MODAL VERBS

TABLE OF MODAL AUXILIARY VERBS

 DEFINICIÓN: Los verbos modales son verbos diferentes al resto de los

verbos. Tienen una serie de características especiales. Estos verbos
pueden expresar: obligación, necesidad, prohibición, ausencia de
necesidad, probabilidad, posibilidad, habilidad…
 CARACTERÍSTICAS:
o Son verbos incompletos. No tienen participio ni infinitivo, y
necesitan otros verbos para completar su conjugación: CAN
se completa con la perífrasis BE ABLE TO, MUST con HAVE
TO, etc.
o No llevan -S en la 3ª persona singular del presente simple,
excepto HAVE TO (HAS TO)
o Todos van seguidos de otro verbo en infinitivo sin TO, excepto
OUGHT TO, HAVE TO y NEED TO.
o Como no necesitan verbo auxiliar, construyen la interrogativa
invirtiendo el orden del sujeto y el verbo, y la negativa
añadiendo NOT. ¡¡OJO!! CANNOT

 TABLA DE VERBOS MODALES

VERB
USE EXAMPLES NOTES

PURE - Expresar - We can

MODALS habilidad drive very well - Be able to
- Expresar - I can't talk, complementa a
posibilidad o I've got a very can cuando
imposibilidad sore throat indica habilidad
CAN - Expresar o - Can I sit y posibilidad:
pedir permiso down? infinitivo, futuro,
(presente) present perfect
- She can't be
- En negativa y gerundio, e.g.
at school. It's
expresar I will be able to
holiday.
deducción y play the guitar
prohibición. - You cannot in a year.
smoke here.
COULD - Expresar - Jane could
habilidad en drive before
(pasado)
pasado. she was 18.
 - Could you
- Pedir algo
pass the salt,
educadamente.
please?
- Expresar
- It was so hot
posibilidad o
I couldn't walk
imposibilidad en
in the sand.
el pasado.
- Hacer
- This
especulaciones
passport
(posibilidad
could be his.
remota)
- We could
- Hacer
play bingo
sugerencias.
today.
- Remplaza a - They said
can en el estilo they could do
indirecto it themselves.
- You could
- Expresar una have bought
crítica. some more
food.
- May I leave
- Pedir algo. the
classroom?
- Expresar - You may go - Cuando MAY
permiso. to the toilet. indica
MAY - Expresar - The posibilidad
posibilidad headmaster indica que algo
(PRE/FUT) (presente o may visit the no es seguro.
futura) class today. (quizá, tal vez,
- That may be puede que)
- Hacer the thief that
especulaciones. was arrested
by the police.
- Expresar - They might
posibilidad (más invite us to - La posibilidad
dudosa) the party. es muy dudosa
MIGHT
- They might (pudiera ser
- Hacer que)
have broken
especulaciones
the window…
SHOULD - You should
- Dar y pedir
do more
consejos
physical
(debería)
exercise
- Expresar - You should
obligación moral be more
 o que algo no
es lo adecuado
tolerant
que
esperabamos
- Criticar - She should
acciones have been
pasadas quiet
- I'll carry the
- Hacer un
suitcase for
ofrecimiento
you.
WILL - Will you
- Pedir algo bring me a
educadamente coffee,
please?
- Hacer un - Shall I open
ofrecimiento the window?
- What shall
- Pedir
we do
SHALL sugerencias
tonight?
- I shall speak
- Tomar
to the
decisiones
headmaster
- Would you
- Hacer un
like some
ofrecimiento
tea?
WOULD - When I was
- Rutinas en el
a child, I
pasado (afirm.)
would go
(solía)
fishing.
- Expresar
- You must go
obligación - HAVE TO
to school
(autoridad fuerte) complementa a
- En negativa: - You mustn't MUST en los
MUST
expresar smoke in tiempos que
(presente) prohibición hospitals este carece,
- They must e.g. She had to
- Expresar get up early
be happy.
deducción yesterday.
They've won
(afirmativa)
the lottery
NEED - Expresar - Need we go
necesidad now?
- Con sentido - The trees
pasivo need pruning.
- En negativa: - You needn't
ausencia de get up early at
obligación = weekends
 don't have to
- You ought to
do more
- Dar consejos
physical
OUGHT TO exercise
- You ought to
- Expresar
be more
obligación moral
tolerant
- I used to
- Expresar
play tennis,
USED TO hábitos o rutinas
but now I play
en el pasado
basket
- Expresar - You have to
obligación (+ be 18 to drive
suave) a car
HAVE (GOT)
TO - You don't
- En negativa:
have to wear
ausencia de
a uniform in
obligación
this school
- It's getting
- Dar consejos o
HAD dark, we'd
sugerencia (sería
BETTER better go
mejor)
home now
- + infinitivo: - I'd rather
preferir algo 2 stay at home
sujetos iguales (prefiero)
MODALS
IDIOMS - + Oración en - I'd rather
WOULD
pasado simple: she studied
RATHER
(preferiría) harder
sujetos diferentes
- I'd rather
- + infinitivo + listen to music
than + infinitivo than dance
BE USED - Expresa "estar - I'm used to
TO acostumbrado going to bed
+ -ING a.." late.

GET USED - I can't get

- Expresa "
TO used to his
acostumbrarse
way of
+ -ING a.."
cooking.

