MODAL AND SEMI-MODAL VERBS

MODAL VERBS SEMI-MODAL VERBS

CAN TO BE ABLE TO
COULD TO HAVE TO
MAY
MIGHT
MUST/MUSTNT
NEEDNT
SHOULD
OUGHT TO

SPECIAL FEATURES (Caractersticas especiales)

No s in 3rd person singular (HE/SHE CANS HE/SHE
CAN)
No to in the infinitive form (TO CAN CAN)
They dont need auxiliaries for negative or
interrogative
(SHE DOESNT CAN SHE CANT; THEY DONT CAN
THEY CANT)

Los clasificamos en dos grupos segn su significado: PODER y

DEBER

PODER:

CAN:
Modal verb
Poder en presente
Negativa: cant
Usos:
o Ability in the present: I can drive=I know how to
drive
o Possibility: You can come
o Informal permission: Can I open the window,
please?
o Se usa CANT para conclusiones lgicas
negativas: It cant be Mark
COULD
Modal verb
Poder en pasado
Negativa: Couldnt
Usos:
 o Possibility:You could pass your exams
o Politely permission: Could I turn off the heating,
please?
o Ability in the past: When I was six I could (=I
knew how to) ride a bike

PODER (FORMAL LANGUAGUE)

MAY
Modal verb
Possibility: You may pass your exams (Puede que
apruebes tus exmenes)
May no se puede utilizer en interrogative con YOU
como sujeto (May you?). En su lugar se utilizan CAN
o COULD (Can you?/Could you?)
MIGHT
Modal verb
Remote possibility (posibilidad remota): He might go
to New Zealand

Como todos los VERBOS MODALES cuyo significado es PODER

solo se usan en presente o pasado, para el resto de tiempos
verbales (futuro, por ejemplo) utilizamos TO BE ABLE TO
(SEMI-MODAL VERB) I will be able to call you later.

DEBER

MUST/MUSTNT
Modal verb
Must
o Logical conclussion in afirmative: It must be
Mark (Debe ser Mark)
o Obligation: I must pass all the subjects this year.
Mustnt
o Prohibition: Teachers and students mustnt
smoke here.
NEEDNT
Modal verb
No obligation (No tengo por qu): I neednt (=dont
need to=dont have to) come on Saturday.
SHOULD
Modal verb
Advice: We should eat fat free food
 Negativa: Shouldnt
OUGHT TO
Modal verb
Negativa: Ought not to
EL nico que tiene to detrs en infinitivo, ya que
forma parte del propio verbo modal
Moral obligation, duty: He ought to help his little
brother.
TO HAVE TO
SEMI-MODAL VERB
Al igual que pasaba con el otro semi-modal verb, TO
HAVE TO puede ponerse en cualquier tiempo verbal
Ejemplos:
o Future: Hell have to rewrite it
o Past: He had to go to the doctor yesterday/He
didnt have to go to the doctor yesterday (NO
HADNT!)
o ETC