MODAL VERBS

DEDUCTIONS AND POSSIBILITIES Para expresar conclusiones probables de las que estamos seguros o casi seguros: - En el presente: * Must + infinitivo (en frases afirmativas): She isnt at home. She must be at work. * Cant + infinitive (frases negativas): She cant like dancing. She hardly ever dances. - En el pasado: * Must / cant + have + participio : he said he would phone me but he didnt. He must have forgotten. - Conclusiones que se refieren al momento en el que estamos hablando: * Must + be + gerundio: hes very quiet. He must be thinking about something. Si no estamos muy seguros de nuestras conclusiones: * Might / may / could + infinitivo (frases afirmativas): I wonder where my mobile is. It may be in the car. * Might / may not + infinitivo (frases negativas): she is not here yet. She may not come. ADVICE, SUGGESTIONS AND OPINIONS En el presente: should / ought to /would rather / had better + infinitive. You should phone your parents. They seem to be worried. I would rather go to the cinema than go to dance. Hadnt you better go? Its nearly midnight. Had better se suele usar en forma negativa en preguntas y ought to no se suele usar en preguntas. En el pasado: should / ought to + have + participio. En pasado estos verbos expresan expectativas que no llegaron a cumplirse o crticas por algo que sucedi. She should have got the post. / He shouldnt have got so angry. They ought to have waited for her. ought to have no es frecuente en frases negativas. OBLIGATION AND NECESSITY

 Para expresar necesidad utilizamos need to: we need to buy some batteries for the camera. Para obligacin: must /have to+ infinitive. We have to be here at five. En pasado: had to + infinitive. I had to cancel my holidays last year.

LACK OF OBLIGATION OR NECESSITY Presente: - Dont have to: these are extra exercises. You dont have to do them if you dont want to. - Neednt: you neednt give me back my camera until next week. Pasado: didnt have to / didnt need to. Para decir que algo se hizo y no era necesario usamos neednt + have + participio. I neednt have bought the newspaper; my wife had already bought one. PERMISSION En el presente, futuro o en general : can / could / may. You can come a bit later. Could and may en preguntas se utiliza en contextos ms formales. Could you help me? May I ask you a question? En pasado: could, was/ were allowed to: when we were children, we were allowed to sleep at our friends houses at weekends. ABILITY Para expresar una habilidad en el presente: can. I can play the guitar. Para expresar una habilidad en el pasado: - Could: habilidades generales. When I was five I could read. - Was /were able to: expresa una habilidad en una ocasin concreta del pasado. Tom was able to persuade his parents to buy him a bike for passing his exams. Para expresar una habilidad en el futuro: When I finish high school I will be able to fulfill my dream: study medicine. Be able to puede utilizarse en cualquier tiempo verbal y es la nica opcin cuando no podemos utilizar can o could. Ive been able to fix the TV (he podido arreglar la tele).