MODAL VERB

1. MODAL VERB+INF = PRESENT

- CAN (PRESENT) = Posibilidad habilidad general
- COULD (PAST IN GENERAL) = sugerencia / WAS WERE ABLE TO ( SPECIFIC PAST)
- - We were able to find the house although we had no map
- - You could see a movie or go out to dinner
- WILL BE ABLE TO (FUTURE)

- MUST ( PRESENT) = Necesidad y fuerte recomendacin
- DONT HAVE TO / DONT NEED (NEGATIVE PRESENT)
- HAD TO HAVE (PAST)
- WILL HAVE TO (FUTURE)
- NOTA: MUSTNT = Prohibicin

- HAD BETTER + INF (TO)= fuerte recomendacin en el pasado futuro ( mejor , va a
ser mejor, debera, sera mejor , ms vale que,)

- BE SUPPOSED TO + INF = fuerte recomendacin por una norma
- MAY = +++ posible
- MIGHT = ++ posible
- COULD = + posible
- MUST no es igual que HAVE TO (en el primer caso la necesidad proviene del
hablante y el segundo caso la obligacin viene de fuera) =>
1 Ex: I know, I have to finish that today
2 Ex: You must finish that today

- NEEDNT HAVE TO no es igual que DIDNT NEED TO (en el primer caso se ha hecho
aunque es innecesario y en el segundo caso es innecesario y adems no se ha hecho)

You may well be + P.P. = es muy problable que
I rarely + verb, so it would make sense if
I stand a good chance of + gerund = tener la posibilidad de .
It seems unlikely that + frase
They have no chance of + gerund
She is hardly likely to + verb
There is very likelihood = es muy probable

POSIBILIDAD = COULD, MAY (future), MIGHT, CAN (teorica)
- The keys could be in the car
- It may rain tomorrow
- It might rain tomorrow
IMPOSIBILIDAD = CANT, COULDNT, MAY NOT, MIGHT NOT
- You cant see the dentist now
- He couldnt have understood
- He may not arrive tonight
- Tom might not be available today
PERMISO = CAN (informal), MAY (formal), BE ALLOWED TO (por primera vez en el pasado)
- You can take the car tomorrow
- You may take the car
PETICIN = CAN (informal), COULD, MAY, WILL, WOULD (formal)
- Can I use your car?
- Could I have a word with you?
- May I call you later?
- Will you pass the sugar, please?
- Would you move your car, please?
SUGERENCIA = COULD, SHOULD (formal con expectacin), OUGHT TO (formal con deseo), SHALL
- You could iron the clothes, if you like
- Should I put the bags here?
PROHIBICIN = MAY NOT, MUSTNT, CANT (deduccin, certeza)
- You may not smoke in the library
- You mustnt smoke in this hospital
EXPRESAR PREFERENCIAS = WOULD
- I would rather have tea
PREDICCIN = WILL
- He will arrive at six oclock
DECISIN ESPONTNEA = WILL
- Ill answer the door
ACCIN REPETIDA EN EL PASADO = WOULD
- I would walk on the beach every morning
OFRECIMIENTO = SHALL (formal), CAN (informal), MAY
- Shall I carry this bag?
DAR CONSEJO = OUGHT TO, SHOULD
- You should (ought to) see a doctor
- You shouldnt lose your temper with people
- Mark ought not drink so much
OBLIGACIN = MUST, HAVE TO, SHOULD ( I really should be at the office by 7)
- I must write a letter to my aunt
- We have to wear school uniforms
INTENCIN, PROMESA, INSTRUCCIN = SHALL ( I shall a definitely give up smoking, Shall we go out for
a beer ?, the judges decision shall be final)
FUERTE NECESIDAD = MUST
- You must observe the speed limit
CONSENSO = MAY, MIGHT
DEDUCCIN = MUST
CERTEZA = MUST, CANT, COULD, SHOULD
- He should (ought to) do well in the exam
- The lights are on, she must be at home
FUERTE RECOMENDACIN = MUST
- You must go and see that film
NECESIDAD = HAVE TO, NEED
FALTA DE NECESIDAD = DONT HAVE TO, NEEDNT
- I dont have to pay this until September
- You neednt come today if you dont want to
NECESIDAD PASADA = HAD TO
- I had to leave early
NECESIDAD FUTURA = WILL HAVE TO (GET), MUST (GET)
- We will have to leave soon
ENFADO = COULD, MIGHT

