+ Son invariables, no se pueden conjugar (solo tienen un tiempo verbal) y tienen la misma forma para todyas las personas: CAN, COULD, MUST, MAY, MIGHT, SHOULD, NEEDN'T, HAD BETTER, (will, shall, would. + Siempre van sequidos de infinitivo sin to, a excepcién de ought to, have to, used to, need to, be able to. + No usan verbos auxiliares: En las oraciones interrogativas se invierte el orden entre el sujeto y el verbo modal May / use your pen, please? En las negativas, los modales afiaden "not" detras / cannot play the piano. | had better not go out because it's late. Los SEMIMODALES son aquellos que si pueden conjugarse o llevan to (have to, need to, ought to, be able to, be allowed to, be supposed to, etc.). + Expresar posibilidad/imposibilidad. He can be home, but | am not sure. You cannot live without oxygen. + Expresar habilidad (lo que se sabe hacer). She can play the piano very well, but | cannot speak Chinese. + BE ABLE TO se usa para otros tiempos verbales. She was able to play the piano in the past. | will be able to play the piano next year. + Expresar y pedir permiso "informal". Can / use your dictionary, please? + En negativa, puede expresar certeza, prohibicién o imposibilidad. He can’t be at work. Today is Sunday.+ Expresar habilidad en el pasado. She could play the piano when she was five Pero cuando conseguimos hacer algo de forma puntual, se debe usar MANAGE TO He didn't have the keys, but he managed to opened the door. + Pedir algo (formal). Cou/d you open the window, please? + Expresar imposibilidad en el pasado. She couldn't attend the meeting + Hacer especulaciones sobre el pasado. He could have killed the woman. They found his fingerprints + Hacer sugerencias. Cou/d we go to the beach tomorrow? + Expresar la idea de canen el estilo indirecto. He said he could speak Italian fluently. + Expresar una critica. + Expresar permiso. You may go to the party if you like / May | go with you? + Expresar posibilidad. / think he may be there, but | am not sure + Hacer especulaciones sobre el pasado. He may have killed the woman. They found his fingerprints.+ Expresar la posibilidad de que algo ocurra. Those clouds... it might rain right now + Hacer especulaciones sobre el pasado. He might have killed the woman, but it is not sure. + Expresar obligacion o fuerte recomendacion. You must study more if you want to pass + En negativa: expresar prohibicién. You mustn't smoke in here + Expresar deduccion afirmativa. He must be home. The lights are on. + Expresar necesidad: You need to study harder to pass the following exam + En negativa (needn't): expresar ausencia de obligacién You needn't worry about that. It won't be a problem anymore. + Expresar obligaci6n You have to show your Passport when you go to United States. + En negativa: expresa ausencia de obligacién You don't have to stay if you don’t like+ Dar consejos: You should study more to improve your marks + Expresar obligaci6n moral: You should love your parents + Criticar acciones pasadas: You should have done it better. You shouldn't have done it + Pedir favor educadamente: Wil/ you /end me some money, please? + Hacer un ofrecimiento: / will help you to carry those bags Hacer sugerencias: Shai/ we go to the beach? The weather is perfect today. Como vemos, los modales son invariables y van seguidos de infinitivo. Sin embargo, se pueden usar para referirse al pasado usando MODAL + INFINITIVO PERFECTO, normalmente para especular sobre acciones del pasado. You should have studied more for the exam. He must have seen the movie many times. He knows all about it. You can't have seen him because he is in London now. She may have been here before, but | don't know really.