“
✓ Modals (also called modal
verbs, modal auxiliary
verbs, modal auxiliaries) are
special verbs which behave
irregularly in English.
✓ They are different from normal
verbs like "work, play, visit..."
“
✓ They give additional
information about the main
verb that follows it.
✓ They have a great variety
of communicative functions
SOME
CHARACT
ERISTICS
…
Some characteristics
are:
✓
They never change their form.
You can't add "s", "ed", "ing"...
✓
They are usually followed by a
bare infinitive (without "to”)
She can speak 4 languages.
Some
characteristics

•
They don’t accept auxiliary verbs to the
negative and interrogative forms.
Interrogative sentences will be asked with
the same modal verb at the beginning of the
sentence.
I can swim very fast
Can I swim very fast?
Some
characteristics
•
Negative sentences will use the
same modal verb plus the word
“not”.
I must study very hard.
I must not (mustn’t) study very
hard
Some
characteristics
✓
The modal verb “have” is an
exception to some of the
previous characteristics.


"Can" is one of the most commonly used
modal verbs in English. It can be used to
express ability opportunity, and to request
or offer permission.
CAN : PODER (PRESENTE)
It is used to:

Express ability / inability in the
present
Ex: They can / can’t run very fast.

Ask / give / refuse permission
Ex: Can I borrow your collar?
–Yes, you can. / No, you can’t.
It is used to:

Express oppotunity
Ex: We can stay with my brother
when we are in Paris.


"Could" is a modal verb used to express
possibility or past ability as well as to
make requests. "Could" is also commonly
used in conditional sentences as the
conditional form of "can“.
COULD : PODER (PASADO) - PODRÍA
It is used to:
Express ability / inability in the past
Ex: They could / couldn’t bark very loud when they
were puppies.
Ask permission politely/Make polite requests
Ex: Could I sit on your lap, please?
Ex: Could I have some more food, please?


"May" is a modal verb most commonly used
to express possibility. It can also be used
to give or request permission, although
this usage is becoming less common but
still sound more formal.
MAY : PODER (PRESENTE)
It is used to:
Express possibility
Ex: The dogs may bite you.
Ask / give / refuse permission (formal)
Ex: May I have a snack?
-Yes, you may. No, you may not.


"Might" is a modal verb most commonly
used to express possibility. It is also often
used in conditional sentences. English
speakers can also use "might" to make
requests, although this is less common in
American English.
MIGHT : PODRÍA
It is used to:
Express possibility
Your phone might be in the kitchen.
Request something
Ex: Might I have a coffee? (more common in
British English)


"Will" is a modal verb used with promises
or voluntary actions that take place in the
future. "Will" can also be used to make
predictions about the future.
WILL: IT DOESN’T HAVE A TRANSLATION
It is used to:
Give information about the future
Ex: The conference will be held in Meeting
Room A.
Talk about what we think, or guess will
happen
Ex: Don’t lend him your car. He’ll crash it.
 "Would" is a modal verb most commonly
used to create conditional verb forms.
Additionally, "would" can indicate
repetition in the past.
 WOULD: conjugation of the verbs
with the ending –RIA.
 WOULD: conjugation of the verbs with
the ending –ABA –ÍA (Repetition in the past)
It is used to:
Talk about things that we expected to
happen in the past.
 Ex: The sky was getting cloudy, which meant it would
rain.
Talk about past habits or things that
we used to do over and over.
Ex: When my grandpa was a kid, he
would play tricks on the neighbor girls.
 "Ought to" is used to advise or make
recommendations. "Ought to" also
expresses strong probability, often with
the idea that something is deserved.
 OUGHT TO: DEBERÍA
It is used to:
Advise and explain consequences. Indicate
correctness or duty, often when criticizing
the actions of another.
 Ex: She ought to slow down so she doesn’t get
a ticket.
Indicate that something is probable.
Ex: Three minutes ought to be long
enough.
 "Should" is a modal verb most
commonly used to make
recommendations or give
advice.
 SHOULD: DEBERÍA
It is used to:
Talk about what we think is right
or wrong.
 Ex: You look tired. I think you should
take a few days off.
 Give advice
 It’s Mary’s birthday, you should call her.
 "Must" is a modal verb most
commonly used to express
certainty. It can also be used to
express necessity or strong
recommendation (obligation).
 This must be the right address!
(Certainty)
 MUST: DEBER (PRESENTE)
 "Must not" can be used to
prohibit actions, but this sounds
very severe; speakers prefer to
use softer modal verbs such as
"should not" or "ought not" to
dissuade rather than prohibit.
It is used to:
Must – Express obligation
Ex: I’m sick. I must go the doctor.
Mustn’t – Express prohibition
Ex: They mustn’t steal the
country.
This modal verbs is much more heard in
British English than in American English.
Americans prefer to use other forms,
although they do sometimes use "shall"
in suggestions or formalized language.
• It is used to:
Indicate future action
Ex: I shall be there by 8:00.
 I will be there by 8:00.
It is used to:
Make promises
• I shall never forget where I
came from. (Promise - will)
• I will never forget where I
came from.
It is used to:
Give suggestions
• Ex: Shall I help you?
• We shall move into the living
room
 We should move into the living
room
(Suggestion - Should)
It is used to:
refer to the present or the
future
Ex: It’s five o’clock. I’d better
go now before the traffic gets
too bad.
talk about actions we think
people should do or which are
desirable in a specific
situation.
Ex: The democratic
movement had better
concentrate on the immediate
issues of the economy and
security.
Had
better
is
a
strong
expression. We use it if we
think there will be negative
results if someone does not do
what is desired or suggested:
Ex: She’d better get here soon
or she’ll miss the opening
ceremony.
Sometimes people say had best
instead of had better, especially
in informal speaking. This sounds
slightly less strong and less direct:
Ex: You’d best leave it till
Monday. There’s no one in the
office today.
Negative form:
Ex: I’d better not leave my bag
there. Someone might steal it.
Interrogative form:
Ex: Had I better speak to Joan first
before I send this form off? What
do you think?
Interrogative form (NEGATIVE):
Ex: Hadn’t you better switch your
computer off?
HAVE TO and DON’T HAVE TO
We use
HAVE TO
to talk about …
We use
DON’T HAVE TO
to say that something is …
OBLIGATION
Have to: Police officers have to wear a uniform.
NOT NECESSARY:
Don’t have to: You don’t have to pick me up. I’ll take a
taxi.
MODALS OF
DEDUCTION
We can also use some modal verbs to deduct
something.
MAY
50%
COULD
75%
MUST
100%

MIGHT
25%
CAN’T
0%
Modals of Deduction
Deductions = guesses based on
known facts. We use:
✓
must (when we are very sure
that something is possible- 100%)

can't – (when we think it's
impossible – 0% of probability)

Could / may / might (when we
think it's possible – 75% / 50% /
25%)

Deductions
He must be a chef. (100%)
He can't be
a policeman. (0%)
He could be famous. (we think it's possible –
(75%)
He may be famous. (we think it's possible –
(50%)
He might be famous. (we think it's possible –
(25%)