Em ingls, verbos auxiliares modais so verbos que s ocorrem na presena de outro verbo, so defectivos na conjugao e no tm passado nem futuro

(com exceo do can que tem passado e condicional). Devido alta freqncia com que ocorrem na lngua, os verbos modais tornam se imprescindveis.

Veja aqui uma lista dos principais:

Can - Could

- significado de ability: I can speak English - Eu consigo falar ingls. - significado de permission: Can I smo ke here? - Posso fumar aqui? - significado de possibility: It can happen to anyone. - Isso pode acontecer com qualquer um. (Esta ocorrncia mais rara e o significado de possibilidade aqui se confunde com o de capacidade. Para possibilidade sempre melho r usar may e might.) Veja aqui um rpido estudo sobre a diferena de pronncia entre can e can't. Could funciona como passado e como futuro do pretrito de can: - passado: I couldn't speak English before Going To England. / I co uldn't go. / You couldn't smoke in the presence of your parents at that time. - Eu no sabia falar ingls antes de ir para a Inglaterra. / No pude ir. / No se podia fumar na presena dos pais, naquela poca. - futuro do pretrito: You could have called me. Could you do me a favor? Voc poderia ter me ligado. / Voc poderia me fazer um favor?

May
- significado de permission: May smoke here? - Posso fumar aqui? - significado de possibility: It may rain today. - Pode ser que chova hoje. - para expressar um desejo (to express a wish): May all your dreams come true. - Que todos seus sonhos se realizem. (Esta ltima ocorrncia mais rara, restrita a uma linguagem mais formal.)

Might
- significado de remote possibility: It might rain this weekend. - capaz de chover no prximo fim de semana.

Should
- significado de advice: You should study more. - Voc deveria estudar mais.*

Shall
- significado de suggestion (predominante no dialeto britnico): Shall we go to the movies? - Que tal irmos ao cinema? / Que tal, vamos ao cinema?

Shall ocorre unicamente no modo interrogativo e na primeira pessoa do singular (I) ou do plural (we).

Must
- significado de obligation: You must stop smoking. - Voc tem que parar de fumar. - significado de prohibition: You mustn't get out of bed. - Voc no pode sair da cama. - significado de inference, logical deduction: He must be very rich. - Ele deve ser muito rico.* * Veja a ambivalncia do verbo dever do portugus. H quem classifique o will, o would e o used to como verbos modais. Ns preferimos deixar o will e o would como auxiliares do future e do conditional, e o used to como habitual, equivalente ao pretrito imperfeito do portugus. Leia aqui sobre o used to. Tambm o verbo need pode ocorrer como modal, mas apenas nas formas negativa e interrogativa. Esta, entretanto, uma ocorrncia muito rara, principalmente em ingls norte -americano.

VERBOS MODAIS
Ausncia de Obrigao

Quando ns queremos dizer que no necessrio a pessoa fazer determinada aco ns podemos utilizar um verbo moldal no negativo o verbo inteiramente no negativo. Mas ns podemos utilizar o don't have ao invs do haven't got to, que mais informal. It is said that Sunday is the best day of the week because you don't have to work and you haven't got to wake up early. You d on't need to have breakfast quickly and you can read the newspaper as long as you want. This is true, but today is Sunday and I am in my utility room. What can I see? An iron, a broom, a washing machine, a full laundry basket, a feather duster and a vacuum cleaner. What do I use them for? To do the housework. This means that I will have to spend the whole Sunday using the window cleaner, the mop and the dustpan. But people say that on Sunday you don't have to work and you haven't got to wake up early. You don't need to have breakfast quickly and you can read the newspaper as long as you want. So, what is happening? Maybe people forget that some Sundays you must work at home. It is true you don't have to go to work to your office or to your shop but the lau ndry detergent, the bleach and the softener are waiting for Sunday to be used.

