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Understanding Modal Verbs in English

The document explains the usage of various modal verbs in English, including 'should' for advice, 'can' for present ability, 'must' for obligation, and 'have to' for necessary actions. It also covers 'could' for past ability and 'would' for expressing wishes or suggestions. Additionally, it mentions the negative forms of these modals to indicate prohibitions or lack of necessity.

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Joel conde
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12 views1 page

Understanding Modal Verbs in English

The document explains the usage of various modal verbs in English, including 'should' for advice, 'can' for present ability, 'must' for obligation, and 'have to' for necessary actions. It also covers 'could' for past ability and 'would' for expressing wishes or suggestions. Additionally, it mentions the negative forms of these modals to indicate prohibitions or lack of necessity.

Uploaded by

Joel conde
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

We use should for We use can to indicate

giving advice. It is not something in the present


a necessary advice, that you can do or you
if you don’t do it, it know. Can indicates a
won’t have any conse- present ability.
quence.
I can swim in
You should go to the doctor. the pool.

We use must to We use have/has to


indicate an obligation. to indicate an action you
Something that you need to do following a
must do is something rule. The negative form
you can and you have shows that something is not
to do. necessary.
You must fasten your I have to study hard.
seatbelt I don´t have to get up early
Because it´s Sunday.

We use could to We use would to


indicate a past ability. express a wish,
To talk about something make a suggestion,
we were able to do express questions,
in the past. offers...

I could swim when Would you like


I was 5. to try some?

The last modal verbs also have a negative form. We use the negative
form for prohibitions, something we can’t/couldn’t do...
Shouldn’t, Wouldn’t, Mustn’t, Can’t, Don’t have to...
And all the verbs are followed by an infinitive without to.

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