Modal Verbs

Modal verbs are irregular auxiliary verbs (they don't have regular past and present
forms.)
They express ability, necessity, requests, advice, permission, probability and so on.
Quando usamos um modal, o verbo a seguir é na sua forma base (simples)
Examples:
I must wear seatbelt in a car.
We will travel on our next vacation.
It would be awesome if we won the lottery.
She might be the love of his life.
The doctor can see you now.
She should wear appropriate shoes in the factory.

1. Ability  Can / Could

Can = poder, pode, posso
Could Can + would (poder + ia / pude / pudesse / pudessem)

Can you drive?

She can speak Spanish and Portuguese, but she can’t communicate in French.

We could take you to the airport but our car is broken

We can’t take you to the airport because our car is broken.

He could have taught his son how to ride a bike but he didn’t.

They couldn’t care less about his problem; he is such a moron.

Can’t you see the rabbit near the tree over there?

Exercises:

I _______ swim

He __________ buy the house because doesn’t have enough money

__________ they play chess?

She ___________ speak many languages.

I ________ breathe! (not)

Those guys ___________ dance well even if they practiced for years!

He _________ have learned Italian, however, he didn’t even try to. [learn Italian].
I _____________ have danced all night long.

Despite all the evidences they __________ discover who was the murderer.

It _____________ have been an important victory but the other team scored a last-
minute goal.

They __________ find the problem so we’re still with no internet connection at home.

How many languages _____________ he speak?

How ____________ you learn it so fastly?

How fast _____________ she read?

What ability you _____________ do but you wish you _________?

____________ you type this letter for me please? My PC is broken.

You __________ find almost any information you need on the internet.

--

I wish I could…

He wishes he could…

2. Possibilities  May (maybe) / Could / Can /Might

When we talk about possibility, we use can, could and may, but they are
different in meaning. Might is a weaker possibility but true and the past of may.

It’s dangerous to cycle in the city. (This expresses a real fact using the present simple. The
speaker is certain and no modality is used.)

It can be dangerous to cycle in the city. (the speaker believes this is a general truth or
known fact, or a strong possibility.)

It could/may be dangerous to cycle in the city. (This does not express a general truth. The
speaker is only expressing a weak possibility.)

Maybe it is dangerous to cycle in the city (There’s a weak possibility)

It might be dangerous to cycle in the city. (This express that something is true although
not very likely)

The truth ___________ hurt you.

He __________ send it only by tomorrow.

Vitamin C _________ boost your immune system.

I brought some sandwiches because I thought she ____ be hungry.

My brother is afraid that his girlfriend’s family ________ not like him.

It ______ rain tomorrow according to the weather’s forecast.

The rain ____________ have stopped by now.[could / right?]

The kid ____________ have thought that the candies were for him.

Objects _________ be closer than they are

They ___________ not like the song so I asked for their advice.

She ____________ be really exhausted.

He ______________ have sent it yesterday. (poderia ter enviado ontem, mas não
enviou)

He _________ have sent it this morning (deve ter enviado esta manhã, ou não)

3. Permission  May / Could / Can

Formalidade: May > Could > Can

Teacher, may I go to the restroom?

Could I have some water, please?

Could you open the windows?

May I have your attention?

Can you help me in this exercise?

Visitors can’t go beyond this door. Employees only.

Julie, ____________ I use your cellphone?

__________ I ask you something?

____________ you call back later?

You _____________ leave your bags here because we’re cleaning the room.

___________ you tell me what happened?

Sorry folks, this is top secret I _____________ disclose the details of the investigation.

_________ I leave the room, boss? – No, you ____________.

____________ I read to you and you tell me whether it is good?

4. Deduction
4.1 Deductions about the present  Must / Might / May / Could / Can’t
Guessing if something is true using the available information.
The modal verb we choose shows how certain we are about the possibility

 Must > May / Might / Could

We use must when we feel sure that something is true or it's the only realistic
possibility.

This must be her house. I can see her car in the garage. (There’s clear evidence)
He must live near here because he always walks to work. (There’s enough evidence)
Come inside and get warm. You must be freezing out there! (There’s enough evidence)

 Formalidade: May > Might > Could

We use might, may or could to say that we think something is possible but we're not
sure.

She's not here yet. She might be stuck in traffic. (She might have another reason)

He's not answering. He could be in class. (Or his cellphone is in silent mode)

We regret to inform you that some services may be delayed due to the bad weather.
(They may be delayed or not, some people may have no problems with some services)

 Can’t: We use can't when we feel sure that something is not possible.

It can't be far now. We've been driving for hours.

She can't know about the complaint. She's promoted him to team leader.

