MODAL VERBS

VERBS USES EXAMPLES

Can: Abilities (present) I can ride a bike (Sé montar en bicicleta)
-‘Saber’
Permission Can I go to the toilet? (¿Puedo ir al servicio?)
-‘Poder’ You can’t play football at hom e(No podéis jugar al fútbol en casa)

Possibilities In London you can visit a lot of wonderful monuments (En Londres,
puedes visitar muchos monumentos magníficos)

Requests Can you help me, please? (¿Puedes ayudarme, por favor?)
Could: Abilities (past) When I was three, I could ride a bike (Cuando tenía cinco años, sabía
-‘Saber’ montar en bici)

Remote possibilities It could rain tomorrow (Podría llover mañana) . Don’t sit on that rock! It
-‘Podría /podrías’,etc. could be dangerous (No te sientes en esa roca. Podría ser peligroso)

Polite requests Could you help me, please? (¿Podría ud. ayudarme, por favor?)

Be able to Abilities (all tenses but I haven’t been able to do it (No he podido hacerlo) She will be able to
especially for the tenses finish on time (Ella podrá acabar a tiempo)
which can lacks) I wasn’t able to arrive on time (No pude llegar a tiempo)

Would Offers Would you like something to drink?(¿Le apetecería una bebida?) What
would you like to eat? (Qué te gustaría comer?)
Polite requests Would you help me, please? Would you open the window, please?

Past habit (= used to) As a child, I would cry all night long. When I lived on the coast, I would
walk along the shore every day.

May: Possibilities He may be angry with you (Puede que él esté enfadado contigo) .
-Puede que yo,tú,él,etc. Implica que cabe esa posibilidad, pero no lo sé con seguridad

Asking for permission May I come in? (¿Puedo entrar?) May I ask you a question, sir? (¿Puedo
(politely) hacerle una pregunta, señor?)
Might: He might be angry with you (Podría ser que él estuviera enfadado
-Puede que ,podría ser que Remote possibilities contigo). It might rain tomorrow.
yo, tú, él… Implica que existe esa posibilidad, pero no es muy probable.
Must: Obligation You must come back home before twelve (Debes volver a casa antes de
-Deber/Tener que las 12)
Logical deduction You must be joking! (¡Debes de estar bromeando!) That man must be
Mustn’t: our new teacher (Ese hombre debe de ser nuestro nuevo profesor)
-No poder/no deber (WITH “YOU”)
Prohibition You mustn’t smoke in hospitals (No se puede fumar en los hospitals).
You mustn’t drink alcohol if you drive (No debes beber alcohol si
conduces)

Have/has to -Obligation /necessity In some schools students have to wear a uniform /I have to eat
something now or I will faint (obligation imposed by someone else)
Don’t /doesn’t have to -Lack of obligation or You don’t have to come if you don’t want to (No tienes por qué venir si
necessity no quieres)
Had to I had to help my mum before going out (Tuve que ayudar a mama antes
-Past obligation de salir)
Didn’t have to I stayed in bed this morning because I didn’t have to work (Me quedé en
-Lack of obligation in the past la cama esta mañana porque no tenía que trabajar)

Need to -obligation/necessity I need to eat something or I will faint (Necesito comer algo o me
desmayaré)
Needn’t -Lack of obligation/necessity
You needn’t come if you don’t want to (No tienes por qué venir si no
quieres)
Shall -Suggestions Shall we go to the theatre tonight? Shall we meet later on?
-Offers Shall I do that for you? Shall I close the door?
Should /Ought to
-Debería/as/a, etc. Advice You shouldn’t eat so much fat (No deberías comer tanta grasa). He
- Tendría/as/a que… ought to drive carefully (Él tendría que conducir con cuidado)