This document discusses the characteristics and uses of modal verbs in English. It provides examples of several common modal verbs: 1. Modal verbs like can, may, must, should and shall are used differently than normal verbs. They do not conjugate for person and number or have distinct past tense forms. 2. Modal verbs express ideas like ability, permission, obligation, suggestion and inference. For example, "can" expresses ability or permission while "must" conveys obligation or necessity. 3. Each modal verb has specific meanings and uses when compared to their synonyms. For instance, "may" is more formal and expresses permission or possibility, while "might" implies remote or less certain possibility

1. MODALS
Principais características:
Não são precedidos de to no infinitivo;
Não admitem os auxiliares:DO,DOES e DID na
negativa ou interrogativa;
Não recebem “S” na 3ª pessoa (he ,she ou it);
Não são conjugados no futuro com WILL nem nos
tempos contínuous.

2.
What are Modal Verbs?
 Modal verbs are special verbs which
behave very differently from normal
verbs:
 Common Modal Verbs
Can -can´t Ought to –oughtn´t
Could- couldn´t Shall –shall not
May- mayn´t Should-shouldn´t
Might- mightn´t will-won´t
Must- musn´t would-wouldn´t

3. Here are some important
differences:
1. Modal verbs do not take "-s" in the third
person.
Ex : He can speak Chinese.
2. You use "not" to make modal verbs negative,
even in Simple Present and Simple Past.
Ex:He should not be late.
3. Many modal verbs cannot be used in the past
tenses or the future tenses.
Ex: He will can go with us. Not Correct.
She musted study very hard. Not Correct.

4. The following is the main
characteristic of modals:
VERB SYNONYM TRANSLATIO MEANING PAST
N TENSE
CAN To be able to PODER MIND-ABILITY COULD
CONSEGUIR PHYSICAL -ABILITY
SABER PERMISSION
POSSIBILITY
EXAMPLES:
I can speak English.
Can I smoke here?
It can happen to anyone.
I couldn't speak English before Going To England.

5. MODAL MAY
VERB SYNONYM TRANSLATION MEANING PAST
TENSE
MAY To be possible to PODER FORMAL MIGHT
To be allowed to -Permission
Possibility (remote
express a possibility)
wish
EXAMPLES:
It might rain this weekend.
May all your dreams come true.
It may rain today.
May I smoke here?

6. MODAL MUST
VERB SYNONYM TRANSLATION MEANING PAST
TENSE
MUST To have to TER Obligation Had to
PRECISAR Inference-
DEVER deduction
Nessecity
Prohibition
EXAMPLE:
You must stop smoking.
He must be very rich.
You mustn't get out of bed.

7. MODAL SHOULD
VERB SYNONYM TRANSLATIO MEANING PAST
N TENSE
SHOULD OUGHT TO DEVER Advice __________
EXAMPLES:
You should study more.
I should have read Jane Eyre before the test.

8. MODAL SHALL
VERB SYNONY TRANSLATION MEANING PAST
M TENSE
SHALL WILL QUE TAL Suggestion _____
PODER
EXAMPLES:
Shall we go to the movies?