2. MODAL PERFECT = MODAL VERB + HAVE+ P.P. (para hacer comentarios o conjeturas sobre el
pasado)
CERTEZA/CONCLUSIN = MUST HAVE, CANT HAVE (con surely en frases exclamativas)
- The driver must have lost his way
POSIBILIDAD = MIGHT HAVE, MAY HAVE
- He might have bought a new car
- You may well be + Past Participle = es muy posible que..
- You may as well = tambin
POSIBILIDAD PASADA QUE NO OCURRI = MIGHT HAVE, MAY HAVE
ENFADO = MIGHT HAVE, MAY HAVE
DESEO = COULD HAVE
HABILIDAD PASADA QUE NO OCURRIO = COULD HAVE
- You could have avoided the accident
SUGERENCIA = COULD HAVE
CERTEZA QUE NO OCURRIO = COULDNT HAVE
- He couldnt have known about the problem
CONSEJO NO SEGUIDO EN EL PASADO = SHOULD HAVE
- He should have listened to me
CRITICA / ARREPENTIMIENTO = SHOULDNT HAVE
- You shouldnt have gone on foot
EXPECTACIN = SHOULD HAVE
- They should have won the competition
OPININ =SHOULD HAVE
ESPECULACIN con verbos de pensamiento = SHOULD HAVE

3. PARTICIPLE CLAUSES ( son frases que empiezan con present participle = ing o past
participle = ed para expresar ideas de forma rotunda y se utilizan sobretodo en el
lenguaje escrito)

En la participle clause no hay sujeto. El sujeto de la oracin principal
tambin es el sujeto de la participle clause. Aunque hay veces que puede
ser diferente

Having been damaged by vandals (subject = her bycicle), Helen had to walk
rather tan go on her bycicle (subject = Helen).

NOTA: A veces se utiliza with para introducir el sujeto

With both parents working all day, I have to cook my own lunch

El verbo principal se conjuga como un participio o gerundio, prestando
atencin a si la accin en la participle clause tuvo lugar antes o despus que
la accin de la oracin principal y si hay que usar la voz activa o pasiva.

Holding the hair-dryer in her left hand, Susan cut her hair.
(accin simultnea, activa present participle)

Participio ejemplo
Accin simultanea
Activa
Present participle (ing) Holding the hair-
dryer in her left
hand, she cut her
hair
Pasiva
Past participle (ed or irregular) Blown by the hair-
dryer, her hair
could be cut
Accin secuencial
Activa
Perfect participle (having +
verb+ ed/ irregular)
Having washed her
hair, she cut it
Pasiva
Perfect participle (having been
+ verb+ed/irregular
Having been cut,
her hair looked
strange


- Pueden sustituir a RELATIVE CLAUSES

I recognize that man who is standing over there => I recognize that man standing over
there

Three of the people who were injured in the crash are still in the hospital => Three of
the people injured in the crash are still in the hospital

- Puede sustituir CONJUNCIONES (because, so, as, while, when, once, after, and, if)
Because I dont wish to offend my host, I ate everything on the plate =>Not wishing to
offend my host, I ate everything on the plate

NOTA: Aunque los llamados verbos estticos (be, know, want, ) no se utilizan en
continuous tense pueden hacerlo en el caso de las oraciones de participio
Being a very shy person, I never enjoy going to parties

4. WOULD RATHER / WOULD PREFER (expresar preferencias especificas en el futuro o
presente)
Would rather + infinitive verb

If you are talking about your own preference in a specific situation (i.e.,
what you want to do), or asking someone about his or her preference in a
specific situation (i.e., what he or she wants to do), use would rather with
an infinitive verb.

I'd rather stay in tonight.
Would you rather stay in or go out tonight?

Would rather + past tense verb

Use would rather with a past tense verb only when stating your
preference about what you want someone else to do in a specific
situation, or asking someone about his or her preference about what he
or she wants someone else to do in a specific situation.

I'd rather he stayed in tonight.
I'd rather you didn't.
Would you rather I stayed in or went out tonight?

Please also note that, although we use a past tense verb, this
construction always has a present or future meaning, not past.

One last point: I endlessly repeated the phrase in a specific
situation above because, like would prefer, would rather is only
used to talk about preferences in a specific situation/context.
The main verb prefer is correct if you are talking about your general
preferences.

