MODAL VERBS

Modal verbs are a reduced group of verbs which share

common grammatical characteristics and which give a
special meaning (modality) to the verbs they are with.

MODAL VERBS: GENERAL ASPECTS

• Modal verbs must be followed by a verb in base
form
“She can play the piano very well”
“Tom must go home now”

• Modal verbs never change in form. They

don´t have any mark (-s, -ed, ..)
• N egative form:
- most add “n’t” to the root of the modal verb: should-
shouldn’t , must-mustn’t, can-can’t (cannot)
- a few add “not” after the modal verb: may- may
not, might- might not

• FORM:
(+) I can speak Japanese
(-) I can’t/cannot speak Japanese
(?) Can you speak Japanese? Yes, I can
 **Common mistakes! DO NOT!!!

• Never write “to” between the modal verb and the

base form. “She must to do the project”
• Never write 2 “pure” modal verbs together “She will
can drive” [for this reason we need the semi-
modal verbs “she will be able to drive”]
• Never add any mark to the modal verb or to
the verb in base form: “she cans play” “she
can plays”
 1. CAN- CAN’T

• PRESENT and CURRENT ABILITY: “I can drive a car, but I can’t drive a
bus” (it should be translated as “saber”)

• POSSIBILITY (70%)
“It can rain this afternoon” (it is possible, it is translated as “poder”)
* can’t = impossible (0%) “I can’t go to the party tonight. I’ve broken my
leg”

• ASKING FOR PERMISSION AND INFORMAL REQUESTS

“Teacher, can I go to the toilet, please?”
“Miguel, can I open the window?”
 *BE ABLE TO

• It’s a semi-modal, with the same meaning as “CAN” = ability. But it can have
past, present and future form. You only have to change the verb TO BE.

(past) “I was able to bite my toes”, “You were able to swim fast”

(present) “I am able to speak Chinese”, “She is able to dance ballet”

(future) “I will be able to drive when I'm 19”

Common mistake: “I will can drive”

 2. COULD- COULDN’T

• PAST ABILITY: when a person was able to do something in the past, but
he or she can no longer do it at present.
“When I was a baby, I could bite my toes”
“My grandfather could run fast when he was younger”

• PRESENT/ FUTURE POSSIBILITY: (= MAY/ MIGHT/ CAN)

“It could rain tomorrow”

• ASKING FOR PERMISSION AND FORMAL REQUESTS:

more polite and formal than “CAN”
- “Sandra, can you go for a chalk, please?” (the teacher and the student know each
other)
- “Could you phone tomorrow, please? (they don’t know each other, you is
translated as “usted”)
 3. MAY- MAY NOT
- POSSIBILITY (50%)
“It may rain tomorrow”(it’s translated as “puede que”, remember MAYBE –predictions 50%)

- FORMAL REQUESTS ( = could. It’s very polite and formal)

“May I use the phone, please?” (¿Podría usar el teléfono, por favor?)

4. MIGHT- MIGHT NOT

-POSSIBILITY (20%)
“It might rain tomorrow” (it’s translated as “pudiera ser que”)
 5. SHOULD- SHOULDN’T
• GIVING ADVICE: (debería)
- “You should go to the dentist”
- “You shouldn’t use your mobile phone so much”

*OUGHT TO (less used) the same meaning as should.

- “You ought to go to the dentist” “ You ought not to use the mobile phone”

**HAD BETTER (‘D BETTER): (será mejor / sería mejor que..)

– “You had better go to the dentist” (“You’d better go…” )
– “You’d better not use the mobile phone…”

We use the modal expression had better to refer to the present or the future, to talk
about actions we think people should do or which are desirable in a specific situation.
The verb form is always had, not have. We normally shorten it to ’d better in informal
situations. It is followed by the infinitive without to:
It’s five o’clock. I’d better go now before the traffic gets too bad.
Not: I’d better to go now.
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:
She’d better get here soon or she’ll miss the opening ceremony.

Had better: negative and question forms

The negative of had better is had better not (or ’d better not):
I’d better not leave my bag there. Someone might steal it.
You’d better not tell Elizabeth about the broken glass – she’ll go crazy!
The question form of had better is made by inverting the subject and had. This means
the same as should, but is more formal:
Had I better speak to Joan first before I send this form off? What do you think?
Had we better leave a note for the delivery guy to take the parcel next door?
Negative questions with had better are more common than affirmative ones:
Hadn’t we better ring the school and tell them Liam is sick?
Hadn’t you better switch your computer off? It might overheat if you leave it on.
 6. MUST
- OBLIGATIONS: It’s compulsory, obligatory, mandatory. You are obliged
(deber)
“You must tidy your room” (your mum says to you to do so, so you must do it)
- PROBABILITY: when you are 100% sure of something.
The lights are off and the door locked. He must be out of the office
 7. HAVE TO /HAS TO

