility,

willingness, ability, obligation, certainty and permission.

Examples:It might rain. (possibility)Will you help me?(willingness)Can she swim? (ability)You must be home by 11 o’clock. (obligation)You haven’t eaten all day. You must be

hungry. (centainty)May I borrow your car? (permission)

FORM of Modal Verbs We form the affirmative by putting the modal

verb between the subject and the full verb.“We should go”

Subject (or pronoun) + Modal verb + Verb

Modal verbs take the same form in all pronouns. The verb doesn’t changedoesn’t change after modal verb.

“We should goes”“We should going”“We should went”“We should to go”

FORM of Modal Verbs NEGATIVE FORM: We form the negative

by putting “not” after the modal verb.“She can’t swim”

“It might not rain” INTERROGATIVE FORM: We form

questions by inverting the subject and the modal verb.She can swim. Can she swim?We should go. Should we go?

AbilityCAN COULD BE ABLE TO

Expresses general ability in the present.

Expresses general ability in the past.

Expresses general ability in the past and in the present.

It means “Puedo”

“I cancan play the guitar”

It means “Pude”

“I could could play the guitar”

It means “Tengo o tuve la habilidad de…”“I was / am was / am able toable to play the guitar”

Permission

CAN COULD MAY MIGHT

Is the most common.

Is less direct and polite than can

More formal than can or could

Less direct and formal

It gives permission

General permission to do something in the past

It gives permission

Obligation and Necessity

MUST HAVE TO

We use must when the authority comes from the speaker.

We use have to when the autthority comes from outside the speaker.

It is used in the present and in the future

“You must be home by 10 o’clock”

Used in the past (Had to)

QUESTIONS: Use of do/does in present simple and did in the past.“I have to be home by 10”

Obligation and Necessity

MUSTN’TDON’T

HAVE TODON’T

NEED TO NEEDN’T

Obligation not to do something

Is not necessary to do something

It is not necessary to do something

It is not necessary to do something

You musn’t smoke in a hospital

I don’t have to get up today.

I don’t need to get up. I’m on holiday.

I needn’t get up today.

Obligation and Advice

SHOULD OUGHT TO

HAD BETTER

SHALL

Obligation and dutyAsk for and give adviceSay what is right or wrong

Obligation and duty (laws or rules)Ask for and give adviceSay what is right or wrong

Expresses a strong recommendation in a particular situation.Present or future, not past.

We use it when we want to know someone’s opinion, or when we want advice or instructions.“Shall I…?”

PossibilityMAY MIGHT COULD

Used in present or future+++May

Used in present or future++Might

Used in present or future+CouldIt doesn’t express posibility in negative

“There is someone at the door, it may be Sarah”

“We might go to the beach”

“Where is Simon?” “He could be in the living room”

ProbabilitySHOULD OUGHT TO

It is used to say that something is probable at the moment of speaking, or in the future.

It is used to say that something is probable at the moment of speaking, or in the future.

“Sally should be at work by now.”

“He ought to pass his driving test easily.”

RequestCAN COULD MAY WILL WOULD

It is used to ask for something

It is used to ask for somethingLess Direct and more polite

It is used to ask for somethingThe most formal

We use it to ask someone to do something for us.

We use it to ask someone to do something for us, but is more polite.

It is used to ask for permission and to ask someone to do something for us.

It is used to ask for permission and to ask someone to do something for us, but is more polite.

It is used to ask for permission

Would like:Polite way of saying what we want.“I would like a glass of water, please”

OffersWill Shall Can Could Would

It is used to say that we are willing to do something or to offer to do something.

Shall I? is used to offer to do something for someone.

It is used to offer to do something for someone.

It is used to offer to do something for someone.Is more polite and less direct.

It is used with like, prefer and rather, to make polite offers and invitations.

I will help you with your suitcase.

Shall I help you?

I can send this letter for you.

I could lend you money if you want.

Would you like to go to a party on Saturday?