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    Modal Verbs (Can, Could, Must, Should) - Joselu

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    Juan Garcia Gallego

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    Modal Verbs (Can, Could, Must, Should) - Joselu

    Uploaded by

    Juan Garcia Gallego
    3 views4 pages

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    modal verbs (can, could, must, should) - Joselu

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    3 views4 pages

    Modal Verbs (Can, Could, Must, Should) - Joselu

    Uploaded by

    Juan Garcia Gallego

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 4

    Modal Verbs

    Can is a modal verb used to express ability and possibility. However, can’t is a modal
    verb used to express inability and impossibility. Read the examples below:

    Can Can’t

    Ability Inability

     I can swim well.  I can’t swim underwater well.


     She can play computer games.  She can’t play tennis.
     He can speak Spanish fluently.  He can’t speak English fluently.

    Possibility Impossibility

     You can learn to play basketball at a  You can’t learn to play hockey at a
    summer camp. summer camp.
     We can go to the cinema in July.  Due to the covid-19 pandemic, we
    can’t go to the cinema now.

    Could is a modal verb used to express ability and possibility. However, couldn’t is a
    modal verb used to express inability and impossibility. These are the past forms of can
    and can’t respectively. Read the examples below:

    Could Couldn’t

    Ability (past) Inability (past)

     I could swim well when I was a child.  I couldn’t swim well last summer,
     She could play computer games last but now I can.
    summer, she learned fast.  He couldn’t speak English
    fluently some years ago.

    Possibility (past) Impossibility (past)

     You could have learned to sky at  We couldn’t buy the tickets for the
    Sierra Nevada last winter. concert, they had sold out.
     We could go to the cinema in  Due to the covid-19 pandemic, we
    January. couldn’t go to the cinema in April.
    Modal Verbs

    Should is a modal verb used to give advice (aconsejar). Shouldn’t is also used to give
    advice. Read the examples below:

    Should Shouldn’t

    Advice Advice

     You should eat healthy food.  You shouldn’t go to sleep too late.
     You should do your homework now.  You shouldn’t be late to school.
     You should try this game, it’s great.  You shouldn’t eat too much
    candy.

    Must is a modal verb used to express obligation, while mustn’t is a modal verb used to
    express prohibition. Read the examples below:

    Must Mustn’t

    Obligation Prohibition

     You must do your homework.  People mustn’t smoke at the cinema.


     People must do their best at work.  “You mustn’t come home late”, the
    mother said to her son.

    Notice: can, could, should and must are modal verbs, so you don’t add “-s” to the third person
    singular when using them (She plays the piano She can play the piano).

    Notice: should is sometimes used as a polite version of must, so their meaning is similar
    (You mustn’t smoke cigarettes You shouldn’t smoke cigarettes).
    Modal Verbs

    EXERCISES

    Choose one of the following modal verbs and fill in the blanks.

    Should, can, can’t, must, mustn’t, couldn’t, can’t, can, could, shouldn’t

     Sarah can play the guitar, she does very well.


     You shouldn’t eat too much chocolate.
     I couldn’t go to Sierra Nevada last winter, but I will go next winter.
     Martin can skate very well, he should practice a lot.
     Richard’s cousin can’t drive a car. He wants to learn next year.
     Berta is a polyglot, she can speak four languages.
     I must study hard to get good grades and learn a lot.
     You should do some exercise, that will be good for your health.
     People shouldn’t smoke cigarettes, it is bad for health.
     We could go to the cinema in January but we can’t go there now.

    Write sentences about what you must and mustn’t do. Consider the
    examples.

    > fasten your seat belt (1) > drink lots of alcohol (3) > study English hard (5)
    > watch TV a lot (2) > eat too much candy (4) > be polite (6)

    1. In the car, I must fasten my seat belt.


    2. I mustn’t watch TV a lot.
    3. I mustn’t drink lots of
    alcohol.
    4.I mustn’t eat too much candy
    5. I should study English hard
    6.I must be polite.
    Modal Verbs

    Write sentences about what you can and can’t do. Consider the examples.

    > speak Spanish fluently (1) > ride a bike (4) > play hockey (7)
    > speak French fluently (2) > drive a car (5) > run in a marathon (8)
    > bake a cake (3) > ride a helicopter (6)

    1. I can speak Spanish fluently.


    2. I can’t speak French fluently.
    3. I can bake a cake
    4.I can ride a bike
    5.I can’t drive a car
    6.I can’t ride a helicopter
    7.I can play hockey
    8.I can’t run in a marathon.

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