NOTA: Podemos decir que cuando el sujeto es diferente, el
tiempo verbal da un paso hacia atrs en el tiempo.

To be about to do something = estar a punto de hacer algo
So far this week, = en lo que va de semana

5. TALKING ABOUT THE PAST

- PAST SIMPLE (para acciones completas en un momento especifico del pasado
para acciones o comportamientos habituales en el pasado), (yesterday, last week,
when I was in 1990, ago, etc

I sold my car about three months ago
Did you bite your nails when you were a child?

Used to+inf se puede utilizar para situaciones y acciones habituales en el
pasado, mientras que Would+inf se utiliza solo para acciones habituales en el
pasado.

Every summer we used to / would go to Scotland
I used to (not would) have a parrot.


- PAST CONTINUOS (para situaciones o acciones en progreso en un determinado
momento del pasado, o una situacin en pasado que fue interrumpida por otra,
situaciones o acciones en el pasado que ocurren al mismo tiempo, acciones
pasadas y repetitvas que son molestas)

This time last year I was taking the CAE exam
We were still having breakfast when he called around
She was always complaining about something

- PRESENT PERFECT (une situaciones pasadas con el presente, por lo que se
utilize para hablar de hechos recientes que tienen consequencias en el presente,
para describir situaciones que tienen lugar en el pasado y continuan en el
presente, para hablar de hechos que ocurren en algun momento desconocido
entre el pasado y el presente o con otro present perfect cuando ocurren a la
vez)

They have just bought a new car
We have had these saucepans since we got married
I have already seen United play three times this season
We have been burgled twice since we have lived here

NOTA: Tambin se utilize con las expresiones como: this/that/it is the
first/second/third time

Its years since


- PRESENT PERFECT CONTINOUS (para cuando queremos enfatizar la duracin
de la accin, cuando sta es temporal y se quiere indicar , para indicar que
una accin se ha repetido en el tiempo)
I have been eating at my mums house
I have been reading that book you lent me
Someone is phoning you. Nota = si queremos indicar el nmero de veces
que tiene lugar la repeticin, utilizaremos el Simple, Shes phoned you
about six or seven times.
- PAST PERFECT (para indicar que una situacin pasada tiene lugar antes que otra
tambin pasada, para indicar que una accin tiene lugar en el pasado y que
continu en el pasado)

As son as the film started, I realized I had seen it before
They had known each other for several years before they got married

Nota: tambin se utilize despus de expresiones como that/it was the
first/second/third time , it was two/three year/s a long time since ,
despus de after, before, by the time, as soon as, once, when, until


- PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS (para unir situaciones pasadas con otros puntos
del pasado)

I have been waiting for over an hour when she finally arrived


- EVENTOS PASADOS INCOMPLETOS (para situaciones pasada con intencin de
que tuvieran lugar pero que finalmente no ocurrieron)

I was going to send you an email
I was about to call the doctor
She had been/was thinking of going to Iceland
The meeting, which was to have taken place last weekend, was cancelled


- EXPRESAR PREFERENCIAS SOBRE EL PASADO (para indicar que nos hubiera
gustado que el pasado hubiera sido de otro modo)

Would like/love/prefer to+perfect infinitive
Would liked/loved/preferred to+infinitive or perfect infinitive

We would like to have stayed longer
We would have loved to tell/ to have told him what we thought
She would have preferred him to say it to her face (porque el sujeto no es mismo)

WOULD RATHER/ WOULD SOONER (expresar lo que hubieras preferido en el pasado)

- + PERFECT INFINITIVE (HAVE+ PAST PARTICIPLE)
- Would rather/sooner + perfect infinitive expresses preferences about the past and
means that the desired action was not performed:

- Would you rather have had pork than beef? (Would you have preferred pork to
beef?)
I'd rather have walked, but I went by bus because it was raining. (I would have
liked to walk, but I went by bus because it was raining.)

- If we omit rather, we get the main clause of a sentence in the third conditional:

- I would have walked (if it hadn't been raining).

- + INFINITIVE

- Would rather/sooner is followed by a bare infinitive if the subject of would
rather/sooner is the same as the doer of the action expressed by the following
verb.



