Modal verbs in English

Summary

Este vídeo ofrece una introducción a los verbos modales, un subconjunto de verbos auxiliares que expresan el humor, posibilidad, necesidad, permiso o capacidad del verbo principal. Se explica que el verbo principal debe estar en forma base sin conjugar. Se detallan los usos de 'can' para expresar habilidad, posibilidad y permiso; 'could' para habilidad pasada y solicitudes educadas; 'will' para futura sencilla, promesas y decisiones espontáneas; 'would' para solicitudes educadas y situaciones hipotéticas; 'shall' para sugerencias y ofertas formales; 'should' para dar consejos y expresar obligaciones; 'must' para necesidad fuerte y prohibiciones; 'may' para permiso, posibilidad y deseos; y 'might' para posibilidades menores y sugerencias educadas. El vídeo enfatiza la importancia de comprender cada verbo modal para usarlos adecuadamente en diferentes contextos y niveles de formalidad.

Takeaways

• 😀 Los verbos modales son un subconjunto específico de verbos auxiliares que expresan el humor, posibilidad, necesidad, permiso o capacidad del verbo principal.
• 📝 Al usar verbos modales, el verbo principal debe estar en forma base, sin conjugar.
• 🔄 Los verbos modales funcionan como verbos auxiliares y no requieren de verbos auxiliares adicionales para formar negativas o preguntas.
• 🎹 'Can' se utiliza para expresar habilidad, posibilidad, permiso o solicitud.
• 🏃 'Could' generalmente se usa para expresar habilidad pasada, solicitudes cortés o condiciones.
• 📅 'Will' se emplea para describir acciones futuras, promesas, decisiones espontáneas o condiciones en el primer condicional.
• 🍵 'Would' se utiliza para hacer solicitudes cortés, ofertas, expresar preferencias o situaciones hipotéticas.
• 📘 'Shall' se prefiere en contextos formales, especialmente con la primera persona, y se usa para invitar, ofrecer ayuda o prometer.
• 📚 'Should' se utiliza para dar consejos, recomendaciones o expresar obligaciones.
• 🚫 'Must' indica una fuerte necesidad o prohibición, y también se puede usar para hacer deducciones lógicas o sugerencias enfáticas.
• 🗓️ 'May' y 'Might' se usan para expresar permiso, posibilidad, probabilidad, solicitudes y deseos, siendo 'Might' menos probable que 'May'.

Q & A

¿Qué son los verbos modales y qué expresan?

Los verbos modales son un subconjunto específico de verbos auxiliares que expresan el humor, posibilidad, necesidad, permiso o capacidad del verbo principal.

¿Por qué el verbo principal no se conjuga cuando se usa con un verbo modal?

El verbo principal debe estar en su forma base sin ningún sufijo, ya que el verbo modal ya funciona como un auxiliar.

¿Cómo se forma una pregunta en affirmative con un verbo modal?

Para formar una pregunta affirmative con un verbo modal, se antepone el verbo modal al sujeto del verbo principal, como en '¿Debería trabajar en un restaurante?'.

¿Cuál es la diferencia entre 'can' y 'could'?

'Can' se utiliza para expresar habilidad, posibilidad, permiso o solicitud, mientras que 'could' se utiliza en muchos casos para expresar habilidad pasada, solicitudes cortés o condiciones.

¿Para qué se usa el verbo modal 'will'?

'Will' se utiliza para expresar futuro simple, promesas, decisiones espontáneas o condiciones en el primer condicional.

¿Cómo se usan los verbos modales 'would' y 'should' para hacer solicitudes cortés?

Los verbos modales 'would' y 'should' se pueden usar para hacer solicitudes cortés, como en '¿Te importaría cerrar la ventana?' o '¿Deberías comer más frutas y verduras?'.

¿En qué contexto se utiliza el verbo modal 'shall'?

'Shall' se utiliza en contextos formales o oficiales, especialmente con el primer persona 'yo' o 'nosotros', para hacer ofertas, expresar promesas o en manuales de políticas de la empresa.

¿Qué expresa el verbo modal 'must' y cómo se utiliza en las prohibiciones?

