MODAL AUXILIARY VERBS (1º BAC) Ideas expressed POSSIBILITY Modal Examples Present Past → → CAN COULD I can go I could go = Puedo ir (nada me lo impide) = Pude ir (nada me lo impidió) Normal → Remote → MAY MIGHT COULD I may go I might go I could go = Puede que vaya (no sé si lo haré) = Podría ir / A lo mejor voy (no estoy seguro) = (casi igual que MIGHT, menos formal) PROBABILITY Alternative TO BE ABLE TO possibly maybe perhaps STRONG PROBABILITY CERTAINTY / DEDUCTION SPECULATION Affirmative → Negative → MUST CAN'T He must be in = Debe de estar allí (estoy casi seguro) He can't be in = No puede estar allí (estoy seguro) TO BE CERTAIN TO BE SURE TO BE PROBABLE ABILITY Present Past → → CAN COULD I can swim I could swim TO KNOW HOW TO PERMISSION Familiar Formal → → CAN MAY COULD Can I / you...? = ¿Puedo...? / ¿Puedes...? May I...? = (igual pero más formal: “usted”) Could I / you...?= ¿Podría...? (más formal / menos probable) TO BE ALLOWED TO LET / PERMIT OBLIGATION (STRONG) Present MUST He must go = Él debe ir (está obligado / hay normas) TO HAVE TO TO BE OBLIGATORY TO BE COMPULSORY ABSENCE OF OBLIGATION Present & NECESSITY negative NEEDN'T I needn't go = No tengo (por)qué ir (no estoy obligado) NOT TO HAVE TO (don't / doesn't / didn't have to) PROHIBITION Present & negative MUSTN'T CAN'T I mustn't go I can't go = No debo ir / No puedo ir (está prohibido) = No puedo (no me dejan / no me lo permiten) TO BE FORBIDDEN ADVICE / WARNING RECOMMENDATION EXPECTATION Present SHOULD OUGHT TO You should go = Deberías ir (te lo aconsejo / en mi opinión) I ought to go = Debería ir (obligación moral) She should PAST HABIT Past USED TO I used to go = Solía ir (antes lo hacía, ya no) SUGGESTIONS (plural) OFFERINGS (singular) Questions SHALL Shall we go? Shall I do it? = ¿Nos vamos? (¿Os parece bien si...?) = ¿Lo hago? (¿Te parece bien si lo hagp?) ASKING sb TO DO sth Questions WILL Do it, will you? = Hazlo, ¿quieres? (= por favor) • • • • = Sé nadar (porque he aprendido) = Sabía nadar (aprendí a hacerlo) Modal Verbs have no infinives, gerunds or participles. Modal Verbs don't take the 3rd person singural “-S” when in present. Modal Verbs are always followed by infinitive without TO (except OUGHT and USED). Modal Verbs can be followed by perfect or continuos infinitives (always without “to”) ◦ He may have left = Puede que se haya ido. ◦ They must be studying = Deben estar estudiando. ◦ You needn't have come so early = No tenías porqué venir tan temprano. ◦ She could have been sleeping all day long = Ella podría haber estado durmiendo todo el día. Adverbs probably certainly surely TO BE ADVISABLE HAD BETTER TO BE SUPPOSED TO usually WHAT / HOW ABOUT (-ing)...? TO MIND (+ing) / TO WANT(to)