- + PRESENT SIMPLE / CONTINUOUS
- Would rather/sooner + simple or continuous infinitive expresses preferences about
the present:
- I'd rather go by bike than walk. (I'd prefer to go by bike rather than walk.)
Where would you rather sleep? (Where would you prefer to sleep?)
I'd rather be writing my paper. (I'd prefer to be writing my paper.)
- The negative is would rather not:
- I would rather not go out tonight. (I'd prefer not to go out tonight.)
- If we leave out rather, we get the main clause of a sentence in the second
conditional:
- Where would you sleep (if you could choose)?
Compara estos ejemplos: I would like to have travelled more when I was young =
me gustara haber viajado ms , I would have liked to travelled more when I was
young = me hubiera me viajar ms , I would have liked to have travelled more
when I was young = me hubiera gustado haber viajado ms

6. SITUACIONES HIPOTETICAS (con los past tenses podemos hablar de situaciones
imposible imaginarias en el presente, pasado o futuro)

- Wish/if/only + past perfect = para expresar deseos, lamentarse o criticar sobre
el pasado
I wish I hadnt eaten my dinner so quickly
If only you had listened to my advice

- Should + perfect infinitive = para lamentarse o criticar sobre el pasado

We should have brought an umbrella

- 3er Conditional (if+ past perfect, would/might/could+perfect infinitive) =
especular sobre como algo podra haber sido diferente en el pasado
If you had been paying attention, you might have understood what I was saying =
you werent paying attention, so you didnt understand

NOTA: Una forma ms formal es omitir if y empezar con had
directamente en el caso de la 3er Conditional
Had she known about his criminal past, she would never have employed him

7. CONDITIONALS

- Zero conditional = situaciones que siempre son verdad
IF+PRESENT SIMPLE, PRESENT SIMPLE
If I start to eat to much spicy food, I start to feel ill

- First conditional = situaciones futuras posibles y sus consequencias
IF+PRESENT SIMPLE, WILL/GOING TO/MAY/MIGHT/COULD+INFINITIVE
If you dont water this plant soon, it will die
IF+SHOULD, WILL/GOING TO/MAY/MIGHT/COULD +INFINITIVE
IF+HAPPEN TO, WILL/GOING TO/ MAY/MIGHT/COULD+INFINITIVE
SHOULD HAPPEN TO, WILL/GOING TO/MAY/MIGHT/COULD+INFINITIVE
=> hace que la frase sea ms improblable = en el caso de que, si por
casualidad, etc
If I happen to see Dr. Dee there, I will ask him for you
Please feel free to visit us if you happen to come to France

NOTA: Es ms formal an, si empezamos con SHOULD (+ subject) la frase
Should you wish to change your holiday arrangements, we will do all we can
to help

- Second conditional = situaciones imaginaries, imposibles o poco probables en el
presente o future
IF+PAST SIMPLE, WOULD/MIGHT/COULD+INFINITIVE
If I had an extra pair of hands, then I could help you
IF+WERE TO+INF, WOULD/MIGHT/COULD + INFINITIVE= es ms
improbable an
If England were to win the next two matches, Germany could pass the
league => si hubieras, en el caso de que ., si hubieras tenido la
intencin de
IF puede ser sustituido por los siguientes verbos: SUPPOSE, SUPPOSING,
IMAGINE (sobretodo en el ingls hablado)
Supposing you ran out of Money, what would you do?

NOTA: Si utilizamos WERE+SUBJ+TO+INF an es ms formal
Were they to break the contract, we would of course take legal action

NOTA: IF puede ir seguido de WILL/WOULD/GOING TO/
WOULD/MIGHT/SHOULD +INF en el caso de que queramos hacer peticiones
formales o describir el resultado de una accin
If you would take a seat for a momento, I will tell Mr Green you are here
If it is going to be more profitable for the company, then I think we should
do it

- Third conditional = especular sobre cosas que podran haber sido diferentes en el
pasado
IF+PAST PERFECT, WOULD/MIGHT/COULD+PERFECT INFINITIVE
If you had been paying attention, you might have understood

NOTA: Sera ms formal si utilizamos HAD+SUBJECT+VERB
Had she known about his criminal past, she would employed him

- Mixed conditional (3er , 2
nd
conditional)= especulamos sobre diferentes
situaciones en el pasado y las consequencias que hubieran tenido en el presente
If you hadnt stayed up to watch the film last night, you wouldnt be so tired now


- Inverted conditional = es mucho ms formal, menos probable y se utilize tambin
para sugerir educadamente.
If they were to escape, there would be an outcryprotesta => were they to escape,
there would be an outcry