MODAL

VERBS
You CAN’T take photographs here.
 SOME CHARACTERISTICS
• The verbs:
– CAN
– COULD
– BE ABLE TO
– MAY
– MIGHT
– MUST
– HAVE TO
– SHOULD
are MODAL AUXILIARY VERBS.
 SOME CHARACTERISTICS
• MODAL VERBS are used in English to
HELP other verbs express:
• Ability
• Possibility
• Certainty
• Advice
• Obligation / Necessity
• Lack of necessity
• Prohibition
 SOME CHARACTERISTICS
• They do not take an –s / -ing / -ed ending  He can cook
(NOT: He cans cook).
• They do not use the auxiliary “do” to form questions and
negatives  They shouldn’t make any noise (NOT: They don’t
should make any noise).
• They are followed by the BASE FORM of the VERB  You
MUST FASTEN your seat-belt (NOT: You MUST TO FASTEN
your seat-belt).
• They do not form ALL TENSES. They usually have
PRESENT or PAST tense  He CAN play tennis / He COULD
play tennis when he was 5 years old.
 ABILITY
• PRESENT ABILITY – CAN
• Meaning “poder fer algo” / “saber fer algo”

Peter CAN READ but his

sister Rose, CAN’T.
 ABILITY
• PAST ABILITY – COULD
• Meaning  “podia fer algo” / “sabia fer algo”

Mrs Turner COULD PLAY tennis before she had the

accident.
 ABILITY
• FUTURE ABILITY – WILL BE ABLE TO
• Meaning  “podré fer algo” / “sabré fer algo”

Doctors WILL BE ABLE TO FIND a cure for cancer.

 POSITIVE CERTAINTY
• MUST
• Meaning  “definitely yes” / “I’m sure”

He MUST BE lost!
 POSSIBILITY
• MAY / MIGHT / COULD
• Meaning  “it is possible” / “perhaps”

-Why is the baby crying?

- He MAY / MIGHT /
COULD BE hungry!
 NEGATIVE CERTAINTY
• CAN’T
• Meaning  “definitely not” / “I’m sure not”

He CAN’T BE at home!
 ADVICE
• POSITIVE ADVICE – SHOULD
• NEGATIVE ADVICE – SHOULDN’T
• Meaning  “I advise you to / not to”
(“t’aconsello que / que no)

You SHOULD BE more

careful!!
 OBLIGATION / NECESSITY
• There are 2 types of necessity / obligation:
– INTERNAL - The speaker decides that
something is necessary; some personal
circumstances make the obligation necessary.
– EXTERNAL - Somebody else other than the
speaker has made the decision; some external
circumstances make the obligation necessary
(laws, regulations, agreements and other
people’s orders).
 INTERNAL OBLIGATION /
NECESSITY
• MUST / HAVE TO
• Meaning  “it is necessary” / “I’m obliged to”

You MUST LISTEN to me

carefully!

You HAVE TO LISTEN to

me carefully!
 EXTERNAL OBLIGATION /
NECESSITY
• HAVE TO
• Meaning  “it is necessary” / “I’m obliged to”
I HAVE TO WEAR a
uniform every day at
work.
 OBLIGATION / DUTY
• 3rd Person Obligation – MUST
• It is mainly used in WRITTEN:
– Orders
– Rules
– Instructions
• Meaning  “it is obligatory to”
OBLIGATION
 LACK OF OBLIGATION / NECESSITY
• DON’T / DOESN’T HAVE TO
• (don’t/doesn’t need to & needn’t)
• Meaning  “it isn’t necessary to do something”

The farmer DOESN’T HAVE TO

BUY any vegetables (= It isn’t
necessary for the farmer to buy
any vegetables)
 PROHIBITION
• MUSTN’T
• Meaning  “it is forbidden to do something” /
“you are not allowed to do something” /”it is
against the rules” /”you can’t do something”