MODALS VERBS

CHARACTESTICS

1. They don’t add “ s” or “es” in the 3rd person singular( except, has
to, needs to..)

2. They are followed by an INFINITIVE without to

3. They are DEFECTIVE, so they use other verbs for certain tenses
( for example, CAN uses BE ABLE TO to make the future with WILL)

CAN/ COULD/ BE ABLE TO: To express ABILITY(Saber), CAPACITY,

PERMISSION AND POSSIBILITY(poder)

PRESENT

I can

You can

He can

PAST

I could

You could

He could, etc

PRESENT PERFECT

I have been able to

FUTURE

I´ll be able to do it

We have in PRESENT and in PAST two different forms

PRESENT

I am able to I can

PAST

I was able to = I managed I could

There is some kind of DIFFICULTY when we use I am able to or I was

able to in the present or the past
MUST/ HAVE TO: we use both to express OBLIGATION

PRESENT

I have to: to talk about an external obligation( sth you do because you are
obliged to do by others, your parents, your teacher, etc

You have to

He has to

She has to

It has to

We have to

You have to

They have to

MUST: We use it to talk about sth I do because I think it’s IMPORTANT to

me

I must

You must

He must

She must

It must

We must

You must

They must

PAST

I had to

FUTURE

I´ll have to

PRESENT PERFECT

I have had to do it
MUSTN´T : PROHIBITION

DON´T HAVE TO: ABSENCE OF OBLIGATION / NO NECESSITY/ NOT

NECESSARY

DON´T HAVE TO DON´T NEED TO NEEDN´T

I don’t have to I don’t need to I needn’t

You don’t have to You don’t need to You needn’t

He/She doesn’t have to He/ she doesn’t need to He/ she needn’t

It doesn’t have to It doesn’t need to It needn’t

We don’t have We don’t need to We needn’t

You don’t have to You don’t need to You needn’t

They don’t have to They don’t need to They needn’t

NEED TO: NECESSITY, it’s important to me to do it

I need to= I have to

You need to

She needs to

He needs to

It needs to

We need to

You need to

They need to

I need to go to Madrid next week

I have to go…

MAY/ COULD/ MIGHT: PROBABILITY

MAY: very probable( ++++)

Could: less probable( ++)

Might: very little probability(+)

It may rain today, there are a lot of clouds in the sky.

She could be at home now but I’m not sure

It might rain today but the sun is shining, I don’t think so

SHOULD / OUGHT TO

SHOULD : To give a piece of ADVICE

You should stop smoking( a friend of yours)

You must stop smoking( your doctor)

OUGHT TO: To talk about things that they should be in one way but they are in
another way (sth unfair)People ought to respect the environment

MUST: LOGICAL DEDUCTION and we are very SURE about something

Her name is Antonella Benedetti, she speaks with an Italian accent, she must
be Italian

CAN´T : IMPOSSIBILITY
She can’t be English, she doesn’t speak English at all and her name is Maria
Pérez

MODALS+ PERFECT INFINITIVES

MODAL+HAVE+ PAST PARTICIPLE: We use it to talk about actions we wish

had been in a different way.

You should stop smoking( You have the opportunity to change your mind and
stop smoking)

You should have stopped smoking (Your doctor telling you off because you
have lung cancer and now it’s to late to recover or to do sth about it)