May" (Modal verbs V)

Today we will talk about "may" [mei] and the next class of his cousin brother
"might" [mait]. Both verbs have similar meaning and use.

Let's start with May [mei]

Comment:
"May" [mei] with the same pronunciation means May (the month).
On the other hand "maybe" ("may" + "be" together) is an adverbthat means
"maybe", "maybe", "maybe".

What does the "modal verb" "May" mean ?

"May" [mei] can be translated in two ways:

1) "May" . In Spanish this time is called "subjunctive" and in both languages

indicates a hypothetical action or a probability. For example:

-It may rain [ITmeirein]. It may rain

2) "Power" . This is Present of the verb poder.

In this case, this verb is very versatile because we can use it to speak in: -

Present:

- "You may leave now" - You can leave now.

-Futuro:
-It may snow tomorrow. It may snow tomorrow.(Note that here I add "tomorrow"
and zaz! I turn it into future).

-To ask for something polite and formal (polite [polait]) (*)

For example: May I open the door? [meiaiopen dedoor] Can I open the door?
And then how do we differentiate "May" from "Can" and "Could"?
They are different degrees of formality. Let's see:
- Among friends: Can I open the door? [keanaiopen dedoor?] (informal)

- Between acquaintances: Could I open the door? [kudiuopen dedoor?] (formal)

- Among strangers: May I open the door? (formal)

(*) OBSERVATION: Spoken English (especially the British) uses constructions much
more formal than Spanish (at least, the Spanish of Spain). Always ask with "please"
[plis]; "could" [kud];"may" [mei]; would you be so kind? [gudiubisokain] Would you
be so kind?
Anecdote: I remember an English teacher who told me that the first time she heard
screaming in the street in Madrid: Hey Pepe, come! was scared because to say in
English: "Listen, Pepe, come!" (imperative time) would be very "impolite" (impolite)
(impolite).

OLIVER GALLARDO 10MO C

Nor does he ask himself: What? [guat] What? (in American English, yes it can be). He
asks: "Sorry""Excuse me" [exkiusmi], "I did not undestand you"
[aididn'tundersandiu]. or "I beg your pardon" [aibegiurpardon]. I would like to
apologize " (very, very formal)
So remember, especially those who need English for work, you have to say" Please ","
May "," Could ", etc. if you want get along.

Now, back to "May" and see now the structure of "May" in affirmative sentences:

Affirmative structure: Subject + may + "main verb in infinitive". Note: May and
Might NEVER TAKE "to", neither front nor back understood?

Let's look at some examples:

Example 1: I may do it [aimei duIt]. I may do so.

Example 2: She may help me [shimei helpmi]. She may help me.

Example 3. It may rain. [Itmei rein]. It may rain.

Example 4: They may know it [deimei nouIt]. They may know it.

How do you ask "May"?

Structure questions: May + subject + verb in infinitive +?

OBSERVATION:
-One is not usually asked with "may" in the positive sense when we talk about
probability (Remember: to ask for something you can ask with "may").
For example we say: Can she eat? No May she eats?

However, you can use "may" in indirect or negative questions. For example: -
Indirect question after "Do you think": "Do you think he may come?" [duiuzink
himeikam?] Do you think he will come?
Evening: "May we not do something wrong?" [Meiginot duingsamzingrong] Are not
we doing something wrong? (but it's very formal)

How do you refuse with "May"?

Structure negation: Subject + may + not (mayn't) + verb in infinitive Remember:

nothing of "to" , "s" or any other thing you happen to invent.

OBSERVATION:
-May not (just like "might not") means: It may not (Probably not)Can not / can not
mean: I can not (can / can ...)
Example: It may not work [It mei not guork]. It may not work.

OLIVER GALLARDO 10MO C

 NOTE: The contracted form "mayn't" is not usual. They say "may not".

To listen to a class where we explain the uses of "May" and "Might" and to do
simple exercises click here .

Modal verb MIGHT What is it and how do I use it?

The modal verb in English might as well as may be normally used to express
possibility. It is also used to make suggestions or ask for favors. Check in this article
how to structure it in affirmative, negative and question sentences.

The modal verb might just like other modal verbs do not conjugate (do not change)
according to the person and are always followed by the base form of a verb
(eg, might go, might be , might have ). In addition, they do not need an auxiliary in
the formation of questions or in negative sentences.

Affirmative sentences:

For the formation of an affirmative sentence with the modal verb might not need
auxiliaries, nor any conjugation:

Subject + MIGHT + verb in base form + complement.

Examples:

English Spanish

You could be in the bedroom. Your son should be in the bathroom.(Possibility)

You should visit the museum in

You might visit the museum in Canada.
Canada. (Suggestions)

Might I borrow your pencil? Could I take your pencil? (Favor)

To deny you just need to add the word not after the word might . The grammatical
structure would be this way:

Subject + MIGHT + NOT + verb in base form + complement.

