Modals Verbs Ingles

MODAL VERBS

PRESENT AND FUTURE



|CAN affirmative |Possibility |“You can see the sea from here |
| |Ability |“I can speak Spanish” |
| Interrogative |Ask for something |“Can I have thesalt,please” |
|(conversational) | | |
| |Ask permission to do something |“Can I use your phone?” |
| |Offering |“Can I help you ?|
| Negative |Impossible |“You can´t be hungry” |
| |Refuse permission |“You can´t watch T.V” |
| |Refuse an invitation | “I´m afraid I can´t come”|
| |Logical deduction |“It can´t be Susan, she has gone” |
| |Rules and laws |“You can´t smoke in the classroom” |
| |Personal authority |“You can´t stay up tonight”|
|COULD affirmative |Past ability |“I could play the piano when I was two years old” |
| |Possibility |“There could be another rise in the petrol” |
| |Make speculations |“Where is Ann?.She could be at home”|
| |Make suggestions |“We could play bingo tonight” |
|Interrogative |Ask for things (less formal) |“Could I have a sandwich” |
| |Ask for information (Formal) |“Could you tell me the time?” || |Request(Polite) |“Could you help me? |
| |Offering |“Could I help you? |
|Negative |Impossibility in the past |“It was dark and I couldn´t see |
||Past ability |“I coudn´t swim when I was seven” |
|MAY affirmative |Something is possible |“He may be in his office” |
| |Permission |“You may be go now” |
||Make speculation |“She may be still be asleep because the room is |
| | |dark” |
|Negative |Not possible |“He may not be in his office” |
|Interrogative|Ask for something (formal) |“May I take this?” |
| |Ask permission (formal) |“May I go to the bathroom?” |
| |Offering |“May I do that for you?” |
|MIGHT affirmative...