Modal verbs in English are a type of "auxiliary
verb", also called "helping verb" in English.
That means they work together with other
verbs to give the sentence a new meaning. Are
:
Can
"Can" indicates ability or
possibility. In these cases it
can be translated as
"power" in Spanish
In interrogative sentences,
the use of "can" can request
permission or ask about
possibilities
example
Can you help me?(¿Puedes
ayudarme?)
Could
Could ”indicates
possibility or ability in
the past
example
I couldn’t sleep last
night.(No pude dormir
anoche.)
MAY
Like "could", "may"
is used to indicate
possibilities in the
future
can be used to give
Permissions or
instructions
You may leave if you
like.(Puede salir si quiere.)
In interrogative
phrases, the use of
"may" is more polite
than "can" or
"could".
May I leave
now?(¿Podría salir
ahora?)
MIGHT
“Might” is used to indicate
possibilities in the present or the
future. In these cases, it is a
synonym for “may
Example : I would bring an
umbrella, it might rain later.(Yo
llevaría un paraguas, puede
llover más tarde.)
Will
As we will see in later
lessons, “will” is used to
form the future tense
example I will help you.(Te
ayudaré.)
SHALL
"Shall" is used as "will" to form the
future tense. The use of “shall” is
much more common in the United
Kingdom and is generally more
polite
EXAMPLEChris shall be
happy to see
you.(Chris estará feliz
de verte.)
Should
Cómo se pronuncia "Should" indicates an
obligation or recommendation. It reflects an
opinion about what is right. It translates as
the "duty" conditional in Spanish
EXAMPLE :You shouldn’t work
so hard.(No debería trabajar tan
duro.)
Ought
to
"Ought to" is a synonym for
"should" although it is less
common EXAMPLE:She ought
to quit smoking.(Debería
dejar de fumar.)
Would
“Would” is used to
declare a preference and
to ask for something
politely
Must
"Must" indicates an obligation,
prohibition or necessity. You can
also use "have to" in affirmative
sentences
EXAMPLE :When must we
meet you?(¿Cuándo debemos
quedar? )