It can't be easy for her, looking after three kids on her own.

Exercises:

The house isn't hard to find. It's the red one at the end. You ____________ miss it!
What an amazing trip! You ____________ have some incredible photos.
That ___________ be the vegetarian option. It's got chicken in it.
Have you got your passport? I'm not sure if you'll need it but they ________ ask you for
ID.
Who left their laptop on my desk? It __________ be Mel's – she's working at home
today.
Samira has the flu. We don't know yet but she ________ need to take the whole week
off.
Your watch says a different time from mine. One of them __________ be wrong.
Look at that bird! Maybe it's an eagle or it ___________________ be a vulture.
Do you remember my birthday party last year? You ____________ remember! It was
the same day as your graduation.
Come in and sit down. You ___________ be tired after the journey.
Whose is this coat? It ____________ be Paul's. It's way too small for him.
The exam results will be out soon. It _____________ be this week or possibly next
week.
She always gets such good grades at school. She __________ work very hard.
She sometimes gets good grades at school. She ______________ work very hard.
She never gets good grades at school. She _____________ work harder (study more).
The doctor said my headaches _______________ be because of the hot weather but
they're going to do some tests to be sure. (pain (dor)  hurts (doer)
He ____________ be our teacher! He looks about twelve!
Take this umbrella just in case. It looks as if it ____________ rain.

4.2 Deduction about the past  Modal + Present Perfect

Must have > Might have / May have
Can’t have / Couldn’t have
S + Modal + Present Perfect + C

 Must have + Participle

We use must have + past participle when we feel sure about what happened.

Who told the newspapers about the prime minister's plans? It must have been
someone close to him.
The thief must have had a key. The door was locked and nothing was broken.
Oh, good! We've got milk. Mom must have bought some yesterday.

 Formalidade: May have > might have + Participle

We can use might have or may have + past participle when we think it's
possible that something happened.

I think I might have left the air conditioning on. Please can you check?
Police think the suspect may have left the country using a fake passport.

 Can’t have / Couldn’t have + Participle

When we think it's not possible that something happened.

She can't have driven there. Her car keys are still here.
I thought I saw Adnan this morning but it couldn't have been him – he's in Greece this
week.
How did she fail that exam? She can't have studied very much.

Exercises:
Why were there no buses yesterday? Maybe it was the snow or they _________ been
on strike.
You ___________ seen her, surely! She was standing right in front of you.
Let's ask at reception to see if they have your keys. Someone ___________ found
them.
He _______________ gone to Russia. He didn't have a passport.
I explained the homework but she did the wrong page. She __must have__
misunderstood me.
Oh no! My phone's not in my bag. I ____________ left it at home.
It is still a mystery how the robber gained access to the bank. Police are investigating
whether the suspect ____________ known one of the employees.
I ______________ left my wallet in the restaurant. I paid for the taxi home afterwards.
Where's Clare? Her bag's here and her computer's still on so she ____________ gone
home.
I can't remember my password! But I ________ written it in my notebook as sometimes
I do that.
He wasn't answering the phone before. Maybe he went to the shop or he _______
been in the shower.
Sorry, I don't know if she's here or not. She was feeling ill so she _______ gone home.
She ________ cleaned the whole house on her own in two hours. She must have had
some help.
Wow! Have you finished all that already? You ________ been hungry!
He __________ known about it when I saw him. I'm sure he would have told me.
Oh, great! His car's here. He ____________ come home earlier than planned.
 5. Habits  Past habits / Present Habits

5.1 Present Habits  Will

We can use 'will' to describe present habits and behaviour whether it is good or
bad. It’s used when the speaker expresses an idea as an opinion.

S + will (+ adverb) + verb + C

He will always wake up early.
She will help you whenever she can.
Diane will insist on spending an hour in the bathroom every morning.
They will always be late if they think it’s not important.
It doesn’t matter what you do you’ll always be criticized. (cri-ti-saisd)
Will you behave like this every time something goes wrong?

 Use to também serve para costumes, mas aqueles rotineiros: costuma

We use to play soccer on Tuesdays nights.
On weekends I use to watch movies with my girlfriend.
They use to travel to Florianópolis on vacation
Do you use to drink coffee in the morning?
Doesn’t she use to work out in the afternoon?

5.2 Past Habits  would

S + would + verb + C
My father would take me fishing every Saturday.
The team would always play in another stadium if it would be snowing.
On Saturdays, when I was a child, I would wake up and watch cartoons ‘til noon.
Before I got a car I would wait on bus stops for hours.
Even if he had studied a lot, my brother would always get nervous before a test.
My mom would always bake us a cake when we visited.