'Must' se utiliza para expresar una necesidad fuerte o obligación, y en las prohibiciones se usa para indicar que algo no es posible o está prohibido, como en 'No se debe fumar aquí'.

¿Cuál es la diferencia entre 'may' y 'might' en cuanto a la probabilidad?

'May' se usa para expresar permiso, posibilidad, probabilidad, solicitudes y deseos con una probabilidad del 70-80%, mientras que 'might' reduce la probabilidad a alrededor del 50-60%.

¿Cómo se usa el verbo modal 'could' para expresar condiciones pasadas?

El verbo modal 'could' se usa para expresar condiciones pasadas o solicitudes cortés hechas en el pasado, como en 'Ella preguntó si podría usar el baño'.

¿Cómo pueden los verbos modales variar según el contexto, la formalidad e intención del hablante?

Los verbos modales son versátiles y pueden combinarse para expresar diferentes significados. Su uso puede variar dependiendo del contexto, la formalidad y la intención del hablante, siendo algunos más fuertes para expresar obligación o formalidad.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introducción a los verbos modales

Este párrafo introduce los verbos modales como un subconjunto de verbos auxiliares que expresan el estado de ánimo, posibilidad, necesidad, permiso o capacidad del verbo principal. Se enfatiza que el verbo principal debe estar en forma base cuando se usa con un verbo modal, como en el ejemplo 'she can write'. Se contrasta con el uso de verbos principales que requieren conjugación y la adición de palabras auxiliarias para formar negativas o preguntas. Se explica que los verbos modales en sí mismos funcionan como verbos auxiliares y no necesitan palabras auxiliares adicionales. Se explora el verbo modal 'can', que se utiliza para expresar habilidad, posibilidad, permiso y solicitudes, y se señala la distinción entre su uso como verbo modal y su uso como sustantivo, como en 'a can of tuna'.

05:01

🕒 Uso de 'will' y 'would' como verbos modales

En este párrafo se discute el uso de 'will' para expresar acciones futuras simples, promesas y decisiones espontáneas, así como en condiciones con alta probabilidad de suceso. Se explica que 'would' se utiliza para hacer solicitudes cortés, ofrecer ayuda, expresar preferencias y situaciones hipotéticas. Se menciona la distinción entre el uso de 'will' como verbo modal y su uso como nombre propio o sustantivo en otros contextos.

10:04

💬 Aplicación de 'shall', 'should' y 'must' en contextos formales

Aquí se aborda el uso del verbo modal 'shall' en contextos formales y en primera persona, así como para hacer ofertas y promesas. Se describe el verbo 'should' para dar consejos y expresar recomendaciones y obligaciones. El verbo 'must' se utiliza para indicar necesidad fuerte y prohibiciones, y también para hacer deduciones lógicas y sugerencias enfáticas. Se destaca la importancia de entender el uso de estos verbos modales en diferentes contextos y su variabilidad en cuanto a formalidad e intención del hablante.

🌂 Exploración de 'may' y 'might' para expresar permiso y posibilidad

Este párrafo cubre el uso del verbo modal 'may' para expresar permiso, posibilidad, probabilidad, solicitudes y deseos, con ejemplos como 'may I go to the restroom?' y 'it may rain tomorrow'. También se trata el uso de 'might' para indicar una probabilidad menor y para hacer sugerencias cortés y situaciones hipotéticas del tercer condicional. Se señala la distinción entre el uso de 'may' como verbo modal y su significado como mes del año o nombre propio.

Keywords

💡modal verbs

Los verbos modales son un subconjunto específico de verbos auxiliares que expresan el modo, posibilidad, necesidad, permiso o capacidad del verbo principal. En el vídeo, se explica que los verbos modales son esenciales para expresar diferentes grados de probabilidad o obligación en acciones o eventos, y se destacan como un tema central para comprender la gramática del inglés.

💡mood

El término 'mood' se refiere a la forma en que se expresa la actitud o la intención del hablante hacia lo que está diciendo. En el contexto del vídeo, los verbos modales son usados para expresar el 'mood' de una oración, como en la posibilidad ('can', 'could'), la necesidad ('must', 'should') o la permisión ('may', 'might').

