MODAL VERBS

CAN, CAN’T (poder): she can speak Chinese.

COULD (podría): you could come with Paul to see the festival.
BE ABLE TO (ser capaz de): Peter is able to ride a bike.
MAY, MIGHT (puede, podría): we might be living in a different city next year.
SHOULD, OUGHT TO (debería): you ought to cut off coffee.
NEED TO, NEEDN’T (necesitar): we need to find a solution to overpopulation.
HAVE TO, DON’T HAVE TO (tener que): you don’t have to go in that direction.
WOULD (-ía): would you like to help keep the streets clean?
MUST, MUSTN’T (debe): they must cooperate to clean the streets.

MODAL PERFECTS
COULD HAVE (podría haber): we could have gone to see that museum. Now
it’s too late.
CAN’T/ COULDN’T HAVE (no ha podido): he can’t/ couldn’t have designed that
skyscraper. He isn’t an architect.
MAY/ MIGHT HAVE (ha debido): she may/might have turned down the
invitation.
MUST HAVE (debe haber): he must have felt exhausted after that long trek.
SHOULD/OUGHT TO HAVE (deberíamos de haber): she should/ought to have
left earlier.
SHOULDN’T HAVE (no deberían de haber): they shouldn’t have littered the
street. Now it’s all dirty.
WOULD HAVE (habría): I would have met you yesterday, but I couldn’t leave
the house.
NEEDN’T HAVE (no era necesario): you needn’t have bought me flowers.
 CONDITIONALS
ZERO CONDITIONAL: if/when/unless + present simple + (modal) present
simple.
 If you study, you pass.
 You pass, if you study.
FIRST CONDITIONAL: if/unless + present simple + future simple.
 If you study, you will pass.
 You will pass, if you study.
SECOND CONDITIONAL: if/unless + past simple + would + present simple.
 If you had studied, you would pass.
 You would pass, if you had studied.
THIRD CONDITIONAL: if + past perfect simple + would + present perfect.
 If you had studied, you would have passed.
 You would have passed, if you had studied.