Modal & Modal like verbs p.

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MODAL & MODAL-LIKE

(Verbos modales)

Los verbos modales son verbos auxiliares que no pueden funcionar como un verbo principal, a
diferencia de los verbos auxiliares “be”, “do” y “have” que sí pueden funcionar como un verbo principal.

Los verbos modales expresan modalidad, habilidad, posibilidad, necesidad u otra condición
Los verbos modales no funcionan sin otro verbo. Este otro verbo siempre va después del verbo modal y
está en la forma base (el infinitivo sin “to”).

Modal verbs
May
Might
Can
Could
Shall
Should
Would
Must
Will

Modal like:
Be able to, Be to/ought to /had
Better / be supposed to
Used to
Must Have to / have got to
Be going to
Would like to
Would rather

Modals and Modal-like verbs are followed by the base form of the main verb.
e.g. Harry must go to Chicago this week
e.g. Harry has to go to Chicago this week

Points to remember
Must has 4 principal meanings: each one of which has a different negative form
a) obligation:
e.g. You must go to school.
Negative: Prohibition
e.g. You’ve been very ill and you must not go to school until you are recovered.

b) necessity: You must work hard if you are going to pass the examination
Negative: (lack of necessity)
e.g. you needn ́t work hard to pass that examination

c) supposition or deduction
e.g.: It must be his sister
Negative: supposition
e.g.: It can’t be his sister

d) desirability
 e.g. You must see that film! It ́s wonderful
Negative: undesirebility
e.g. You had better not see that film. It would only upset you.

NOTE: The past tense of must in the meaning of obligation needs some attention
e.g. You must play football at the school
past: You had to play football..
e.g. You mustn’t play football this year
Past: I was not allowed to play football last year

There is a distinction between must and have to. “Must” is more of an emphatic exhortation and
more of an assertion of personal authority than “have to”, which is used for a necessity fixed by laws and
rules and implies a detached attitude. “Must”, however, is the one used on public notices.
e.g. Passengers must cross the line by the footbridge (public notices).
e.g. Passports must be shown at the frontier (public notices).
e.g. You must do as you are told (assertions of personal authority).
e.g. You have to abide by the referee’s decision (general rule in any sport)

Practice

1. It's a hospital. You smoke.

2. He worked for more than 11 hours. He be tired after such hard work.
3. I speak Arabic fluently when I was a child and we lived in Morocco. But after
we moved back to Canada, I had very little exposure to the language and forgot almost
everything I knew as a child. Now, I just say a few things in the language.
4. The teacher said we read this book for our own pleasure as it is optional.
5. you stand on your head for more than a minute? No, I .
6. If you want to learn to speak English fluently, you to work hard.
7. Take an umbrella. It rain later.
8. You leave small objects lying around. Such objects be
swallowed by children.
9. People walk on grass.
10. Drivers stop when the traffic lights are red.
11. I ask a question? Yes, of course.
12. You take your umbrella. It is not raining.
13. you speak Italian? No, I .