💡base form

La 'base form' de un verbo es su forma más básica y no conjugada, que se utiliza en combinación con un verbo modal. El vídeo enfatiza que el verbo principal debe estar en esta forma cuando se usa con un verbo modal, como en 'she can write', para evitar la conjugación incorrecta como 'she can writes'.

💡conjugation

La 'conjugation' es el proceso de cambiar la forma de un verbo para adaptarse a diferentes sujetos y tiempos. En el vídeo, se explica que, a diferencia de los verbos principales, los verbos modales no requieren conjugación adicional; el verbo sigue en su forma base, como en 'he should work'.

💡auxiliary verb

Un 'auxiliary verb' es un verbo que se utiliza para formar tenses compuestos, aspectos o voices, y que a menudo se combina con otros verbos para expresar significados complejos. Los verbos modales son un tipo de verbo auxiliar que se utiliza para expresar posibilidades, permisos y obligaciones, como se describe en el vídeo.

💡can

El verbo 'can' se utiliza para expresar la habilidad, posibilidad o permiso. En el vídeo, se ejemplifica cómo 'can' se emplea para describir capacidades ('She can play the piano'), posibilidades ('It can rain later') y para hacer peticiones ('Can I use your phone?').

💡could

'Could' se utiliza generalmente para expresar la capacidad en el pasado o para hacer solicitudes cortéses. En el vídeo, se muestra cómo 'could' se puede usar para describir acciones pasadas ('When I was younger, I could run faster') o para hacer peticiones más educadas ('Could you please pass me the kombucha?').

💡will

El verbo 'will', como modal, se usa para expresar acciones futuras, promesas o decisiones espontáneas. El vídeo ofrece ejemplos como 'I will meet you at the park' para futuras acciones planificadas, 'I will help you with your project' para promesas, y 'I'll get it' para decisiones inmediatas.

💡would

'Would' se emplea para hacer solicitudes cortéses, ofrecer ayuda de manera educada o expresar preferencias. El vídeo explica su uso en contextos como 'Would you mind closing the window?' para solicitudes y 'Would you like me to carry the box for you?' para ofrecer ayuda.

💡shall

'Shall' se utiliza principalmente en contextos formales o con la primera persona para hacer invitaciones o sugerencias. En el vídeo, se menciona su uso en frases como 'Shall we begin the meeting?' para iniciar eventos de manera formal o 'Shall we go to the cinema tonight?' para invitar a alguien de manera más educada.

💡should

'Should' se utiliza para dar consejos o recomendaciones, como se explica en el vídeo con ejemplos como 'You should eat more fruits and vegetables'. También puede expresar obligaciones, como 'Students should attend all classes', o para hacer inferencias lógicas, como en 'The roads are wet, it must have rained'.

💡must

'Must' se emplea para expresar necesidad o obligación fuerte, como se describe en el vídeo con ejemplos como 'You must follow the rules'. También se puede usar para indicar prohibiciones, como 'You must not smoke here', o para hacer deducciones lógicas basadas en la evidencia, como 'It must have rained'.

💡may

'May' como verbo modal se usa para expresar permiso, posibilidad, probabilidad, solicitudes y deseos. El vídeo proporciona ejemplos como 'May I go to the restroom?' para pedir permiso, 'It may rain tomorrow' para expresar posibilidades, y 'May all your dreams come true' para hacer deseos.

💡might

'Might' se utiliza para expresar posibilidades más bajas o para hacer sugerencias cortéses. En el vídeo, se ejemplifica con 'I might go to the party if I finish my work', lo que indica una menor probabilidad de asistir, y 'You might want to try the new restaurant', que es una forma educada de hacer una sugerencia.

Highlights

Modal verbs are auxiliary verbs that express mood, possibility, necessity, permission, or ability.

The main verb with a modal verb should be in its base form and not conjugated.

Modal verbs themselves act as auxiliaries, unlike main verbs which require additional auxiliaries for negatives and questions.

The modal verb 'can' is used for expressing ability, possibility, permission, and requests.

'Could' is often used to express past ability and is considered the past form of 'can'.