 MODALES PERFECTOS:
Se refieren al pasado: expresan conclusiones, suposiciones y conjeturas
que hacemos sobre hechos pasados y se forman con un modal + have +
participio.
 o MUST + HAVE + PARTICIPIO → conclusiones lógicas en el
pasado, e.g. Sheila was absent yesterday. She must have been
ill.
o COULD + HAVE + PARTICIPIO

→ indica que hubo posibilidad de hacer algo en el pasado pero

realmente no se hizo, e.g. He could have helped us, but he
came too late.

→ en negativa, expresa la incredulidad de que lo ocurrido sea

cierto, e.g. She couldn't have said those words.

→ para hacer una suposición en el pasado, e.g. She didn't

come to the party. She could have been ill.

o MAY / MIGHT + HAVE + PARTICIPIO → expresan una

suposición sobre el pasado, e.g. Call her again. She may / might
not have heard you the first time.
o SHOULD / OUGHT TO + HHAVE + PARTICIPIO

→ para lamentar que no se siguió un consejo en el

pasado, e.g. She looks worse. She should / ought to have
seen a doctor last week.

→ para lamentar que no se haya cumplido lo que

esperábamos, e.g. They should have been home by now.

→ en negativa demuestran nuestra opinión crítica sobre

algo que no debería haber ocurrido, e.g. I'm very angry
with her. She shouldn't have been so rude.

Expressing Ability
Make a choice by clicking on a button then compare your answer with the correct one hidden
under the answer button.

1.

Although it contains many difficult words, I ___ read this book now.

can

could

may
2.

But I ___ have read it last year.

mayn't

couldn't

can't

3.

Because there were many long words which I ___ understand.

couldn't

can't

aren't able to

4.

When you receive the new books ___ try to read one of them?

can I

could I

may

5.

I ___ understand why you won't let me.

couldn't

can't

mayn't

6.

Can you find your way to the hotel? Yes I ___.

could

am able
 can

7.

Can you pronounce my name properly? I ___ if you would speak more slowly.

could

may

can

8.

Are you strong enough to lift that box.? Yes, I ___.

could

am

can

9.

Will you speak more clearly please? I ___ hardly hear you at all.

could

can

can't

10.

I ___ only listen to my radio when my mother was not at home.

did

can

could

11.
 Can you fix my car today? Yes, I ___.

may

could

can

12.

I ___ do that because I will get a sunburn.

can't

couldn't

can

13.

Is it low enough ___ you to be able to step over it?

to

for

of

14.

I ___ reach that apple, I'll have to use a ladder.

don't

can't

couldn't

15.

___ you just jump?

Can't

Don't
 If

16.

I ___ have known when she was coming home because I didn't have a watch.

can't

couldn't

won't

Modals
Click the answer button to see the answer.

1. ___ you speak any foreign languages?

a. May
b. Can
c. Have

2. Liz ___ get tired of her job. It is so boring.

a. has to
b. must
c. should

3. Where's Nick? He ___ be in his office.

a. might
b. mustn't
c. is to

4. Take an umbrella. It ___ rain later.

a. has to
b. need
c. might

5. Jack ___ go to hospital yesterday.

a. must
b. had to
c. need

6. You look tired. You ___ go to bed.

a. should
 b. ought
c. are to

7. You ___ do it. I've already done it.

a. must not
b. need not
c. ought not

8. ___ it be true?
a. Must
b. May
c. Can

9. ___ we stay or leave?

a. Will
b. Would
c. Shall

10. Jane was so tired. She ___ have worked days and nights.
a. should
b. must
c. need

EXERCISE 3
Complete the sentences below using must or a form of have to.

Example: You _____ light a naked flame near the gas pumps.

a) don't have to b) must not - The answer is: b) must not

----------

1. Victoria _____ wake up at 4:00 in the morning yesterday.

a) had to b) must

2. I strongly believe that they should _____ ask permission.

a) have to b) must

3. Can _____ reliably predict an earthquake?

a) anyone b) anywhere

4. When I was young, I _____ do many things for myself.

a) didn't have to b) must not

5. While operating a motor vehicle, you _____ drink and drive.

a) don't have to b) must not

6. Why _____ a new year come for us to make changes in our lives?

a) has to b) must

7. You _____ wear a tie, but you can wear one if you want to.

a) don't have to b) must not

8. The weather became so severe that all of the workers _____ be sent home.

a) had to b) must

9. Bill _____ see everything at once because he can always visit again.

a) doesn't have to b) must not

10. _____ all of the current assumptions about the universe one day be revised?

a) Have to b) Must
----------

EXERCISE 4:
Complete the sayings and proverbs below using the clauses in the box.

Example: should apologize Jill to Mark for being late.

Jill should apo
Answer: to Mark for being late.

1. Ought Mary to clean up the mess she made.

clean up the mess she made.

2. opposite the Shouldn't of zero be everything?

of zero be everything?

3. look should Everyone at the stars from time to time.

at the stars from time to time.

4. should We have a plan when the going gets difficult.

when the going gets difficult.

5. turn we whom To should for inspiration and wisdom?

for inspiration and wisdom?

6. study if ought Dan to more he wants to pass the exam.

he wants to pass the exam.

7. to ought You worry not about things you can't change.

things you can't change.

8. schools that Some think should things offer parenting classes.

offer parenting classes.

9. ought Vegetables to canned be while they're still fresh.

while they're still fresh.

10. do you Don't say something to ought unless you can actually do it.

unless you can actually do it.