MODAL VERBSor DEFECTIVE VERBS

General characteristicsCanCouldMustMight // MayShould // Ought to

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CHARACTERISTICS

They haven´t got infinitive. They only exist in one or two tenses. They are followed by another verb in

infinitive without TO. They don´t need auxiliaries to make the

interrogative and negative forms. They are equal for all persons and both

numbers.

CAN “yo puedo” “yo sé”

It is Present Simple. Negative form: Uses: in the present

ask and give informal

COULD “yo pude/podía” “yo podría” “yo supe/sabía”

It’s Past Simple or Simple Conditional. It is pronounced Uses:

ability in the

in the past

ask for and give permission in a way

MUST “yo debo/tengo que”

It is Present Simple, but it can refer both to the and the

In affirmative form it expresses

In negative form it expresses

MIGHT “podría/pudiera ser que”MAY “puedo/puede que”

MAY is Present Simple. It asks for permission in a way and it expresses possibility.

MIGHT is the Past and Conditional of MAY. It expresses , very remote possibility.

SHOULD// OUGHT TO “debería”

They are synomyms. They are Conditional tense. They are used to give The difference between them is that OUGHT is followed by a verb in the infinitive with TO.