Examples:

English Spanish

She could not take the bus. She should not take the bus.

We might not lose. We should not lose.

This modal verb does not have a possible contraction in the negative or positive form:

I could not play soccer.

OLIVER GALLARDO 10MO C
Questions with might :

To ask only we inverted of position the subject and the verb might. Remember that you
do not need an assistant:

I might have something to eat. Might I have something to eat?

Short answers:

To answer, we can use the modal verbs can or might . For example:

Might I eat tomorrow?

Yes, you might. No, you might not.

What is the verb "can"?

Can is an auxiliary verb, to be more precise, a modal auxiliary verb. It is used

regularly to talk about possibility and ability, to make requests, and to ask or
give permission. Another verb related to thecan is could .

The negative form of can is the word "can not" , occasionally written as two
words ("can not") or "can not" contraction . The negative form of could
is "could not" or "could not" .

Can not and can not be used to express beliefs about situations: "That can not
be true" expresses disbelief; but in the affirmative doubt could be used such
as "That could be true" . Informally, it is often used to mean may , in the
permissive sense ("He can go now") .

Negative forms almost always deny the whole modal or verbal phrase, and
never only the main verb. Rarely is the main verb denied by putting stress on
the "not" and the main verb.

How is the structure of the verb "can"?

subject + can + main verb

The main verb is always in pure infinitive (in infinitive without the "to").

subject to yyyy auxiliary verb aaaa main verb aaa

aaa I dog play Golf.
can not
- He play Golf.
can not
? Dog you play Golf?

It is important to note that:

Can is invariable. There is only one way to can .

The main verb is always in pure infinitive.

OLIVER GALLARDO 10MO C

How do you use the verb "can"?

Possibilities and abilities

In English we use can to talk about what is possible, what we can do, what we
have freedom:

I can drive a race car.

Alex can speak German.
We can not hear you. (We can not hear you.)
Can you see me?

Usually we use can for the present, but it is possible to use the modal can when
we want to make present decisions about future things:

Question: Can you help me paint my house? (I presented)

Answer: Sorry, I'm busy right now. But I can help you out later. (future)

Requests and orders

We usually use can in a question to ask someone to do something. This is not a

real question, we do not really want to know if that person is capable of doing a
particular thing, we want them to do it! The use of can here is informal (mainly
between friends and family):

Can you make a cup of tea, while you're there.

Can you put the stove on.
Can you come here a second.
Can you be more noisy!

To ask permission

Sometimes we can use the can to ask or give permission to do something:

Question: Can I sleep at Lauren's tonight?

Answer: You can not go tonight, but you can go tomorrow if you want.

(It is important to note that you can also use could , may and might to ask
permission. The use of can , in this case, is informal.)

What is the verb "could"?

Could be an auxiliary verb, also modal like "can" . We use Could when we talk
about possibilities or past skills, or to make requests.

How is the structure of the verb "could"?

subject + could + main verb

The main verb is always in pure infinitive (in infinitive without the "to").

subject auxiliary verb aaaa main verb

aaa My mother aaaa could dance
- He could not drive.

OLIVER GALLARDO 10MO C

 could not
? Could we stop

It is important to note that:

Could be invariable. There is only one way to could .

The main verb is always in pure infinitive.

How do you use the verb "could"?

Past Possibilities or Skills

We used to talk about what was possible in the past, what we were free to do:

I could run when I was 15 years old.

My father could dance very well when he was young.
When we arrived home, we could not stop the dog from running outside!
Could you listen to what she was saying?

In English we used could (positive) and could not (negative) for general skills
in the past. But when we talk about a special occasion in the past, we can
use be able to (positive) and could not (negative). For example:

Past
general Special occasion
A cat fell into the lake on
a My father could dance very well. Friday. The firemen were able to
save it.
A cat fell into the lake on
- My father could not dance very well. Friday. The firemen could
not save it.

Requests

Usually we could use a question to tell someone if they can do something for
us. The use of could , in this case, is very formal (educated):

Could you tell me where the school is, please?

Could you send me a postcard, boss?

Will Future
The Future with 'Will' (or 'Will' Future) is used to make future predictions, that is, to talk
about an unplanned or uncertain future. The following examples will be used in the
explanation. We use two examples to check for changes in the third person singular.

I will go to college. He will go to college.

WHAT IS IT FOR?

Used to talk about future predictions based on things that are not so obvious
(Ie I think the weather will be great this summer ).

OLIVER GALLARDO 10MO C

 We also use this structure to make spontaneous decisions (Ie I'm tired. I'll go
to bed ).
When we make promises (Ie I promise I will go to the party ).
When we offer something ( I'll help you with your homework ). Also, if it is a
question we use 'shall' ( Ie Shall I help you with your homework? )

HOW IS IT FORMED?

We must take into account that 'will' is a modal, so it will follow the basic rules of
manners. We form it using 'will' followed by a verb in its base form.

