This document provides information about using imperative verbs (orders, suggestions, invitations) in Spanish. It discusses three main cases: (1) using the basic verb form without "to" for commands/orders, (2) asking for and giving directions, and (3) a sample dialogue for asking and giving directions. It also includes word lists for directions terms.

1. Básicamente en el uso de los imperativos (órdenes, sugerencias, invitaciones, etc.) suelen presentarse tres
alternativas, a saber:
a) Cuando le PEDIMOS u ORDENAMOS a alguien que haga algo, se utiliza la forma básica del verbo
sin el to infinitivo (come/go/do/wait/be, etc). Aquí tienes algunos ejemplos:
Come here and look at this!! (¡¡Acércate a ver esto!!)
I don't like you. Go away!! (Me desagradas. ¡¡Véte!!)
Please, wait for me!! (Por favor, ¡¡espérame!!)
Be quiet. I'm working hard. (No hagas ruido. Estoy trabajando mucho.)
Goodbye. Have a nice day!! (Adiós. ¡¡Que tengas un buen día!!)
El negativo es don't... = do not (don't come/don't go/don't do/don't wait/don't be, etc.):
Stay here!! Please, don't go!! (¡Quédate! Por favor, ¡no te vayas!)
Don't be silly!! (¡¡No seas tonto!!)
Be careful. Don't fall. (Ten cuidado. No te caigas.)
ASKING FOR DIRECTIONS
Excuse me...
Where is ...?
How do I get to ...?
What's the way to ...?
Can you tell me the way to... ?
GIVING DIRECTIONS
movement:
Go straight on (until you come to ...).
Turn left/right (into ...-street).
Take the 1st turning on the left/right
Take the first/second road on the left/right
Go along/down [a street]
Go on for 3 blocks and then...
Cross [a street]
Go straight on/ahead
Go past the traffic lights
You can't miss it.
location:
It's on the left/right.
It's opposite X
It's near X
It's next to X
It's between X and X
It's at the end of [a street]
It's on/at the corner of X
It's behind X
It's in front of X
It's (just) around the corner
careful!: it's right here/there = it's exactly here/there (different from: it's here on the right)

2. EXAMPLE
- Excuse me, can you tell me the way to the station?
- Sure. Go straight ahead and take the second turning on the right. Then go down the street until you see a
church. Turn left at the church and the station is on the right, next to the post office and opposite a big
bank. You can't miss it.
- Thanks a lot. Bye.
Word List
Asking for and Giving Directions
How do I get to …?
What's the best way to …?
Where is …?
Go straight on (until you come to …).
Turn back./Go back.
Turn left/right (into …-street).
Go along …
Cross …
Take the first/second road on the left/right
It's on the left/right.
straight on
opposite
near
next to
between
at the end (of)
on/at the corner
behind
in front of
(just) around the corner
traffic lights
crossroads, junction
signpost

3. Can
Can is an auxiliary verb, a modal auxiliary verb. We use can to:
• talk about possibility and ability
• make requests
• ask for or give permission
Structure of Can
subject + can + main verb
The main verb is always the bare infinitive (infinitive without "to").
subject auxiliary verb main verb
+ I can play tennis.
cannot
- He play tennis.
can't
? Can you play tennis?
Notice that:
• Can is invariable. There is only one form of can.
• The main verb is always the bare infinitive.
Use of Can
can: Possibility and Ability
We use can to talk about what is possible, what we are able or free to do:
• She can drive a car.
• John can speak Spanish.
• I cannot hear you. (I can't hear you.)
• Can you hear me?
Normally, we use can for the present. But it is possible to use can when we make present decisions about
future ability.
A. Can you help me with my homework? (present)
B. Sorry. I'm busy today. But I can help you tomorrow. (future)

4. can: Requests and Orders
We often use can in a question to ask somebody to do something. This is not a real question - we do not
really want to know if the person is able to do something, we want them to do it! The use of can in this
way is informal (mainly between friends and family):
• Can you make a cup of coffee, please.
• Can you put the TV on.
• Can you come here a minute.
• Can you be quiet!
can: Permission
We sometimes use can to ask or give permission for something:
A. Can I smoke in this room?
B. You can't smoke here, but you can smoke in the garden.
(Note that we also use could, may, might for permission. The use of can for permission is informal.)
Could
Could is an auxiliary verb, a modal auxiliary verb. We use could to:
• talk about past possibility or ability
• make requests
Structure of Could
subject + could + main verb
The main verb is always the bare infinitive (infinitive without "to").
subject auxiliary verb main verb
+ My grandmother could swim.
could not
- She walk.
couldn't
? Could your grandmother swim?
Notice that:
• Could is invariable. There is only one form of could.
• The main verb is always the bare infinitive.