Ability

Modals are auxiliary verbs which are used with a bare infinitive to express the speaker's attitude as well as a degree of certainty or uncertainty. Each modal verb has more than one use. When we want to say that someone has the ability to do something we usecan, but ascanonly has two forms canfor the present andcouldfor the past be able tosupplies the missing parts ofcanand it is also an alternative form for present and past.

An afternoon at home
The Robinsons are spending the afternoon at home.

Father Hey, Peter. I think your brother has some problems with his maths exercises. Why don't you stop playing with the logs and the fireplace and go to his room to help him? Peter Can't he solve his maths problems himself? Father No, he can't. I'd like to help him, but you know I can't, because I've forgotten what I was taught when I was at school. And your mother could help you when maths was easier. Now it is very complicated. Peter Mum, what are you doing? Mother I'm sewing the curtains. Peter When are you Going To teach me how to sew? Mother Very soon. If you help your brother, I'll teach you to sew. There are not many boys of your age who can sew. And don't talk so loud. The baby can't sleep, because you are making too much noise. Peter Dad, what are you doing? Father I'm very busy. Yesterday mum told me something about changing the armchair and the sofa, and I'm just trying to convince her that they are still comfortable. You know it's difficult to convince your mother. Please, go and help your brother. You are the only one who can do it. Your mother and I don't remember anything of what he is doing. Peter OK. I'll do it. Mum, don't forget to tell daddy that the T V and the video cassette recorder don't work properly and that it would be a good idea to change them too.

Os verbos modais (May , Might , Must) nunca vo mudar de forma, e nas frases negativas e interrogativas, no precisam de verbos auxiliares. Abaixo lista dos modal verbs:
May: usado quando alguma coisa tem grande chance de acontecer, mas no 100%. Exemplo: - May you help-me? (Voc pode me ajudar? [espera -se que a pessoa ajude])

Os verbos modais (modal verbs) ou anmalos so uma classe de verbos que possuem caractersticas distintas dos comuns. Fazem parte dessa classificao os seguintes verbos: may, might, should, can, could, must, should, ought to, used to, to be used to. Existem ainda aqueles que podem ser modais ou comuns, como o caso do need e do dare, mas isso eu no vou discutir hoje. Agora vamos conhecer as caractersticas que os torna to anormais. 1- no tm formas terminadas em -s, -ing ou -ed.
 

She knows how to swim. (reparem o s do Verbo know) She can swim. (na regra comum o verbo conjugado na 3 pessoa deveria ser seguido de -s)

2- no podem ser utilizados um logo aps o outro:

 

I like playing guitar (peceba que o verbo like e play vm seguidos) You could should talk to me first. (esta Forma est incorreta)

3 funcionam se fossem auxiliares nas frases interrogativas:



Can you swim? (perceba que a estrutura a mesmo da pergunta com o auxiliar do)

4 so seguidos de verbos no infinitivo, sem to, nas sentenas afirmativas:

 

I can drive. You should pray more.

5 permitem-nos exprimir capacidade, possibilidade, permisso, obrigao, proibio, forte probabilidade, etc.:
     

He can play tennis. Ele sabe jogar tnis. (capacidade) She might come. Ela pode vir. (possibilidade) You may go. Podes ir. (permisso) You must study. Tens de estudar. (obrigao) You mustnt (must not) smoke here. No podes fumar aqui. (proibio) He must be tired. Ele deve estar cansado. (forte probabilidade)

6 so por vezes chamados verbos defectivos devido a ausncia de formas que os outros verbos possuem, como por exemplo, a forma no infinitivo. Nestes casos, recorrem -se a outros verbos, como por ex. be able to em vez de can:
 

Ill be able to give you an answer soon. Serei capaz de lhe dar uma resposta em breve. I wont be able to do it for tomorrow. No serei capaz de o fazer para amanh.

He was able to open the door. Ele conseguiu abrir a porta.

7 Apenas quatro verbos modais tm a forma no passado, mas no so verdadeiramente verbos do passado: Can could May might

Read more: http://inglesparaleigos.com/2009/04/modal-verbs-verbosmodais/#ixzz1NV91OWjM