The document provides descriptions and rules for using English modal verbs. It discusses 12 different modal verbs: can, could, may, might, shall, will, should, would, must, need, dare, and ought to. For each modal verb it provides the affirmative/interrogative form, negative form, contractions, and common uses which include permission, possibility, ability, advice, obligation, predictions, suggestions and more. The document aims to comprehensively cover the characteristics, proper usage, and meanings of these essential English modal verbs.

2. Mary can speak Russian.
May I go to the toilet, please?
They won't come back again.
You must pay for this at once!
We might win the race
You needn't study this.
Could you please hang on?We should thank him for his help.
Would you like some tea or coffee?
Shall I open the door for you?
She daren't phone again.
We ought to be more careful.

4. IndeX
1. Characteristics
2. Rules of Use
3. Description

5. 1. CHARACTERISTicS
◘ Modals are also called "defectives" because
they are "faulty": they lack a conjugation.
What does this mean?
a) They have only ONE form
b) They have NO infinitive, gerund o participle
c) They have NO future, perfect, continuous…
I may, you may, he may…
I can, you can, he can…
I must, you must, he must…
I will may
I have mayed
I am maying
Infinitive: to may
Gerund: maying
Participle: mayed

6. 2. Rules of usE
◘ They cannot be used on their own; they must
be followed by a "standard" verb
• Mary can speak Italian. OK
• John must. WRONG!
• John must go to the doctor. OK
• Kathy call should. WRONG!
BUT: After a question, we can use a modal without a verb(1)
.
May I use your phone? Yes, you may.
(1)
This is because the verb is implicit, it is not necessary to repeat it.

7. 2. Rules of usE
◘ Modals are followed by plain infinitives or
infinitives without 'to'
They can run fast.
Peter may win this competition.
Your sister should come to the office.

8. 2. Rules of usE
◘ There can be only ONE modal in each
sentence, and it must come FIRST.
They can run fast.
Peter may win this competition.
Your sister should come to the office.

9. 2. Rules of usE
◘ Modals can be followed by the auxiliaries
'HAVE' and 'BE', but never 'DO'.
Dad must have forgotten it's your birthday.
You can't be working today, it's Sunday!
She would have been sleeping if not for that horrible noise.
Your sister must do(1)
the cooking.
(1)
It is NOT the auxiliary 'DO'.

10. 2. Rules of usE
◘ Modals must form the Interrogative, Negative
and Short Answers rather than Auxiliaries.
Can you please open this door?
You shouldn't speak so rudely to your parents.
May I look? Yes, you may.

11. 2. Rules of usE: SUMMARY
◘ They cannot be used on their own; they must be
followed by a "standard" verb.
◘ Modals are followed by plain infinitives or
infinitives without 'to'
◘ There can be only ONE modal in each sentence,
and it must come FIRST.
◘ Modals can be followed by the auxiliaries 'HAVE'
and 'BE', but never 'DO'.
◘ Modals must form the Interrogative, Negative
and Short Answers rather than Auxiliaries.

12. 3. DescripTiOn
Affirmative /
Interrogative
Negative Contraction
can cannot/can't 
FORM

13. 3. DESCRIPTION
Can we leave?
I'm sorry but you can't eat here.
We can stay out until late!
Permission
Possibility
Hability
Surprise
Can this be true?
I think we can win
This restaurant can't be so expensive!
Don't call! He can be sleeping!
Can Nicole speak French?
George can play the piano
We can't move this heavy table
You can't have bought this! (only can't have )
They can't have finished!

14. 3. DESCRIPTION
FORM
Alternative
Affirmative /
Interrogative
Negative Contraction
could could not/couldn't 
be able to
manage to

15. 3. DESCRIPTION
Could you close the window? (= podría)
Could you lend me £10?
Ask for
favours
Hypothetical
possibility
(conditionals)
Hability in the
past
Unfulfilled
Possibility
We could buy it if we had money (= podría)
Don't make noise! The children could be sleeping
George could play the piano when he was 9 years old
Possibility in
the past*
Alternative
It was dark but they could see her.
When I opened the door, I could smell gas.
*Only with the verbs see, hear, smell, taste, feel, remember, understand
The police arrived, but the thief managed / was able to escape.
The thief could escape (= podría)
You could have visited the Louvre (pero no lo hizo)
The boy could have hurt himself

16. 3. DESCRIPTION
FORM Affirmative /
Interrogative
Negative Contraction
may may not 

17. 3. DESCRIPTION
May we leave?
I'm sorry but you may not sit here.
You may wait here if you like.
Permission
(FORM)
Present or
future
possibility
Past
possibility
He is fast, he may win. (futuro)
Ben isn't here, he may be at home. (presente)
It may not be true.
"I can't find my keys." "You may have left them at home,"
"Peter's not here!" "He may have finished and left."

