MODAL VERBS by Michelle Veintimilla

veintimillacristina26 — 2024-12-06 15:09:35 UTC

Modal verbs are helping verbs that are used along with main verbs to represent the ability, possibility and probability of a subject to do an action and emphasise the necessity of an action.

ABILITY

veintimillacristina26 — 2024-12-06 15:17:27 UTC

"Can" is often used to express someone's ability to do something — either in the present or future.

veintimillacristina26 — 2024-12-06 15:28:52 UTC

We use can + infinitive without to.

I can swim.
I can to swim.
We can’t come.
We can’t to come.

PROBABILITY

veintimillacristina26 — 2024-12-06 15:31:36 UTC

In a situation when something is possible but not certain, use the modal verb could, may, or might.

EXAMPLE:

Judging by the clouds, it might rain today.

She may become the youngest pro soccer player ever.

veintimillacristina26 — 2024-12-06 15:36:35 UTC

veintimillacristina26 — 2024-12-06 15:37:08 UTC

veintimillacristina26 — 2024-12-06 15:43:03 UTC

Don’t use do/don’t

Can is an auxiliary verb and has a negative and interrogative form. We don’t use do/don’t to make questions and negatives.

Can you swim?
Do you can swim?
He can’t swim.
He don’t can swim.

EXAMPLES

veintimillacristina26 — 2024-12-06 15:43:49 UTC

OBLIGATION

veintimillacristina26 — 2024-12-06 15:45:48 UTC

Modal verbs can express a necessary action, such as an obligation, duty, or requirement. Likewise, the negative forms express that an action is not necessary. Use the same modal verbs as with commands: must, have, and need.

EXAMPLES

veintimillacristina26 — 2024-12-06 15:50:39 UTC

We have to wait for our boss to arrive before we open.

You don’t need to come if you don’t want to.

You must pay attention.

veintimillacristina26 — 2024-12-06 15:51:28 UTC

Suggestion/advice

veintimillacristina26 — 2024-12-06 15:55:58 UTC

What if you want to recommend a course of action but not command it? If you’re giving suggestions or advice without ordering someone around, you can use the modal verb should.

examples

veintimillacristina26 — 2024-12-06 15:56:16 UTC

You should try the lasagna.

That guy should wear less cologne.

veintimillacristina26 — 2024-12-06 15:57:18 UTC

REQUEST

veintimillacristina26 — 2024-12-06 16:00:14 UTC

Request

Similarly, if you want to ask someone else to do something, start your question with will, would, can, or could.

EXAMPLES

veintimillacristina26 — 2024-12-06 16:01:04 UTC

I would like a cup of coffee. (Polite request or preference)
She would help you if she could. (Hypothetical situation)
They would love to visit Paris one day. (Desire or future intention in the past)
We would go to the beach if the weather were better. (Hypothetical situation)

veintimillacristina26 — 2024-12-06 16:02:25 UTC

Excercises

veintimillacristina26 — 2024-12-06 16:08:30 UTC

https://www.liveworksheets.com/es/w/en/english-second-language-esl/44814#google_vignette

Videos to practice

veintimillacristina26 — 2024-12-06 16:12:47 UTC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae6tfXC3K9w

veintimillacristina26 — 2024-12-06 16:16:14 UTC

Please here you can share your ideas or comment on each post with sentences or phrases about their experiences, something that someone else said.