Modals

Modal verbs trazem ideias (obrigação, possibilidade, capacidade e outras) e não ações.

Regras
● Não há acréscimo de –s na 3ª pessoa: He may go to work now;
● Não há auxiliares em perguntas ou negativas: Can she dance? No, she can’t dance;
● Unem-se a outro verbo sem a partícula to: You should leave now. (há exceção);
● Sem –ing: He is musting study more (errado);
● Sem futuro: They will can run 5 miles non-stop. (errado);
● Sem passado: He musted work to survive.(errado) (há exceções).

Uso Geral

Affirmative
● You must / have to study hard. = You are obliged to ...
● You need to study hard. = It is necessary for you to …
● You should /ought to eat healthy food. = You are advised to ...
● You can leave now. = It is possible/ permissible to...
● You may leave now. = You have the permission to...
● You are able to/can do this exercise by yourself. You have the ability to...
● They were able to avoid the car accident = It was possible for them to...

Negative
● You mustn’t / can’t leave now. = It is prohibited to..
● You don’t have to/ don’t need to do this exercise. = It is not obligatory to..
● You needn’t live in the USA to learn English. = It is not necessary to…
● You shouldn’t / oughtn’t to eat fast food every day. = It is not advisable to…
● You can’t leave now. = It is not possible/ not permissible to…
● You may not leave now. = You don’t have the permission to…
● I’m not able to/can do this exercise by yourself. = I don’t have the ability to…
● They weren’t able to avoid the car accident. = It was not possible for them to...
Make, Let, Allow
● Our teachers made us study hard. (Active voice) = Our teachers forced us/obliged us
to…
● We were made to study hard. (Passive voice) = We were forced / obliged to …
● My father lets me drive his car. = He gives me the permission to…
● My father allows me to drive his car (Active voice) = He gives me the permission to…
● I’m allowed to drive my father’s car (Passive voice) = He gives me the permission to...

Deduction and Criticism

Making Deductions (about the PAST)

1- Possibilities: may / may not / might / mightn't / could + have + past participle
● She may / might have lost your phone number. = It is possible that this is the reason
she has not phoned you.

● It could have been Tom who broke the vase. = It is possible that it was Tom.

● They may not / mightn’t have heard what you said. = lt is possible that they thought
you said something else.

2- Certainty: must / can't / couldn't + have + past participle

● Paul must have told the truth. = There is no other possibility. It is certain.
● Paul can’t / couldn’t have lied to us. = It is certain he didn’t lie/ It is impossible that …
Expressing Criticism (about a past action/event):

1- Should/ Ought to + have + past participle

● You should have studied for the exam (but you didn’t and, therefore, got a low grade).

● You ought to have done your homework (but you didn’t and, therefore, you don’t know
how to do the exercises.

Resumo
Ability can, could, be able to

Permission can, could, may, be allowed

Advice / Criticism should, ought to

Obligation must, have to, need to

Prohibition mustn't, can't

Lack of Obligation don't have to, don't need to, needn't