The Modal auxiliary verbs

WILL, SHALL, MAY, MIGHT, CAN, COULD, MUST

WILL and SHALL:

WILL and SHALL + the infinitive of the verb (shall is rarely used in modern English) are used to form the future:WILL Y SHALL + EL INFINITIVO DEL VERBO (SHALL CASI NO SE USA EN EL INGLES MODERNO) SE USAN PARA FORMAR EL MODO FUTURO:She will go to London next year. ELLA IRA A LONDRES EL SIGUIENTE AÑOThey will visit us next August. ELLOS NOS VISITARAN EN AGOSTO PROXIMO

Sometimes SHALL can indicate obligation or a promise. In this case 'shall' is usually stressed in the pronunciation of the sentence.ALGUNAS VECES SHALL PUEDE INDICAR OBLIGACION O PROMESA. EN ESTE CASO SHALL SE PRONUNCIA ACENTUADAMENTE EN EL ENUNCUADO.He shall go to school! (obligation) EL DEBE IR A LA ESCUELA.I shall ask him ! (promise) LE PREGUNTAREWILL + infinitive = future : WILL + INFINITIVO = FUTUROExamples:a. Simon will leave for Poland tonight. SIMON SE IRA A POLONIA ESTA NOCHEb. His next trip will be to Australia. SU SIGUIENTE VIAJE SERA A AUSTRALIAc. Lucy will change her job at Easter. LUCY CAMBIARA DE TRABAJO DURANTE PASCUA.

MAY & MIGHT:

1. MAY expresses :1.-MAY EXPRESA:a. Permission PERMISOb. Possibility POSIBILIDAD2. MIGHT expresses :2.-MIGHT EXPRESA:a. Possibility POSIBILIDAD

MIGHT can replace MAY only when MAY is used to express possibility :MIGHT SOLO PUEDE REEMPLAZAR A MAY SOLO CUANDO SE USA PARA EXPRESAR POSIBILIDAD:It may rain today. PUEDE QUE LLUEVA HOYIt might rain today PUEDE QUE LLUEVA HOY

MAY and MIGHT used to express possibility never take the negative form.MAY Y MIGHT USADOS PARA EXPRESAR POSIBILIDAD NUNCA TOMAN LA FORMA NEGATIVAAffirmative form:FORMA AFIRMATIVA:She may go to the cinema. ELLA PUEDE IR AL CINEThey might go to the cinema. ELLOS PUEDEN IR AL CINENegative form:FORMA NEGATIVA:She may not go to the cinema. ELLA NO PUEDE IR AL CINEThey might not go to the cinema. ELLOS NO PUEDEN IR AL CINE

Interrogative form:(N.B. Permission only)FORMA INTERROGATIVAMay I go to the cinema? PUEDO IR AL CINE?May I leave now? ME PUEDO IR YA?MAY for PERMISSIONMAY PARA PERMISOExamples:a. May I watch television tonight? Yes, you may. ¿PUEDO VER TELEVISION ESTA

NOCHE? SI PUEDESNote : Here 'may' has the same function as 'can. AQUI "MAY" TIENE LA MISMA FUNCION DE "CAN"B.MAY and MIGHT for POSSIBILITYB.MAY Y MIGHT PARA POSIBILIDADExamples :a. We may go to dinner tonight, I'm not sure. PUEDE QUE VAYAMOS A CENAR ESTA NOCHE. NO ESTOY SEGURO.

orb. We might go to dinner tonight, I'm not sure. PUEDE QUE VAYAMOS A CENAR ESTA

NOCHE, NO ESTOY SEGURO.

CAN and COULD

CAN and COULD are used to express :CAN Y COULD SE USAN PARA EXPRESAR:-CAPACITY / CAPABILITY CAPACIDAD-PERMISSION PERMISO-POSSIBILITY. POSIBILIDAD1. CANNote: CAN and COULD cannot be used in the future. The future is formed with 'will be able to'. CAN Y COULD NO SE PUEDEN USAR EN FUTURO, PARA ELLO SE UTILIZA "PODRE, O ESTARE EN POSIBILIDAD DE" CANPresentShe can speak English. ELLA PUEDE HABLAR INGLESThey can swim. ELLOS PUEDEN NADAR

PastShe could speak English. ELLA PUDO HABLAR INGLESThey could swim. ELLOS PUDIERON NADARFutureShe will be able to speak English. ELLA PODRA HABLAR INGLÉS

