MODAL VERBS

ABILITY
CAN
COULD
WAS ABLE TO
MANAGED TO

Ability in the present

Ability in the past
At a certain time in the past
At a certain time in the past

I can/cannot play the guitar.

I could swim.
I was able to swim when I was 5.
Did you manage to find your passport?

PERMISSION
CAN
COULD
MAY
*MAY
*CAN

Informal
Formal
Very formal
Carteles

Can I go to the toilet?

Could I go the toilet?
May I go to the toilet?
Bags may be left here.

Situaciones generales, lugar determinado

In the US, people can drive when they're 16.

REQUEST
CAN
COULD
WOULD
WILL

Informal
Formal
Very formal
Quieres?

Can you help me?

Could you help me?
Would you mind waiting here?
Will you open de door?

DEDUCTION
MUST
MUST HAVE
CAN'T
CAN'T HAVE

Con seguridad
Con seguridad en el pasado
Con seguridad NO ocurre
Con seguridad NO (pasado)

The lights are on. She must be at home.

She must have returned.
They can't be going out.
They can't have got married!

POSSIBILITY
MAY
MIGHT
COULD
MAY HAVE
MIGHT HAVE
COULD HAVE

Posibilidad (Puede)
Menos probable (Pudiera)
Menos probable (Pudiera)
Puede que haya ocurrido
Pudiera ser que haya ocurrido
Podra haber ocurrido

She may (not) come round later.

She might (not) come or not.
She could come or not. (Couldn't)
They may have returned.
She might have failed the exam.
You could have told me.

OBLIGATION / NECESSITY
MUST
HAVE TO
HAD TO

Obligacin interna
Obligacin externa
Obligacin en el pasado

I must study hard.

I sometimes have to work on Sundays.
He had to work last Saturday.

PROHIBITION
MUSTN'T

Contra las normas

You mustn't smoke on buses.

LACK OF NECESSITY
DON'T HAVE TO
DIDN'T HAVE TO
DON'T NEED TO
DIDN'T NEED TO
DON'T NEED
NEEDN'T
NEEDN'T HAVE

No prohibicin/necesidad
En el pasado
No necesidad
En el pasado
No necesidad + Objeto
No necesidad
En el pasado

She doesn't have to carry her passport.

We didn't have to show our passports.
You don't need to buy potatoes.
We didn't need to show our passports.
You don't need potatoes. You needn't potatoes.

You needn't buy potatoes.

We needn't have travelled by plane.

ADVICE
SHOULD
SHOULDN'T
OUGHT TO
OUGHT NOT TO
HAD BETTER
HAD BETTER NOT

Debera (recomedaciones generales)

No debera
Debera
No debera
Debera/sera mejor que
Sera mejor que no

You should go to the doctor.

She shouldn't smoke so much.
She ought to study harder.
She ought not to smoke.
You'd better lose yourself in the music.
You'd better not ring up after 11 p.m.

REGRET
SHOULD HAVE

Arrepentiemiento/Criticar

She shouldn't have married him.

OFFER
SHALL

Ofrecimiento

Shall I open the door for you?

COMMAND
WILL

Orden

Will you keep quiet?