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Área: English Asignatura: English Curso: 11th
Fecha: 22 to 28 - 04 Periodo: II Nº Hor: 6hr Semana: II
Tema: MODAL VERBS – DIFFICULTIES IN MEANING
Indicador Students will be able to use modal verbs correctly
de Logro
Exploración
Identify the modal verbs. What do they suggest?
Contextualización
Conceptualización
What are modal verbs?
EMOCIÓN
Modals (also called modal verbs, modal auxiliary verbs, modal auxiliaries)
are special verbs which behave irregularly in English. They are different from
normal verbs like "work, play, visit..." They are used to indicate modality. They
give additional information about the function of the main verb that follows it.

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They have a great variety of communicative functions.
Producción
Use of modal verbs:
Modal verbs are used to express functions such as:
1. Permission
2. Ability
3. Obligation
4. Prohibition
5. Lack of necessity
6. Advice
7. possibility
8. probability
Remember
Modal verbs are followed by an infinitive without "to"
Examples:
 You must stop when the traffic lights turn red
 You should see to the doctor
 There are a lot of tomatoes in the fridge. You need not buy any.
Exception:
 You ought to go to the doctor
Modelación
A list of modals
ACCIÓN
Here is a list of modals:
Modal Verb Meaning Expressing Example

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to have to 100 % obligation I must stop when the
traffic lights turn red.
must to be very probable logical conclusion He must be very tired
(deduction) after such enormous
work
not to be allowed prohibition You must not smoke in
must not
to the hospital.
to be able to ability I can swim
to be allowed to permission Can I use your phone
can please?
it is possible possibility Smoking can cause
cancer !
to be able to ability in the past When I was younger I
could stay up all night
and not get tired..
could
to be allowed to more polite Excuse me, could I just
permission say something?
it is possible possibility It could rain tomorrow!
to be allowed to permission May I use your phone
please?
may
it is possible, possibility, probability It may rain tomorrow!
probable
to be allowed to more polite Might I use your phone
permission please?
might it is possible, weak possibility, I might come and visit
probable probability you in America next
year, if I can save
enough money.
need necessary necessity Need I say more?
not necessary lack of I need not buy any
need not necessity/absence of tomatoes. There are
obligation plenty in the fridge.

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used to say or ask 50 % obligation I should / ought to see a
what is the correct doctor. I have a terrible
or best thing to do headache.
to suggest an advice You should / ought to
should/ought
action or to show revise your lessons
to
that it is necessary
to be very probable logical conclusion He should / ought to be
(deduction) very tired after such
enormous work
to suggest an advice You 'd better revise your
had better action or to show lessons
that it is necessary
Taller
1. Complete the following sentences using can/ could / be able to (some
sentences are negative). All tenses may be used.
• ‘…………………………….. you stand on your head?’
‘ I ……………….. when I was at school but I ………………… now’.
• When I pass my driving test, I …………………………….………. hire a car from our local garage.
• When I was a child I ………………………………… understand adults, and now that I’m an adult
I …………………….. understand children.
• He was very strong; he ……………………………… ski all day and dance all night.
• The car plunged into the river. The driver …………………………………….. get out but the
passengers were drowned.
• We …………………………………… borrow some umbrellas; so we didn’t get wet.
2. Write sentences using may or might which express the following:
• It’s possible that they are leaving Paris now
• Can I be of any help to you?
•Perhaps they are waiting for us now
• There’s a chance that the restaurant is open now
• If it is warm, perhaps we will go on a picnic
• It’s possible that he left his car at home
• Is it possible to use your telephone?
• It is possible that he was ill yesterday
EVALUACION
3. Fill in the blanks with the positive or negative form of may / might + infinitive
or may / might + have + past participle
• They …………………………………………….….. (visit) their aunt next Sunday.
• I can’t see my keys. I ………………………………….. (leave) them in the house.
• ‘Do you know if he is coming?’ ‘I’m not sure. He ………………………………….. (not come) if it
rains.

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• John hasn’t replied to my letter. That’s unusual. He ………………………………….. (not receive)
it.
4. Paraphrase the following sentences using : have to, must, need, must’n,
needn’t.
• I know all the test material. It’s not necessary to study any more.
•It’s important that you arrive on time.
• We can’t tell him the truth under any circumstances.
•School rules insist on uniform at all times.
• It was necessary to warn him on several occasions.
•It isn’t necessary to buy me a present.
5.Rewrite each situation with can, can’t, will be able to or won’t be able to.
• It’s impossible for me to go to your house now.
• This exercise is too difficult for Tony.
• Sheila is really good at singing.
• It’ll be too expensive to travel to space for our holidays in the future.
•It will be easy for me to pass the test next month.
Bibliografía
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