 Used to também funciona para hábitos antigos (costumava fazer / ser / ir,etc...)
S + used to + V + C
S + didn’t use to + V + C
My father used to take me fishing every Saturday
Didn’t you use to play dodgeball?
The team used to play in another stadium if it were snowing
On Saturdays I used to wake up and watch cartoons ‘til noon
We didn’t use to get sick when we were teens
I used to wait on bus stops for hours before I got a car
My brother used to get nervous before a test even if he had studied a lot.
My mom used to bake a cake when we visited.
My mom didn’t use to drink tea but coffee.

Exercises:
We ___________ go to my grandma’s house to celebrate Christmas.
Sometimes my aunt __________ bring me little gifts without telling me why.
Marcela ___ _________ live in Recife, but now she lives in Salvador.
Every time I got sick, my mom ______ bake a delicious chocolate cake.
We _____________ come here a lot as a child. Those were the good old days.
She ____________ love that song when we were younger. She would listen to that
song when we were younger / She would sing this song every day.
We _____________ spend hours doing that. It was awesome (óssam)
Aaron ____________ work as a teacher, but now he has his own business.
They ____________ sell candies too, nowadays they only sell cakes and breads.
We _____________ buy candies there, but now they only sell cakes and breads.
I ______________ swim every day.
Before the pandemic I ______________ go to the park every weekend and eat a
burger afterwards.
She _____________ go dancing every Friday night.
I _____________ go to the beach every 3 or 4 days when I was living in Long Beach.
When I worked for a big company my boss _____________ always provide feedback
via e-mail and call for a meeting.
We ___________ go to school on foot but to get home we ___________ get a ride.
 6. Modals of Prohibition and Obligation

6.1 Prohibition  Must not (Mustn’t) / May not / Cannot (Can’t)

We use them when something is not allowed, usually by Law.

'Can't' usually gives the idea of something that is against the rules.

‘Mustn’t’ usually means that it is the speaker who is setting the rule.

 Cannot / Can't
We use can't to talk about something that is against the rules, particularly when we
didn't make the rules.

What does this sign say? Oh, it says you can't park here.
You can't take photos in the museum. They're really strict about it.
Sorry, we can't sell knives to under-18s.
You cannot drive in Canada without a valid driver’s license.
He can’t enter here because he’s not an employee.

 May not
May not is the formal way to prohibit something.

Your friends may not smoke in the house.

He may not wear shoes in the office.
The clients may not eat in the conference room.

 Must not / Mustn’t

We use must not to talk about what is not permitted.
It is common on public signs and notices informing people of rules and laws.
We use mustn't particularly when the prohibition comes from the speaker.

Visitors must not park in the staff car park.

Baggage must not be left unattended.
Guests must not make noise after 10 p.m.
(Parent to child) You mustn't say things like that to your sister.
(Teacher to student) You mustn't be late to class.
I mustn't let that happen again.
Exercises:
He _________ go into that restaurant wearing a transparent tank top.
You __________ drive in this country unless you are over eighteen.
They __________ use their phones in this room for safety reasons.
The students __________ wear a hat in class.
You __________ smoke in the office.
She ________ use a dress inside the lab.

Which is correct?
1)
( ) You may not use a calculator.
( ) You may no use a calculator.
2)
( ) You cannot park here.
( ) You couldn’t park here.
3)
( ) You may not to wear shorts to swim.
( ) You may not wear shorts to swim.
4)
( ) You can't not eat that.
( ) You can't eat that.
( ) You can’t to eat that
5)
( ) She can't has my book.
( ) She can't have my book.
6)
( ) You may not to smoke in here.
( ) You may smoking here.
( ) You may not smoke here
7)
( ) You can no to leave your jacket here.
( ) You cannot leave your jacket here.
8)
( ) You cannot enter an Italian church without covering your shoulders
( ) You can not to enter an Italian church without covering your shoulders
9)
( ) You may play not soccer on this field.
( ) You may not play soccer on this field.
10)
( ) He said you can’t enter the room, didn’t he?
( ) He said you can no to enter the room, didn’t he?
11)
( ) Only family may enter the patient’s room right now, therefore friends can’t [enter the
room].
( ) Only family may enter the patient’s room right now, therefore friends can’t to [enter
the room].

6.2 Modals of Obligation  Have to / Must

We use have to and must to express obligation. There is a slight difference
between the way we use them.

 Have to (conjuga como outros verbos: has to, had to, will have to, etc)
Have to shows us that the obligation comes from outside the speaker.
We sometimes call this 'external obligation'.

We have to wear a uniform when we're working in reception.

