MODALS & SEMI-MODALS

FOR ABILITIES
Leonardo Palacin Bustamante
 MODALS & SEMI-MODALS FOR ABILITIES
1. PRESENT MODAL FOR ABILITIES: CAN/CAN’T

2. PRESENT SEMI-MODAL FOR ABILITIES: AM/IS/ARE ABLE TO

3. PAST SEMI-MODAL FOR ABILITIES: WAS/WERE ABLE TO

4. FUTURE MODAL AUXILIARY FOR ABILITIES: WILL BE ABLE TO

5. MODAL FOR PROBABLE FUTURE ABILITIES: MIGHT BE ABLE TO

 PRESENT MODALS FOR ABILITIES
Can/Can’t are modals used to refer to present abilities in affirmative,
negative and question forms.

• I can speak a little German.

• My wife can cook delicious cakes.
• I can’t play DOTA.
• My nephew can’t play basketball well.
• Can you read Chinese?
• Can your friends play musical instruments?
 PRESENT SEMI-MODALS FOR ABILITIES
Am/Is/Are + able to are semi-modals used to refer to present abilities
in affirmative, negative and question forms.

• I am able to speak a little German.

• My wife is able to cook delicious cakes.
• I‘m not able to play DOTA.
• My nephew isn’t able to play basketball well.
• Are you able to read Chinese?
• Are your friends able to play musical instruments?
 PAST SEMI-MODALS FOR ABILITIES
Was/Were + able to are semi-modals used to refer to past abilities in
affirmative, negative and question forms.

• I was able to speak a little German as a child.

• My wife was able to cook delicious cakes before.
• I wasn’t not able to play DOTA when I was in the school.
• My nephew wasn’t able to play basketball well, but now he can.
• Were you able to read Chinese in primary?
• Were your friends able to play musical instruments when they were
kids?
 FUTURE MODAL AUXILIARY FOR ABILITIES
Will /Won’t+ be able to are semi-modals used to refer to certain
future abilities in affirmative, negative and question forms.

• I will be able to speak German when I travel to Berlin.

• My wife will be able to cook delicious cakes after her course.
• I won’t be able to play DOTA even if I practise.
• My nephew won’t be able to play basketball well, he doesn’t like it.
• Will you be able to read Chinese after studying it for 3 months?
• Will your friends be able to play musical instruments next year?
 MODALS FOR PROBABLE
FUTURE ABILITIES
Might/Might not+ be able to are semi-modals used to refer to
probable future abilities in affirmative and negative forms.

• I might be able to speak German this year so I can go to Berlin.

• My wife might be able to cook delicious cakes if she practises hard.
• I might not be able to play DOTA if I do it alone.
• My nephew might not be able to play basketball well.