5. Use of Could
could: Past Possibility or Ability
We use could to talk about what was possible in the past, what we were able or free to do:
• I could swim when I was 5 years old.
• My grandmother could speak seven languages.
• When we arrived home, we could not open the door. (...couldn't open the door.)
• Could you understand what he was saying?
We use could (positive) and couldn't (negative) for general ability in the past. But when we talk about
one special occasion in the past, we use be able to (positive) and couldn't (negative). Look at these
examples:
Past
General Specific Occasion
My grandmother could speak A man fell into the river yesterday. The police were able to
+
Spanish. save him.
My grandmother couldn't speak A man fell into the river yesterday. The police couldn't save
-
Spanish. him.
could: Requests
We often use could in a question to ask somebody to do something. The use of could in this way is fairly
polite (formal):
• Could you tell me where the bank is, please?
• Could you send me a catalogue, please?
May / might
may
We can use 'may' to ask for permission. However this is rather formal and not used very often in modern
spoken English
• May I borrow your pen?
• May we think about it?
• May I go now?
We use 'may' to suggest something is possible
• It may rain later today.
• I may not have time to do it today.
• Pete may come with us

6. might
We use 'might' to suggest a small possibility of something. Often we read that 'might' suggests a smaller
possibility that 'may', there is in fact little difference and 'might is more usual than 'may' in spoken
English.
• She might be at home by now but it's not sure at all.
• It might rain this afternoon.
• I might not have time to go to the shops for you.
• I might not go.
For the past, we use 'might have'.
• He might have tried to call while I was out.
• I might have dropped it in the street.
Structure of Have to
Have to is often grouped with modal auxiliary verbs for convenience, but in fact it is not a modal verb. It
is not even an auxiliary verb. In the have to structure, "have" is a main verb. The structure is:
subject + auxiliary verb + have + infinitive (with to)
Look at these examples in the simple tense:
auxiliary
subject main verb have infinitive
verb
I / You/ We / They have to
+ work.
He / She / It has to
I / You/ We / They don’t
- have to see the doctor.
He / She / It doesn’t
I / you/ we /
Do they
? have to go to school?
Does He/ she/ it
Use of Have to
In general, have to expresses impersonal obligation. The subject of have to is obliged or forced to act by
a separate, external power (for example, the Law or school rules). Have to is objective. Look at these
examples:
• In France, you have to drive on the right.
• In England, most schoolchildren have to wear a uniform.
• John has to wear a tie at work.

7. Must (subjective obligation)
We often use must to say that something is essential or necessary, for example:
• I must go.
Structure of Must
Must is a modal auxiliary verb. It is followed by a main verb. The structure is:
subject + must + main verb
The main verb is the base verb (infinitive without "to").
Look at these examples:
subject auxiliary must main verb
I must go home.
You must visit us.
We must stop now.
Use of Must
In general, must expresses personal obligation. Must expresses what the speaker thinks is necessary.
Must is subjective. Look at these examples:
• I must stop smoking.
• You must visit us soon.
• He must work harder.
In each of the above cases, the "obligation" is the opinion or idea of the person speaking. In fact, it is not
a real obligation. It is not imposed from outside.
It is sometimes possible to use must for real obligation, for example a rule or a law. But generally we use
have to for this.
We can use must to talk about the present or the future. Look at these examples:
• I must go now. (present)
• I must call my mother tomorrow. (future)
We cannot use must to talk about the past. We use have to to talk about the past.
Must not, Mustn't (prohibition)
We use must not to say that something is not permitted or allowed, for example:
• Passengers must not talk to the driver.

8. Structure of Must not
Must is an auxiliary verb. It is followed by a main verb. The structure for must not is:
subject + must not + main verb
The main verb is the base verb (infinitive without "to").
Must not is often contracted to mustn't.
Look at these examples:
subject auxiliary must + not main verb
I mustn't forget my keys.
You mustn't disturb him.
Students must not be late.
NB: like all auxiliary verbs, must CANNOT be followed by "to". So, we say:
• You mustn't arrive late. (not You mustn't to arrive late.)
Use of Must not
Must not expresses prohibition - something that is not permitted, not allowed. The prohibition can be
subjective (the speaker's opinion) or objective (a real law or rule). Look at these examples:
• I mustn't eat so much sugar. (subjective)
• You mustn't watch so much television. (subjective)
• Students must not leave bicycles here. (objective)
• Policemen must not drink on duty. (objective)
We can use must not to talk about the present or the future:
• Visitors must not smoke. (present)
• I mustn't forget Tara's birthday. (future)
We cannot use must not to talk about the past. We use other structures to talk about the past, for
example:
• We were not allowed to enter.
• I couldn't park outside the shop.

9. Be able to
Although we look at be able to here, it is not a modal verb. It is simply the verb be plus an adjective
(able) followed by the infinitive. We look at be able to here because we sometimes use it instead of can
and could.
We use be able to:
• to talk about ability
Structure of Be able to
The structure of be able to is:
subject + be + able + infinitive
be able
subject main verb adjective infinitive
+ I am able to drive.
is not
- She able to drive.
isn't
? Are you able to drive?
Notice that be able to is possible in all tenses, for example:
• I was able to drive...
• I will be able to drive...
• I have been able to drive...
Notice too that be able to has an infinitive form:
• I would like to be able to speak Chinese.
Use of Be able to
Be able to is not a modal auxiliary verb. We include it here for convenience, because it is often used like
"can" and "could", which are modal auxiliary verbs.
be able to: ability
We use be able to to express ability. "Able" is an adjective meaning: having the power, skill or means to
do something. If we say "I am able to swim", it is like saying "I can swim". We sometimes use "be able
to" instead of "can" or "could" for ability. "Be able to" is possible in all tenses - but "can" is possible only
in the present and "could" is possible only in the past for ability. In addition, "can" and "could" have no

