Modal verbs explanation

1. Modal verbs
4º ESO
Mª MERCEDES SÁNCHEZ VILLAFRANCA
2021

2. ABILITY AND POSIBILITY IN THE
PRESENT
• How do you express ability
in the present?
• How do you say in English
“sé atarme los cordones de
los zapatos”?
Mª MERCEDES SÁNCHEZ VILLAFRANCA
2021

3. I can do my shoelaces
Mª MERCEDES SÁNCHEZ VILLAFRANCA
2021

4. ABILITY AND POSSIBILITY IN THE PAST
• And, in the past: how do
you say “sabía montar en
bici cuando tenía 4 años”?
Mª MERCEDES SÁNCHEZ VILLAFRANCA
2021

5. • I could ride a bike when I
was four
Mª MERCEDES SÁNCHEZ VILLAFRANCA
2021

6. ABILITY AND POSSIBILITY
Mª MERCEDES SÁNCHEZ VILLAFRANCA
2021

7. OBLIGATION IN THE PRESENT
Must obligation. Personal
opinion. You decide.
Ex.I must study more. Or You must
clean the car.
Have to obligation. Law or rules.
Ex.I have to wear a uniform (3rd
person: has to)
Mª MERCEDES SÁNCHEZ VILLAFRANCA
2021

8. OBLIGATION IN THE PAST
Had to Obligation in the
past
Ex. I had to take the dog for a walk
because my mum couldn’t do it.
Mª MERCEDES SÁNCHEZ VILLAFRANCA
2021

9. PROHIBITION
Mustn’t is used when something is forbidden.
Ex. You mustn’t smoke in the high-school.
(Be careful with the spelling!! It has two tees)
Mª MERCEDES SÁNCHEZ VILLAFRANCA
2021

10. Mª MERCEDES SÁNCHEZ VILLAFRANCA
2021

11. ABSENCE OF OBLIGATION IN THE
PRESENT AND IN THE PAST
Don’t have to It is not necessary.
Ex. I don’t have to work on Sundays
Other ways of expressing it:
Don’t need to or needn’t
Ex. I don’t need to/ needn’t work on
Sundays.
Didn’t have to/ didn’t need to
Ex. I didn’t need to study so much for that
exam, it was very easy.
Mª MERCEDES SÁNCHEZ VILLAFRANCA
2021

12. Mª MERCEDES SÁNCHEZ VILLAFRANCA
2021

13. LOGICAL DEDUCTION OR CERTAINTY
In the affirmative MUST
Ex. You must be Miguel’s brother
(= I am sure because they are so alike)
In the negative CAN’T
Ex. He can’t be in Alcalá Magna, he is in
Hawaii
(= I am certain that this is not true)
Mª MERCEDES SÁNCHEZ VILLAFRANCA 2021

14. Mª MERCEDES SÁNCHEZ VILLAFRANCA
2021

15. POSSIBILITY
Can +
Could
May
Might -
See this video:
https://youtu.be/FMGxeChtYLc
Mª MERCEDES SÁNCHEZ VILLAFRANCA
2021

16. Mª MERCEDES SÁNCHEZ VILLAFRANCA
2021

17. THE END
Mª Mercedes Sánchez Villafranca 2021
Mª MERCEDES SÁNCHEZ VILLAFRANCA
2021