Verbos Modales en inglés
Verbos auxiliares modales son verbos que ‘ayudan’ a otros verbos. Es decir se usan con otros verbos para expresar diferentes funciones como obligación, habilidad, consejos, opinion, prohibición…y mas.
Los siguientes son verbos auxiliares modales:
will, can, could, should, might, must, shall, would
Tienen en comun las siguientes caracteristicas:
1. Su forma nocambia
ejemplo I can, he can, she can …
2.Se usan con el infinitivo sin ‘to’
ejemplo I can dance, he can dance, she can dance …
3. No se usan con do ó does para formar preguntas.
ejemplo Can you dance? Can he dance? …
4. No se usan con don´t ó doesn´t para formar negativos.
ejemplo I can´t dance, he can´t dance …
Las formas negativas son:
will = will not – won´t
can = cannot – can’t
could= could not = couldn’t
should = should not – shouldn´t
might = might not
must = must not – mustn’t
shall = shall not – shan´t
would = would not – wouldn´t
Recuerde – se usan las formas no contraidas si estas escribiendo algo formal y casi siempre se usan las formas contraidas cuando estas hablando.
5. Los verbos auxiliares modales se referiren al presente ó al futuro excepto could lo cual es elpasado de can.
Modal Auxiliaries
The modal auxiliaries (or modals) include the following:
can, could, may, might, must, should, will, would, . . .
Modals are always followed by the base form of a verb or auxiliary verb.
Modals are always the same form no matter what the subject is.
In standard American English, a predicate verb phrase cannot contain more than one modal.
correct
He will beable to go.
not correct
* He will can go.
Below are examples sentences containing the modal may and the verb go. Notice that the form of the modal does not change. Also notice that the base form of a verb or auxiliary verb always follows the modal.
I may go.
You may go.
He may go.
It may go.
We may go.
They may go.
He may have gone.
They may have gone.
He may be going.
They may begoing.
He may have been going.
They may have been going.
Modals and related verb phrases add meanings to verbs. Below are some of those meanings:
Ability/Availability
future: will be able to
present: can, am/is/are able to
past: could, was/were able to
Requests
present/future: can, could, will, would
Permission
future: will be allowed to
present/future: may, can, could, am/is/areallowed to
past: could, was/were allowed to
Possibility
present/future: may, might, could
past: may have, might have, could have
Impossibility
present/future: couldn’t, can’t
past: couldn’t have
Advisability
present/future: should, ought to, had better
past: should have, ought to have, had better have
Expectation
present/future: should, ought to
past: should have, ought to have
Necessityfuture: will have to
present/future: must, have to, has to
past: had to
Lack of Necessity
future: won’t have to
present/future: don’t have to, doesn’t have to
past: didn’t have to
Prohibition
present/future: must not, may not, cannot
past: could not
Logical Deduction (=Probability)
present: must, have to, has to
past: must have, have to have, has to have
SOCIAL MODALS
The choice ofmodal depends partly on the social situation.
We often use formal language with strangers (people we don’t know) and superiors (people with some power over us such as our employers, doctors, and teachers).
We often use informal language with our equals (our friends and family) and subordinates (people we have some power over such as our employees or children).
General requests (present and/orfuture):
Will you help me? (Informal Are you willing?)
Would you help me (Formal Are you willing?)
Can you help me? (Informal Are you able?)
Could you help me (Formal Are you able?)
Requests for permission (present and/or future):
May I leave the room? (Formal)
Might I leave the room? (Formal rarely used)
Could I leave the room? (Less formal
Can I leave the room? (Informal)
Expressing…