(Student to teacher) When do we have to hand in our homework?
Emma has to work tomorrow so she can't come.
Emma had to work yesterday so she couldn’t come.
You had to work yesterday so you couldn’t come.
My parents have to wait for my sister to give her the keys.
I thought they didn’t have to wear gloves for this experiment, only glasses.
Did they have to hand the declaration before or after the appointment?
All students have to bring something from their parents tomorrow for the activity.

 Must
Must expresses a strong obligation or necessity.
 It often shows us that the obligation comes from the speaker (or the authority that
wrote the sentence). 

Note that we don't use must to express obligation in the past. We use have to instead.

I had to pay £85 to renew my passport last week.

I must phone my dad. It's his birthday today.

(Teacher to student) You must hand in your homework on Tuesday or you will lose ten percent
of your mark.

(Sign on a plane) Seat belts must be worn by all passengers.

“You must do your homework every night.” (Because I say you must!)

Mustn’t or Don’t have to:

In Canada, employers _____ discriminate against women or minorities. It's against the
law.
You ________ pass a test to ride a bicycle.
You _______ live in Canada to study at the University of Victoria. You can take a
course by Internet.
Shops ________ sell cigarettes to children.
You ________ be late for class, or the teacher will be angry.
You _______ buy the text book for this course -- you can borrow mine.
You ________ unplug the computer while it is turned on. (Tãrnd’on)
This bus is free! You ________ buy a ticket.
Canadians ________ get a visa to travel to the US.
You ________ smoke in a gas station.

Complete the sentences with must, mustn’t, can’t, don’t have to, have to,
He __________ go into that restaurant wearing a transparent tank top.
At our school we __________ wear a uniform.
You __________ drive in this country unless you are over eighteen.
They __________ use their phones in this room for safety reasons.
You __________ cross the roads without looking. It’s dangerous.
The students __________ wear a hat in class.
You __________ smoke in the office.
Sorry, I ___________ go now. I don’t want to be late.
Nowadays in Spain pupils ____ learn Latin at school.
You __________ use a calculator.
She __________ use a dress inside the lab
John ___________ park here.
You ________ turn on the central heating. It’s automatic.
Third-year students ___________ take the exam.

Must / Mustn’t / Have to / Don’t Have to

You ___________ wear white clothes, but you ___________ wear sports shoes.
You ___________ disturb other players, but you ___________ be silent.
You ___________ finish on time, but you ___________ start on time.
You ___________ play with club balls, but if you do, you ___________ take them
home.
You ___________ eat or drink outside the bar, but you ___________ buy your food in
the bar if you don’t want to.
You ___________ have a shower, and you ___________ wear clean clothes.

7. Modals of Expectation  Future / Past

Algo que “deve” acontecer ou “deveria ter” acontecido.

Something that “should” happen or “should have” happened.

7.1 Present:
When you expect something to take place but you are not 100% sure of that.
You will use should/shouldn’t to represent the expectation.
Should + verb (base form)

Example:

Your math test is at 11:00 am. You should get ready now. (Present)
Can you please help him to do the work? It should take ten minutes only. (Future)
Eric has an exam, he shouldn’t go out now. (Present)
Alice is coming from home so early. She shouldn’t be late. (Future)
Richard has a concert on next Tuesday. He should start rehearsing now. (Present)
Jack has an important exam this week. He should not leave the city now. (Present)
Jen’s flight is at 3 pm. She should leave now. (Present)
You have to submit the project report tomorrow morning. You should complete it now.
(Present)

Can you show him the way to the Chairman’s room? It should take a few seconds
only. (Future)
Suzan has prepared herself so well for the exam. She shouldn’t get poor marks.
(Future)

7.2 Past Expectation Examples:

While expecting anything was supposed to happen in the past.

You have to use should have/ shouldn’t have and the past participle form of the
verb.

Should have + Past Participle

Example:

I sent the parcel a week ago. Allen should have received it by now.
Tom is a talented designer. He shouldn’t have made this mistake.
You have to present the topic tomorrow. You should have prepared yourself by
now.
Jeff is a sensible person. He shouldn’t have behaved like this.
Aric has an exam tomorrow. He should have completed his studies by now.

It’s possible to use should have/ shouldn’t have to represent things of the past
as right or wrong and good or bad.

Example:

Jack should have done it earlier because it really helped him to improve
himself.
Aric should not have done it because it was a wrong decision.
You should not have bought the fish because it was rotten.
Alex should have admitted his fault as it was good for him.
Richard should not have gone to watch this movie because it was a waste of
time and money.

She shouldn’t have called him

She shall call him (should + will)

She should had have called him

She shouldn’t had have called him