MODAL VERBS 2º ESO

MODAL VERBS

WHAT IS MODALITY?

WHAT IS MODALITY? We can express: Ability /certainty/ permission/ obligation/ necessity/ prohibition....

Do you know these verbs?

CAN MUST SHOULD MAY HAVE TO COULD...

THINGS WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MODAL VERBS: 1º They are "invariable"(same form for all the grammatical persons). We do not add -s to the 3rd person singular) ex: I can, she can, we can.... he cans, he shoulds Exceptions: I have to go /She has to study You will be able to speak English

2º They are followed by a bare infinitive (infinitive without to): ex: I can drive, she should't smoke

Exception : have to

3º To make them negative we add NOT( N'T). No auxiliaries needed ex: they don't can fly, She doesn't must go BUT: they can't fly, she mustn't go

CAN Ability in the present: I can speak English Permission: Can I go to the toilet, please? Possibility: She can come to the party

CAN'TInability: I can't play the piano Prohibition: You can't smoke here

COULDAbility in the past: I couldn't speak when I was 5. Possibility: She couldn't go to the party. Polite permission: Could I go to the toilet, please?

SHOULD/ SHOULDN'T Advice: You should eat more vegetables. She shouldn't smoke.

MUSTObligation: You must do the homework Logical deduction/certainty: She lives in a palace, she must be a princess.

MUSTN'TProhibition: You mustn't run in the school corridors.

HAVE TO Obligation: She has to pass the driving test to drive a car. DON'T HAVE TO/ DON'T NEED TO Absence of obligation/ necessity: You don't have to bring anything to the party.

MUST (deber) MUSTN'T(obligation) (prohibition)HAVE TO(tener que) DON'T HAVE TO/ DON'T NEED TO (obligation) (absence of obligation)

BE ABLE TOAbility/possibility in any tense: ex: He is able to cook really well. ex: I will be able to drive a car in 2025. ex: She was able to speak when she was 2.

MAY/ MIGHT (less probable)Possibility/ probability in the future: ex: She may arrive today Polite permission: ex: May I come in? / May I go to the toilet?

THAT'S ALL FOLKS!!!!