NEUS FERRS & PATRICIO GARCAMODAL VERBSMODAL VERBSGeneral Ideas. Use. General Ideas. Use.NEUS FERRS & PATRICIO GARCAGENERAL IDEAS ON MODAL VERBS.All modals are followed by the root of the verb.You do not add s to the third person singular.The modal is followed by not to produce the negative.To produce the interrogative, we invert the modal and the subject. We do not need an auxiliary verb.Each modal verb has at least one meaning, one use possibility, ability, There are some verbs called semi-modals that also act as modals. E.g.: dont have to, managed to, be able to, These verbs have special features.NEUS FERRS & PATRICIO GARCAMODALS EXPRESSING OBLIGATION MUST expresses an obligation that involves the speakers opinion. It is personal.E.g.: I must get my hair cutHAVE TO expresses a general obligation based on a law or a rule. It is more objective.E.g.: Children have to go to school until they are sixteenAlso, it is used to form past or future tenses indicating obligation.E.g.: Ill have to get up early tomorrow I had to study hard to pass the examNEUS FERRS & PATRICIO GARCAMODALS EXPRESSING ABILITY CAN / CANT are used to express general ability or inability to do something in the present or future.E.g.: Peter can / cant speak French COULD is used to express general ability in the past.E.g.: Peter could play the piano when he was 5 years old BE ABLE TO is used to express ability in other tenses ( past, future ).E.g.: I will be able to work next weekend.They havent been able to fnd anyone suitable for the job.NEUS FERRS & PATRICIO GARCAMODALS EXPRESSING PERMISSION CAN / MAY are both used to ask for and to give permission.E.g.: May I smoke here?Yes, of course you can. No, Im afraid you cant. BE ALLOWED TO is also used to express permission. It can be used to form past and future tense.E.g.: Will I be allowed to swim there? He wasnt allowed to enter because he was not wearing a tie.NEUS FERRS & PATRICIO GARCAMODALS EXPRESSING PROHIBITIONMUSTNT is used to express prohibition.E.g.: You mustnt smoke in the schoolMODALS EXPRESSING ADVICESHOULD / OUGHT TO / SHOULDNT are used to express advice.E.g.: You should / ought to / shouldnt see a doctorNEUS FERRS & PATRICIO GARCAMODALS EXPRESSING DEDUCTION MUST is used to express afrmative deduction, meaning you are sure that it is E.g.: I can hear the bell. It must be the end of the lesson. CANT is used to express negative deduction, meaning you are sure it is not E.g.: That cant be the postman. Its only 7 oclock.NEUS FERRS & PATRICIO GARCAMODALS EXPRESSING POSSIBILITY / PROBABILITYMAY / MIGHT / COULD express various degrees of possibilityE.g.: He may win the match She might come tomorrow They could come tomorrowNEUS FERRS & PATRICIO GARCAMODALS EXPRESSING LACK O OBLIGATIONDONT HAVE TO / NEEDNT are both used to express lack or absence of obligation.E.g.: He doesnt have to / neednt come to school tomorrow. Its a holiday.