MODALS AND

PHRASES OF
ABILIT Y
MODALS
FOR PRESENT OR
FUTURE MAY/MIGHT BE ABLE TO
POSIBILITY

FOR PRESENT
POSIBILITY OR CAN COULD
ABILITY

SOMETHING
IMPORTANT TO
DO
MUST HAVE TO
WHEN TO USE
MODALS?
• To describe people and their habilities
• Aks for permission
• To give an advice
• With perfect modals in the passive voice
• ….
MAY/MIGHT
MAY/MIGHT BE ABLE TO
• To express polite questions • Express hability or lack of abilitie

• May I have a cup of coffee? • Is Rosa able to take care about herselft?
• She was able to do a lot more when she was
• Give or ask for permission younger.

• You may wake up early if you need to. • “Be able to” is more formal than “can”

• MAY/MIGHT : To express possibility

• It may rain this morning.

• Ernesto may not be able to come this morning.
• Andrea might not have to eat anything.
 CAN/COULD
CAN COULD
• Express ability or lack of abilities (people and things) • Suggest alternatives

• Ernesto can present you an economic topic for you in an
hour.
• Can you write well in Spanish?
• This machine can make six big cups. (Things )
• Give or ask for permission
Can I leave early if you need to?
Can I leave this here?
• You coud take the next train.
• Ernesto could wake up early.
• To talk about a future possibility that’s not
certain.
• lottery tickets: We could win ten million
dollars if we buy one.

• Can for pressent possibility

• Alternatives can be found for medical research on animals.

Couldn’t and can’t

• We would use Couldn’t and Can’t for present impossibility
• English class couldn’t be teach in Spanish.
• It can’t be true!
MUST/HAVE TO
MUST HAVE TO

• For necessity • Very certain

• Traditions like Interfacus or Jueves Cultural
must be preserved at PCP.
• For necessity
• Some animals have to be killed
• Traditions like Inti Raymi have to be preserved.
• Draw conclusions
• Your father must be very Smart.
• He must not thinks is important.
INFORMATION QUESTIONS
CAN
How can animals be trained to help humans?

COULD
Animals must not be killed for research

MUST TO Animals must not be killed for research

HAVE TO
Animals must not be killed for research
TYPICAL MISTAKES
• ‘Don’t have to/ doesn’t have to’ expresses a
lack of necessity, but must not expresses
prohibition.
_Animals don’t have to be killed for research.
( it is not necessary)
_Animals must not be killed for research.
( it should be prohibited)
• The typical mistakes learners make are to
use ‘could’ for past positive specific ability.
_ My friend’s phone was engaged all day
yesterday. Finally, late in the evening, I could
speak to him.
(In this sentence, we should use I was able
to speak to him.)
TYPICAL MISTAKES II
EXERCISES

• https://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/330/grammar/330-modals-
ability1.htm