CHAPTER IX MODAL AUXILIARIES

MODAL AUXILIARIES

IX.1.- EXPRESSING ABILITY: CAN, COULD

AFFIRMATIVE SENTENCES

SUBJECT + CAN(COULD) + VERB + OBJECT

Mary can speak Spanish.

Peter can come tomorrow.
We can go on vacation next month.
I could speak German when I was a child.
I could open the window

EXPLICACIÓN: El auxiliar CAN sirve para indicar que se posee una habilidad en tiempo presente o con
connotaciones de tiempo futuro. El auxiliar COULD sirve para indicar esta misma
habilidad solo que en tiempo pasado.

NEGATIVE SENTENCES

SUBJECT + AUXILIARY + NOT + VERB + OBJECT

Ex (present) Betty Can Not Play The piano

(past) Betty Could Not Play The piano

NEGATIVE SENTENCES

AUXILIARY + SUBJECT + VERB + OBJECT SHORT ANSWER

Ex (present) Can Betty Play The piano? Yes, she can.

No, she can´t.
(past) Could Betty Play The piano? Yes, she could.
No, she couldn’t

NOTA: Las fórmulas que se dan para las oraciones afirmativas, negativas o interrogativas, pueden ser
usadas con todos los auxiliares de esta unidad. Se debe dar un trato especial al auxiliar OUGHT
TO.

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 CHAPTER IX MODAL AUXILIARIES
EXERCISE 1.- Fill in the blanks by using can or could.

1. Gloria Stefan ___________________________________ play the drums.

2. My grandmother __________________ bake delicious cakes ten years ago.
3. Michael ______________________ swim now.
4. We __________________________ (not) forecast the path of a storm.
5. Christopher Reeve _____________________________ Walk two years ago.
6. The dam __________________________ hold the flow.
7. ____________________________ Karen cook well?
8. My husband _________________________ fly an airplane before his accident.
9. I _____________________ (not) dance salsa.
10. ______________________ Jane use a computer last year?

IX.2.- GIVING PERMISSION: CAN, MAY.

FORMAL INFORMAL

a) When you finish the test, you may leave b) I´m not ready to go, but you can leave if you are
in a hurry. I´ll meet you later.

b) You may pay the bill either in person or my d) Sure! You can borrow five bucks from me.
mail. You can pay me back later.

EXPLICACIÓN: Para dar permiso se utiliza más MAY en situaciones formales; se utiliza CAN para
situaciones informales.

EXERCISE 2.- Fill in the blanks by using can or may.

1. Mother,______________________ I go to the swimming pool?

2. Oh! You finished your homework, you ___________________________ see the program.
3. Hello!! Susan? I am lucky. I _________________________ go to the party.
4. Let´s begin the class. _______________________ you open your books please?
5. I need to print his page ____________________ I use the printer, teacher?
6. Hey! Guy __________________ you lend me some money?
7. I am on a diet. So I ______________________ (not) have dinner.
8. You failed the test so you _________________________ (not) have the money.

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 CHAPTER IX MODAL AUXILIARIES
IX.3. EXPRESSING NECESSITY: MUST, HAVE TO

SUBJECT + AUX. + VERB COMPLEMENT EXPLICACIÓN

a) Every driver must have a valid license. MUST y HAVE TO expresan necesidad. En
b) Every driver has to have a valid license. a) y b) es necesario que cada chofer tenga
c) All applicants must take an entrance exam. licencia.
d) All applicants have to take an entrance exam No hay otra opción, se necesitan la licencia.

e) I must be at home by eight. I´m expecting an
extremely important telephone call at 8:00.
f) I have to be home by eight. I have a lot of
studying to do tonight.
Algunas veces (no siempre) MUST es un
poquito más fuerte que HAVE TO. En e)
usando must se enfatiza la idea que el no
tiene otra opción.

EXERCISE 3.- Fill in the blanks by using the auxiliar must or have to.

1. You __________________________ have a passport to travel abroad.

2. We __________________________ save money or we can not pay the loan.
3. Michael __________________________ be at the university at 7:00 am.
4. Dancers __________________________ be lively.
5. Susan had another accident. She _____________________ buy a life insurance.
6. Jim is twenty five. He´s married. He ______________________ work and earn his living.
7. Mr. Perez ______________________ write a letter to his wife.
8. Americans _________________________ remove the snow from the sidewalk.