18. 3. DESCRIPTION
FORM Affirmative /
Interrogative
Negative Contraction
might
might not /
mightn't


19. 3. DESCRIPTION
Might…? (no se usa)
"Where's Gloria?" "She hasn't come, she might be sick."
You might study medicine and become a doctor.
The children might be playing football.
Posibilidad
presente o
futura
Posibilidad
pasada
"Have you seen my phone?" "You might have left it at home."
"Ann wasn't at the party." "She mightn't have known about it."
La posibilidad de 'might' es menos "posible" que con 'may'
If you ask Jack, he can lend you the money.
If you ask Jack, he may lend you the money.
If you ask Jack, he might lend you the money.
can = puede prestarte
may = quizá te lo preste
might = podría prestártelo

20. 3. DESCRIPTION
FORM Affirmative /
Interrogative
Negative Contraction
shall shall not / shan't 'll

21. 3. DESCRIPTION
Shall I open the door? (¿Quiere que yo…)
Shall I wait until they finish?
Ofrecer
ayuda
Sugerencias
Determinación
Shall we have lunch at Marina's?
What shall we do?
'shall' sólo se usa con 'I' y 'we'
I shan't stay here any longer.
We shall finish this before midnight.

22. 3. DESCRIPTION
FORM Affirmative /
Interrogative
Negative Contraction
will will not / won't 'll

23. 3. DESCRIPTION
Will you lend me £10?
It's cold. Will you close the door?
Pedir
favores
Decisión
espontánea
Predicción
Condición real
"What would you like to drink?" "I'll have wine."
(suena el teléfono) "I'll answer it."
NO uses 'will' con planes
Do you think Kate will pass? Yes, she'll pass easily.
I don't think Greg will come.
We're late! They will have left when we get there.
If you call Peter, he'll be very happy.
If they touch that, they'll burn their fingers.

24. 3. DESCRIPTION
FORM Affirmative /
Interrogative
Negative Contraction
should
should not /
shouldn't
'd

25. 3. DESCRIPTION
I think you should be more careful or you'll fall.
These children should be wearing gloves.
Consejo
Señalar error o
problema
Predicción
Queja
Condición real
The price says £12.50 but it should be £10.50
Where's Mary? She should be here!
Kate has studied hard, so she should pass easily.
You should find him immediately.
I invited you, you should have come.
Gloria shouldn't have opened the box; she'll be in trouble now.
Should (= If) you need me, give me a call
Should I see them, I'll say hello.

26. 3. DESCRIPTION
FORM Affirmative /
Interrogative
Negative Contraction
would
would not /
wouldn't
'd

27. 3. DESCRIPTION
I would like to buy a new house, but they're too expensive,
Sheila'd love to live by the sea.
Deseo
Condicional
hipotética
Condicional
irreal
Invitación
Futuro en
estilo indirecto
We would move to London if we had a visa.
I would be working if I weren't ill.
He would have paid if he had had money.
Lisa would have called if she hadn't forgotten.
Would you like some tea or coffee?
Where would you like to have lunch?
They said they'd come.
He promised he wouldn't be late.

28. 3. DESCRIPTION
FORM Affirmative /
Interrogative
Negative Contraction
must must not / mustn't 

29. 3. DESCRIPTION
That driver must stop his car immediately.
For your own safety, you must wear a helmet.
Obligación
Prohibición
Certeza
Children mustn't drink alcohol
You mustn't open this door. It's dangerous.
(Teléfono) That must be dad! (presente)
It's 8 o'clock. They must have finished already (pasada)
Lo contrario de "Must" no es "Mustn't" sino "don't/doesn't have to":
I must wait here. You don't have to, if you don't like.
You don't have to wear a uniform.

30. 3. DESCRIPTION
FORM Affirmative /
Interrogative
Negative Contraction
need need not / needn't 
También existe un verbo 'to need', con su conjugación completa. El significado
es idéntico.

31. 3. DESCRIPTION
That driver need stop his car immediately.
Your results are not good, you need study harder.
Obligación
Ausencia de
obligación
This is a normal school. You needn't wear a uniform (presente)
The door is electric. You needn't have pushed it (pasado)
Además de "don't/doesn't have to" puedes usar "needn't" :
I must wait here. You needn't wait, if you don't like.
This is free. You needn't pay.

32. 3. DESCRIPTION
FORM Affirmative /
Interrogative
Negative Contraction
dare dare not / daren't 
También existe un verbo 'to dare', con su conjugación completa. El significado
es idéntico.

33. 3. DESCRIPTION
If you dare open the lion gate, I'll leave at once.
He daren't walk outside in the dark.
Atrevimiento
Advertencia
How dare you! (¿¡Cómo te atreves?!)
Don't you dare! (¡Ni te atrevas!)

34. 3. DESCRIPTION
FORM Affirmative /
Interrogative
Negative Contraction
ought to
ought not to /
oughtn't

Es el único modal que va seguido de 'to'. Su uso es idéntico a 'should'

35. 3. DESCRIPTION
I think you ought to be more careful or you'll fall.
These children ought to be wearing gloves.
Consejo
Señalar error o
problema
Predicción
Queja
The price says £12.50 but it ought to be £10.50
Where's Mary? She ought to be here!
Kate has studied hard, so she ought to pass easily.
You ought to find him immediately.
I invited you, you ought to have come.
Gloria oughtn't to have opened the box; she'll be in trouble now.

36. Resumen
advertencia dare habilidad can
could
asombro can't have invitación would
atrevimiento dare obligación must
need
ausencia de obligación needn't ofrecer ayuda shall
certeza must
must have
pedir favores could
will
condición real should
will
permiso can
could
may
condicional hipotética would posibilidad can
could
may
might
condicional irreal would have predicción ought to
should
will
consejo ought to
should
prohibición mustn't
decicisón espontánea will queja ought to have
should
deseo would señalar error ought to
should
determinación shall sugerencias shall
futuro en estilo indirecto would

37. The End