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Esquema Modales

This document summarizes the uses of modal verbs in English to express: 1) Ability in the present and past tense using can, could, be able to, and manage to. 2) Permission in the present and past tense using can, could, may, might, be allowed to. 3) Obligation, prohibition, advice and criticism using must, have to, mustn't, don't/doesn't have to, should, ought to, had better. 4) Deduction in the present and past tense using must, may/might/could, can't, couldn't have, could have. 5) Necessity in the present and past tense using

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42 views3 pages

Esquema Modales

This document summarizes the uses of modal verbs in English to express: 1) Ability in the present and past tense using can, could, be able to, and manage to. 2) Permission in the present and past tense using can, could, may, might, be allowed to. 3) Obligation, prohibition, advice and criticism using must, have to, mustn't, don't/doesn't have to, should, ought to, had better. 4) Deduction in the present and past tense using must, may/might/could, can't, couldn't have, could have. 5) Necessity in the present and past tense using

Uploaded by

fcaminop
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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MODAL VERBS

ABILITY
PRESENT PAST
CAN: I can play the violin. COULD: He could play the piano when he was six. (Only general ability)

OTHER TENSES
(BE) ABLE TO: I haven’t been able to fix my computer.
MANAGE TO: There was a fire, but we managed to escape.

PERMISSION
PRESENT PAST
CAN: Can I use your pen, please? COULD: When I was a teenager, I could stay out late as long as I told my
COULD: Could I use your pen, please? parents.
MAY: May I use your pen, please? (BE) ALLOWED TO: We were allowed to use a dictionary in the exam.
MIGHT: Might I use your pen, please?
(BE) ALLOWED TO: We aren’t allowed to use our phones during the lecture.

OBLIGATION / PROHIBITION
PRESENT PAST
MUST: You must be quiet in the library. HAD TO: When I was a kid, I had to wear a uniform at school.
HAVE TO: We have to wear a suit at work. DDIDN’T HAVE TO: When I was a kid, I didn’t have to wear a uniform at
MUSTN’T: You mustn’t eat in the library. school.
DON’T/DOESN’T HAVE TO: You don’t have to go to the meeting. It’s
optional.
ADVICE / CRITICISM
PRESENT PAST
SHOULD: You shouldn’t eat so many sweets. SHOULD HAVE: You should have done your homework last night.
OUGHT TO: You ought to do exercise every day. OUGHT TO HAVE: You ought not to have spoken to your boss in that tone.
HAD BETTER: We had better leave now before it gets dark.

DEDUCTION
PRESENT PAST
MUST: You have been working for hours. You must be exhausted. MUST HAVE: You must have felt very happy when you won the prize.
MAY/MIGHT/COULD*: I don’t know where she is. She might be at the MAY/MIGHT/COULD HAVE: I can’t find my keys. I might have left them at the
office. office.
Can’t: She can’t be at the office. She is on holiday. CAN’T/COULDN’T HAVE: You can’t have seen James. He hasn’t come to work
today.
COULD (Possibility): I could go to the party tonight if I finish my work. COULD HAVE (Past possibility): I could have gone to the party yesterday if I had
finished my work.

NECESSITY
PRESENT PAST
NEED TO: I need to buy a new laptop. This one is very old. NEEDED TO / DIDN’T NEED TO: I didn’t need to finish the project yesterday. It’s
DON’T/DOESN’T NEED TO: We don’t need to buy milk. We have plenty. due tomorrow.
NEED NOT: We need not buy milk. We have plenty. NEED (NOT) HAVE: I needn’t have worried about the exam. It was much easier
than I expected.

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