10. infinitive form. So we use "be able to" when we want to use other tenses or the infinitive. Look at these
examples:
• I have been able to swim since I was five. (present perfect)
• You will be able to speak perfect English very soon. (future simple)
• I would like to be able to fly an airplane. (infinitive)
Should
We use 'should' for giving advice.
• You should speak to him about it.
• You should see a doctor.
• You should ask a lawyer.
We use 'should' to give an opinion or a recommendation.
• We should invest more in China.
• They should do something about this terrible train service.
• He should resign.
'Should' expresses a personal opinion and is much weaker and more personal than 'must' or 'have to'. It is
often introduced by ' I think'.
• I think they should replace him.
• I don't think they should keep the contract.
• Do you think I should tell her?
Aquí termina la información de la tercera unidad.
La información que sigue es complementaria.

11. Modal auxiliary verbs 1 ( can ) Verbos modales auxiliares 1 (can) ''poder''
Can (poder) es el primero de los verbos modales
Can is the first modal auxiliary verb we are going auxiliares que vamos a estudiar. Para una
to study. For an introduction to auxiliary verbs see introducción a los verbos auxiliares, lea unidades
further units. sucesivas.
Usos: Si usted dice que puede hacer algo,
Uses: If you say that you can do something, you quiere decir que tiene la habilidad, posee el
mean you have the ability to do it, or you have conocimiento o la pericia para hacer algo. Hay
the knowledge or skill to do it. There are of además otros usos de can que se explicarán más
course other uses of can which will be explained adelante.
later.
I / you / he / she / it / we / they can
Can has the same form for all the pronouns.
Can (poder) presenta la misma forma para todos los pronombres.
Prepositions of Time: at, in, on
We use:
• at for a PRECISE TIME
• in for MONTHS, YEARS, CENTURIES and LONG PERIODS
• on for DAYS and DATES
at in on
PRECISE TIME MONTHS, YEARS, CENTURIES and LONG PERIODS DAYS and DATES

12. at 3 o'clock in May on Sunday
at 10.30am in summer on Tuesdays
at noon in the summer on 6 March
at dinnertime in 1990 on 25 Dec. 2010
at bedtime in the 1990s on Christmas Day
at sunrise in the next century on Independence Day
at sunset in the Ice Age on my birthday
at the moment in the past/future on New Year's Eve
Look at these examples:
• I have a meeting at 9am.
• The shop closes at midnight.
• Jane went home at lunchtime.
• In England, it often snows in December.
• Do you think we will go to Jupiter in the future?
• There should be a lot of progress in the next century.
• Do you work on Mondays?
• Her birthday is on 20 November.
• Where will you be on New Year's Day?
Notice the use of the preposition of time at in the following standard expressions:
Expression Example
at night The stars shine at night.
at the weekend I don't usually work at the weekend.
at Christmas/Easter I stay with my family at Christmas.
at the same time We finished the test at the same time.

13. at present He's not home at present. Try later.
Notice the use of the prepositions of time in and on in these common expressions:
in on
in the morning on Tuesday morning
in the mornings on Saturday mornings
in the afternoon(s) on Sunday afternoons
in the evening(s) on Monday evening
When we say last, next, every, this we do not also use at, in, on.
• I went to London last June. (not in last June)
• He's coming back next Tuesday. (not on next Tuesday)
• I go home every Easter. (not at every Easter)
• We'll call you this evening. (not in this evening)
Prepositions of Place: at, in, on
In general, we use:
• at for a POINT
• in for an ENCLOSED SPACE
• on for a SURFACE
at in on
POINT ENCLOSED SPACE SURFACE
at the corner in the garden on the wall
at the bus stop in London on the ceiling
at the door in France on the door
at the top of the page in a box on the cover

14. at the end of the road in my pocket on the floor
at the entrance in my wallet on the carpet
at the crossroads in a building on the menu
at the front desk in a car on a page
Look at these examples:
• Jane is waiting for you at the bus stop.
• The shop is at the end of the street.
• My plane stopped at Dubai and Hanoi and arrived in Bangkok two hours late.
• When will you arrive at the office?
• Do you work in an office?
• I have a meeting in New York.
• Do you live in Japan?
• Jupiter is in the Solar System.
• The author's name is on the cover of the book.
• There are no prices on this menu.
• You are standing on my foot.
• There was a "no smoking" sign on the wall.
• I live on the 7th floor at 21 Oxford Street in London.
Notice the use of the prepositions of place at, in and on in these standard expressions:
at in on
at home in a car on a bus
at work in a taxi on a train
at school in a helicopter on a plane
at university in a boat on a ship
at college in a lift (elevator) on a bicycle, on a motorbike
at the top in the newspaper on a horse, on an elephant
at the bottom in the sky on the radio, on television
at the side in a row on the left, on the right

15. at reception in Oxford Street on the way