• OBLIGATION: the same meaning as “MUST”. But it’s a semi-modal, so it

can have past and future forms.
(present) “I have to pay taxes” ---- “she has to pay taxes”
(past) “I had to pay taxes last May”
(future) “I will have to pay taxes in the future”

**MUST vs HAVE TO

Both must and have are used to express an obligation, responsibility or necessity.
However, there is a slight difference in meaning or use.
– We generally use must when the speaker decides that something is necessary, or
needs to be done:
“I must write a letter to John” - in this case I have decided that I need to write a letter to
John. Nobody else has told me to write it. I think it is necessary.
– We use have to when somebody else other than the speaker has made the
decision.
“I have to write a letter to John” - here, I didn't decide to write a letter. Somebody
else has told me it was necessary to do it.
Let's look at some more examples:
“I must book a hotel for my trip next week” - I'm reminding myself that it is
necessary to do it.
“We have to wear a uniform at work” - our boss makes us wear a uniform. It is an
obligation that our boss has decided that is necessary.
– The teacher says: “You must complete the essay by Friday”
– The student says: “We have to complete the essay by Friday”
The teacher has used MUST because he has given the students an obligation. The
student uses HAVE TO because somebody else (the teacher) has told them what
needs to be done.

8. MUSTN’T
• PROHIBITION: It’s forbidden, banned, prohibited, you are not allowed.
“You mustn’t smoke at school”
“You mustn’t use the mobile phone in the classroom”
 9. DON’T HAVE TO/ DOESN’T HAVE TO
• ABSENCE OF OBLIGATION:(no es necesario que…) It is not obligatory,
but you can do it if you want.
“ You don’t have to wear a tie at school”
“Peter doesn’t have to study in the summer, he has passed all the subjects”

*Common mistake= “You haven’t to wear a tie” “he hasn’t to study”

10. NEEDN’T
The same meaning as “DON’T/DOESN’T HAVE TO” (no es necesario que…)
“You needn’t wear a tie”
“he needn’t study in the summer”
 11. OTHER MODALS

• SHALL: making an offer or expressing doubt . Only used in questions and

with I / WE
“Shall we dance?” (¿Bailamos?)
“Shall I go to the lawyer?”

• WOULD/ WOULDN’T : conditional and polite requests (the same as MAY

and COULD)
“I would like a cup of tea” (me gustaría una taza de té)
“Would you open the door for me, please?” (podría usted abrir la puerta por mi?”

• WILL/ WON’T : (see the future grammar explanation)

•
 MODAL PERFECT VERBS
FORM
- MODAL + HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE of main verb (must have invited, should
have had)
- The negative form is MODAL + NOT + HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE (couldn’t
have done)

USES AND MEANINGS

CERTAINTY or LOGICAL DEDUCTION:
• MUST HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE: it expresses a logical conclusion about a
past fact, certainty that something was true in the past. Something probably
happened in the past.
“Peter has arrived late. He must have been in a traffic jam.”
“You must have known I was angry, it was so obvious!”
• CAN’T HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE: certainty that something wasn’t true in the
past.
“I can’t have made a good impression because he hasn’t phoned me yet.”
• COULDN'T HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE: certainty that something didn't
happen.
“He couldn't have passed because he hadn't studied.”

POSSIBILITY
• COULD HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE: past possibility
“You could have told me your mum was in hospital.”
• MAY HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE: supposition about something in the past.
“She may have phoned, but we don’t know because we were in the garden.”
“Joe may have taken the wrong train.”
• MIGHT HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE
“You might have known the answer.”

ABILITY
• COULD HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE: ability to have done something in the past
which in the end wasn't done.
“You could have played better.”

ADVICE or RECOMMENDATION
• SHOULD HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE: criticism or regret about something you
did wrong. You didn’t do something which was a good idea.
“I was anxious, you should have phoned me.”
“You should have warned me earlier.”
• SHOULDN'T HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE: criticism or regret after an event,
showing that it shouldn't have happened.
“He shouldn't have told them.”
• OUGHT TO HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE:
“I ought to have apologized, I had been very rude.”

LACK OF NECESSITY
• NEEDN’T HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE: We did something although it wasn’t
necessary to be done. An unnecessary past action.
“You needn’t have made so many pancakes, nobody is hungry now.”
“He needn't have bought it.”

CONDITION
• WOULD HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE: past condition or situation. Willingness
or desire to do something in the past which in fact could not be done.
“I would have visited you, but I forgot your address.”
(Te habría visitado, pero olvidé tu dirección)