IX.4.- EXPRESSING ADVISABILITY: SHOULD, OUGHT TO, HAD BETTER

SUBJECT + AUX. + COMPLEMENT

EXPLICACIÓN
SUBJECT + AUX. + VERB + OBJECT

a) I should lose some weight. Should y ougth to tienen el mismo

b) I ought to lose some weight.
c) You should study harder.
d) You ought to study harder.
e) You shouldn´t leave your keys in the car.
f) The gas tank is almost empty. We had better
stop at the next service station.
g) You had better take care of that cut on your
hand, or it will get infected.
significado: Sugerencia. Ambos significan
“Esto es una buena idea” “este es un buen
consejo”.
Contracción negativa de should Ought to no
use usa en la forma negativa. En significado
had better es casi igual que should y ought to
pero had better es más fuerte. A menudo had
better implica una advertencia o anuncio de
posibles malas consecuencias.

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 CHAPTER IX MODAL AUXILIARIES
EXERCISE 4.- Complete the following sentences.

1. I should study tonight because. ___________________________________________

2. I ought to study tonight because. _________________________________________
3. I had better study tonight. If I don´t. _______________________________________
4. I should wash my clothes today, but _______________________________________
5. I´d better wash my clothes today or. _______________________________________
6. It´s a beautiful day. We ought to _________________________________________
7. It looks like rain. If you are going out you. __________________________________
8. The door is locked, so I ________________________________________________

IX.5.- EXPRESSING POSSIBILITY: MAY, MIGHT

SUBJECT + AUX. + VERB COMPLEMENT EXPLICACIÓN

a) A: Why isn´t John in class? May y Might expresan posibilidad. su

B: I don´t know. He may be sick. significado es casi el mismo, aunque a veces
b) A: Why isn´t John in class? might indica menos posibilidades que may.
B: I don´t know. He might be sick. En a) y b) el significado de may y might es
c) A: What are you going to do tonight? presente. En c) el significado es futuro.
B: I haven´t made up my mind yet.
I may (might) go to the library, I
may (might) visit some friends, o
I may (might) just stay home.

IX.6.- EXPRESSING PROBABILITY: MUST

SUBJECT + AUX. + VERB COMPLEMENT EXPLICACIÓN

a) A: Why isn´t John in class? Se usa MUST para expresar

B: he must be sick. Usually he is in class every probabilidad.
day, but when I saw him last night he wasn´t
feeling good. So my best guess is that he is
sick.
b) I see a man with a cane walking down the street.
He must be blind.

EXERCISE 5.- Fil in the blanks, use may, might or must.

1. Susan, you´re coughing, sneezing blowing your nose, and running a fever. You (feel)
___________________ terrible.
Yes, I do.

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 CHAPTER IX MODAL AUXILIARIES
2. Are you going to the meeting?
I don´t know. I _________________________ go. What about you?
Definitely. I´m looking forward to it.
3. Do you want to come to the snack with us?
I don´t know. I am not especially hungry. Why don´t you go ahead? (join) __________________
You later, but don´t expect me.
4. Hello. May I speak to Albert?
I´m sorry. You (have)___________________ the wrong number. There´s no one here by that name.
5. Eduardo just bought his wife a diamond necklace. He (be) _______________________ rich.
6. How old is his son now? He (be) _______________________ about six or seven.
7. How long has it been since you last saw your family?
Over a year.
You (miss) __________________________ them very much.

IX.7.- EXPRESSING EXPECTATION: SHOULD

SUBJECT + AUX. + VERB COMPLEMENT EXPLICACIÓN

a) She has been studying hard
She should do well on the test tomorrow.
b) Let´s go to the lecture. It should be interesting.
c) We should get a letter from her tomorrow.
El auxiliar should se utiliza para expresar
expectativa.
Se utiliza WILL para indicar que no hay
duda en la mente del que habla sobre un
evento fututo.
Se utiliza AHOULD para indicar que
algo “tal vez será verdadero en el futuro”.
MUST sirve para indicar que algo
“probablemente es verdadero” en el
presente.

EXERCISE 6.- Complete the sentences using modal auxiliaries expressing: expectation (should) certainty
(will) or probability in the present (must).

1. Your flight __________________ depart from gate 205, at 7:00 o´clock tomorrow morning.
2. Peter has studied hard to win the scholarship. He ________________ do well on the test tomorrow.
3. Mary __________________ be at home because I see her car in her garage now.
4. Beatriz __________________ give technical English I next semester.
5. Edwin has worked hard. He __________________ be the next president of the company.

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