AFFIRMATIVE : To form the affirmative we put the modal 'will' followed by a verb in its
base form.

SUBJECT + WILL + VERB + REMAINDER OF SENTENCE.

I will go to college.
I will go to the university.
He will go to college.
I'll go to the university.
* 1 We must keep in mind that manners do not have a different form for the third person
singular.

* 2 Remember that the contracted form of 'will' is different ('ll). In addition, the contracted
form can only be used with personal pronouns.

NEGATIVE: To form the negative we have to deny the modal 'will'. Also, it is important
to note that the negative contracted form is 'will not'.

SUBJECT + WILL NOT + VERB + REMAINDER OF SENTENCE.

I will not go to college.

I will not go to the university.

* As in affirmative, we can find the complete form (will not) or the contracted form (will
not)

INTERROGATION: In order to form the interrogative we have to reverse the

modal 'will' and the subject.

WILL + SUBJECT + VERB + REMAINDER OF SENTENCE.

Are you going to college?

Will you go to the university?

SHORT ANSWERS: To give short answers we must use the affirmative or negative form
of the modal 'will'. Remember that short answers are very common because when we
speak we avoid repeating what has already been said.

Will you go to the university?

Yes, I will / No, I will not

OLIVER GALLARDO 10MO C

 * You must keep in mind that we use the complete form in the affirmative short
answers, while we use the contracted form in the negative short answers.

SHOULD
This structure can be accompanied by verbs like 'think, hope, relief, imagine', etc. (Ie I
think I'll buy a car next year ).
Other aspects that we must take into account are the following:

It is important to remember that there are

complete forms and contracted forms . In addition, we must know the
contracted formsof the modal 'will'

Remember that the ' will' is always followed by another verb in its base form.

To form the interrogative must invest 'will', so we do not need help .

This time is usually accompanied by expressions that refer to the future, such
as 'tomorrow, this weekend, next Tuesday, next month, next year, etc.'

Also, remember that there is another way to talk to (going to) . The main difference
between 'will' and 'going to' is that 'will' is used to talk about future predictions while 'going
to' is used to talk about future plans.

Ought to (Modal Verbs VII)

Tip: I suggest you give frequently to "refresh" page in the navigation bar because I
edit many times once uploaded the post.
Today's "modal verb" is called "ought" [ot] .
"Ought" [ot] is a verb that is used more in British English than in American
English. Americans use "should" [shud] , rather than ought.
What does "ought" mean?

"Ought" means "should, should, etc.". It is, therefore, exactly the same
as "should" [shud] ; a suggestion, invitation.

Let's look at some examples:

Example 1: I ought to work more [ai ot tu guorkmor]. I should work harder.

Example 2: You ought to turn right [iu otuternrait]. You must turn right. Note: I have
translated "ought" for "you must" because it is more frequent to say "you must" in
Spanish that "ought" to give indications.
Example 3: They ought to come [dei ot tukam]. They should come.
Now let's look at the structures of "Ought" [ot] :

Affirmative structure: Subject + ought + to + "main verb in infinitive". Note: You will have
noticed that unlike the other "modal verbs" "ought" does carry "to" before the main verb in
infinitive.

More examples with affirmative structures:

Example 4: We ought to tell him [gi ot tutelhim] We should tell him. Notice how I
put "to" after "ought" and before the main verb in the infinitive. "

Example 5 . I ought to do it [hi ot your duit] he should do.

OLIVER GALLARDO 10MO C

How do you question" Ought "[t ]?

Structure question:

Very Formal: "Ought" + subject + to + verb in infinitive +? Infrequent.

Informal: Do / Does + subject + think + personal pronoun + ought + to + verb in infinitive
+? More frequently.

Let's look at examples of questions:

Example 1. Very formal : Ought he to write a letter? [ot hiturait a letter] Should he
write a letter?
Example 2. Informal : Do you think I ought to write a letter? [duiu zink hiot turait
aleter] Do you think he should write a letter?
How do you refuse with "Ought"?

Structure negation: As with the questions, it is not usual to deny with "Ought" [ot] for being
considered very formal.
Very formal: Subject + ought + not (oughtn't) + verb in infinitive.Infrequent. Note: In
negations, "to" is not usually placed before the verb in infinitive; however some grammar
books do put "to" infront of the infinitive to deny. I recommend that you look at what your
textbook says in class.
Informal: Subject + do not / do not + think + personal pronoun + ought + to + see in
infinitive. More frequently. Note: Here we are denying in the first part of the sentence with
the construction: "I do not think".

Let's look at examples of negations:

Example 1 very formal: We ought not go there [gi otnotugouder]. We should not
go there

Example 2 informal: We do not think we ought to go there [gi don`t zinkgi ot

tugouder]. We do not think we should go there. Note: In this example we deny with
the structure: "Subject + do not / doesn't + think."

OLIVER GALLARDO 10MO C