ELLA ESTARA EN POSIBILIDADES DE HABLAR INGLES.They will be able to swim . ELLOS PODRAN NADAR

-O-ELLOS ESTARAN EN POSIBILIDAD DE NADARFORM :AffirmativePresent: can (is able to) CAN (PUEDE)Past: could (was able to) COULD (PUDO)Future: will be able to WILL BE ABLE TO (PODRA)Negativecannot (isn't able to) CANNOT (NO PUEDE)could not (wasn't able to) COULD NOT (NO PUDO)will not be able to WILL NOT BE ABLE TO (NO PODRA)

Affirmative:CAN + infinitive:I can speak French. YO PUEDO HABLAR FRANCESNegative:CAN + not + infinitiveThey can not (can't, cannot) play tennis. ELLOS NO PUEDEN JUGAR TENNISInterrogative:CAN or CAN NOT + subject + infinitive Can't she dance? ELLA NO PUEDE BAILAR?Can we come? PODEMOS VENIR?Examples:a. CAPACITY i. Howard can play the guitar. HOWARD PUEDE TOCAR LA GUITARRAiii.He can't understand German. EL NO PUEDE ENTENDER ALEMANb.PERMISSIONi. Can I park my car here? PUEDO ESTACIONAR MI COCHE AQUI?iii.Can I go to the theatre with Michael? PUEDO IR AL TEATRO CON MICHAEL?

c.POSSIBILITYi.We can live life with a positive or a negative attitude. PODEMOS VIVIR LA VIDA CON UNA ACTITUD POSITIVA O NEGATIVA.2.COULDCOULD is also the conditional of CAN and is often used in polite forms.COULD ES EL CONDICIONANTE DE "CAN" I SE USA PARA HABLAR CON PROPIEDAD. (FAROL)Could you help me ? PODRIA USTED AYUDARME?A. For polite requestsPARA SOLICITUDES FORMALES.Examples:In the conditional forma.Could you tell me the time, please? PODRIA PROPORCIONARME LA HORA POR FAVOR?b.Could I have a coffee, please ? PODRIA TRAERME UN CAFE POR FAVOR?As the past of CANCOMO PASADO DE CANe. She couldn't come to dinner last night. ELLA NO PUDO VENIR A CENAR ANOCHE.f. They could walk faster when they were younger. ELLOS PODIAN CAMINAR MAS RAPIDO CUANDO ERAN JOVENES.

MUST

MUST = TO HAVE TO: To express obligation or necessityMUST = TENER QUE (EXPRESA OBLIGACION O NECESIDAD)

Important! IMPORTANTE!a. We only use 'must' in the present. For all other tenses we use 'have to'.SOLO USAMOS MUST EN EL PRESENTE, PARA LOS DEMAS TIEMPOS SE USA HAVE TOb.MUST is used with the infinitive of the verb.MUST SE USA CON LA FORMA INFINITIVA DEL VERBOShe must leave immediately. ELLA SE DEBE IR DE INMEDIATO.1.Present 2.Past3.FutureAffirmative1. I must go YO DEBO IR.

2. I had to go. YO DEBIA IR3. I will have to go. YO DEBERE IR.Negative1. I mustn't go. YO NO DEBO IR.2. I didn't have to go. YO NO DEBIA IR3. I won't have to go. YO NO DEBERE IRInterrogative1. Must I go? DEBO IR?2. Do I have to go? DEBO IR -O- TENGO QUE IR?3. Will I have to go? DEBERE IR -O- TENDRE QUE IR?Examples :Present tense:a.I must see her tonight. YO DEBO VERLA ESTA NOCHEb.She must pass her exams. ELLA DEBE APROBAR SUS EXAMENESc.They must leave before 2 p.m. ELLOS SE DEBEN IR ANTES DE LAS 2.

Simple Past with 'have to':d.I had to see her last night. YO DEBI VERLA ANOCHE -O- YO TENIA QUE VERLA ANOCHEe.She had to pass her exams. ELLA DEBIO APROBAR SUS EXAMENES -O- ELLA TUVO QUE APROBAR SUS EXAM

Future with 'will have to': g.I will have to see her tomorrow. DEBERE VERLA MAÑANA -O- TENDRE QUE VERLA MAÑANAh.She will have to pass her exams. ELLA DEBERA APROBAR SUS EXAMENES

-O- ELLA TENDRA QUE APROBAR SUS EXAMENES