Yara Gonçalves Carobrez

Based on: Michael Swan

 They are modal auxiliary verbs (they help the main verbs).
 There is no –s in third person.
She can swim very well.
 Questions and negatives are made without do/did.
Can you swim?
I couldn’t understand her.
 After them we use the infinitive of other verbs without to.
I can speak a litle Arabic.
 They have no infinitives or participles (to can, canning, I
have could).
 (+) subj + CAN+ verb
(-) subj + CAN+ NOT (CAN’T or CANNOT)
(?) CAN+ subj + verb?

 Structure: can + verb, can + not = cannot/can’t.

 Used in theses situations:
 Ability: Can you speak French?
 To ask and give permition: You can stop working early today.
 To make an offer: Can I help you?
 Can’t – to express negative certainty: It can’t be true (it is not
possible that it is true).
 To give an idea of present continuous: I can hear the see (I
am hearing the sea).
 To say that something is common or typical: Scotland can be
very warm in September; Ann can really get on your nerves
sometimes.
 (+) subj + COULD + verb
(-) subj + COULD + NOT (COULDN’T)
(?) COULD + subj + verb?

 Used in these situations:

 May be used as the past of can: When I was younger I
could play tennis very well. (ability)
 May be used as the conditional of can, referring to
present or future: Could I ask you something?/
 It can mean “would be able to”: I could get a better job if I
spoke more than 2 languages.
 Make request: Could I have some more tea?
 Chances that something will happen or is happening: It
could rain this afternoon.
 Couldn’t – to say something didn’t happen on one
occasion: I managed to find the street, but I couldn’t find
her house.
 When talking about ABILITY “can” and “could” may be
substituted by “be able to”, which may be conjugated in
almost all verbal tenses.

Simple pres: I am able to Simp Future: I will be able to

He is able to Modals: I would be able to
We are able to He should be able to
Simple past: I was able to She must be albe to
You were able to It might be able to
Pres perfect: I have been able to You may be abe to
He has been able to We shall be able to
Past perfect: I had been able to
He had been able to
 (+) subj + MAY+ verb
(-) subj + MAY + NOT
(?) MAY+ subj + verb?
 Used in these situations:

 Used in similar ways to can and could.

 To talk about the probability that something will happen
or is happening: We may go climbing in the Alpes next
fall.
 Used to talk about probability in the present or future: I
may go to London tomorrow (50% chance).
 Indirect questions: Do you think you may go camping?
 Questions to ask permission (+ formal than can): May I
come in? May I borrow your eraser?
 In scientific papers (+ formal than can): A female
crocodile may lay 30-40 eggs.
 (+) subj + MIGHT+ verb
(-) subj + MIGHT+ NOT
(?) MIGHT+ subj + verb?

 Used in these situations:

 Used in similar ways to can and could.
 To talk about the probability that something will happen
or is happening (= may): Peter might phone.
 Used to talk about present or future (smaller chance
than may): I might go to London tomorrow (30%
chance).
 Direct questions (very formal): Might you go camping?
 Questions to ask permission (very formal, + formal than
could): I wonder if I might have a little more cheese.
 In scientific papers (+ formal than could, here it is used
in the past): In those days, a man might be hanged for
stealing a sheep.
 (+) subj + MUST+ verb
(-) subj + MUST+ NOT (MUSTN’T)
(?) MUST+ subj + verb?

 Used in these situations:

 Used to express the deduction or conclusion that

something is certain or highly probable: You must be
Anna’s sister, you look just like her.
 To talk about necessity or obligation: You really must
have your hair cut.
 Used in questions to ask the person’s opinion of what is
necessary: Must I clean all the rooms? Why must you
Always leave the door open?
 (+) subj + SHOULD+ verb
(-) subj + SHOULD+ NOT (SHOULDN’T)
(?) SHOULD + subj + verb?

 Used in these situations:

 To talk about obligation, duty, or give advice (something

good or important to do), it is less strong than “must”:
Everybody should wear car seat belt; Aplications should
be sent before December 30th.
 To say something is probable because it is logical or
normal: She’s away, but she should be back tomorrow.
 In questions to ask advice or instruction: Should I go and
see the police? What should we do?
 (+) subj + OUGHT TO + verb
(-) subj + OUGHT+ NOT (SHOULDN’T) + TO
(?) OUGHT+ subj + TO + verb?

 Idea similar to SHOULD, but less used. Idea similar to

MUST, but not so strong.
 Used in these situations:

 To advise people and ourselves: People ought not to drive

like that.
 To tell people they have a duty: I really ought to call my
mother.
 To ask about our duty: What time ought I to arrive?
 Beginning questions = very formal: Ought we to go now?
(less formal: Do you think we ought to go now?)
 To remember and fix

 SHOULD and OUGHT TO are very similar, and can

often replace each other : They ought to be more
sensible, shouldn’t they?
They are both used to talk about obligation and duty, to
give advice or to say what is right for people to do or to
have done. SHOULD is more frequente than OUGHT
TO: You should/ought to see “Daughter of the Moon” –
it’s a great film.
 MUST has the same ideia, BUT it’s stronger: The
doctor said I must give up smoking (obligation)./ You
ought to give up smoking (advice).
 (+) subj + WILL + verb
(-) subj + WILL + NOT (WON’T)
(?) WILL+ subj + verb?

 Used in these situations:

 Future auxiliary: Will the train be on time?; Do you think it’ll
rain?
 To express certainty: Don’t call them now, they’ll be having
dinner.
 To express willingness or announce a decision: Can
somebody help me? I will.;
 To express a firm intention: I will really stop smoking.
 To make a promise: I’ll definetely pay you back nest week.
 To make a threat: I’ll kill her for this.
 To tell people what to do: Will you send me the bill, please?
 To ask about people’s wishes: What will you drink?
 (+) subj + WOULD+ verb
(-) subj + WOULD+ NOT (WOULDN’T)
(?) WOULD + subj + verb?

 Used in these situations:

 In polite requests (+formal than “will”): Would you open

the window, please?
 In polite offers: Would you like a coffee?
 As a past of “will” to talk about typical behaviour in the
past: When she was old, she would sit in the corner talking
to herself for hours.
 To talk about probability: Would it bankrupt that world?
 (+) subj + SHALL + verb
(-) subj + SHALL + NOT
(?) SHALL+ subj + verb?

 Extremely formal.
 Used in these situations:

 To talk about future intentions: I shall go when I please.;

Shall we?
 To talk about offers: Do you want to tell her or shall I?
 To talk about advice: What shall I make?