The modal verb 'will' is used for future simple, promises, spontaneous decisions, and first conditionals.

'Would' is used for polite requests, offers, expressing preferences, and hypothetical situations.

The modal verb 'shall' is more common in formal contexts and when using the first person.

'Should' is used to express advice, recommendations, and obligations.

'Must' conveys strong necessity, obligation, prohibition, logical deduction, and strong suggestions.

'May' is used to express permission, possibility, probability, requests, and wishes.

'Might' is similar to 'may' but indicates a lower probability or possibility.

Modal verbs can be combined to express different meanings and their use varies with context, formality, and speaker's intention.

The video is aimed at students at Carbonell and covers modal verbs for English language learning.

The presenter encourages viewers to ask questions for further clarification.

Transcripts

Hi everyone, today we're going to explore  modal verbs.

Modal verbs are a specific subset of auxiliary verbs

that express the mood, possibility, necessity, permission or ability of the main verb. 

Something to have in mind is that when we use modal verbs the main part of  

the sentence should never be conjugated but it  should be on its base form so here we have an  

example of a correct way to use a modal verb: "she  can write." Although this sentence is in present  

we should not say "she can writes" we cannot say  either "she can wrote" or we cannot say "she can  

writing" as you can notice the main verb has to  be in the base form without any kind of suffix,  

right? "-es", or "-s", or in past, or  ing, whatever alright. So let's compare  

a modal verb with a main verb so here on top we  have main verbs how do they work okay "she works  

at a restaurant" so as you can notice we conjugate  the main verb here because there is no modal verb  

we add "s" because this is a sentence in present  simple if we want to make it negative we would  

say "she doesn't work at a restaurant" we need  to use an auxiliary verb and the auxiliary for  

present is "do" and "does" plus the word "not"  so here we have an extra word two extra words if  

we want to divide does from not does not work she  does not work or she doesn't work at a restaurant  

question does she work at a restaurant again  we add an extra word for asking a question what  

happens with modal verbs here is an example of  a modal verb in affirmative "she should work at  

a restaurant" should is used for suggestions as  we will see later on negative she shouldn't work  

at a restaurant there is no extra word other than  not "she should not work a restaurant" there is no  

other auxiliary because the modal verb on itself  is an auxiliary verb so question "should she work  

at a restaurant" "should she work at a restaurant"  again we don't need any extra auxiliary because  

the modal verb on itself works as an auxiliary  so this is the main difference between modal  

verbs and main verbs main verbs need auxiliaries  for making negatives and for making questions  

modal verbs on the other hand they don't need  auxiliaries whatsoever because they themselves  

are auxiliaries. And here is the first modal verb  we're going to explore today I'm not going to  

deepen too much on the explanation just check  the examples here. Can is used for expressing  

ability for example "she can play the piano" as  you can see on the video. Possibility: "it can  

rain later". Permission: "can I use your phone"  you can add the expression "please". Request:  

"can you help me with this please?" when it is  not used as a modal verb can could be a synonym  

of a container, for example, a "trash can"  or a "garbage can". Or a container of food  

for example when we say "a can of tuna" right or  "a can of soda" in those examples "can" is not a  

modal verb so this is something important to have  in mind the word can is not only a modal verb,  

sometimes it is a noun and when it is a noun is  kind of a container. The second modal verb is "could".

In many cases "could" is used to express  past ability so in that case it is considered  

the past of "can" here is an example "when I was  younger I could run faster" here I am expressing  

something that I was able to do in the past,  probably in the present I can no longer run  

as fast as I could in the past. "could" is also  used for expressing polite requests "could you  

please pass me the kombucha?" it is also used for  conditional: "if you could come early we would  

appreciate it" remember that conditionals use the  conditional word if. "If is the equivalent of "si"  

in Spanish but to express a condition. Our good  friend "will". "Will" remember that when it is not  

used as a modal verb it has a meaning as a noun or  different meanings as a noun "will" could be the  

name of someone like "Will Smith", "will" is also  a document in which I express my wishes to leave  

my possessions to someone. That's a "will", okay  and "will" is also used to express that I have a  

devotion to do something, that I have willingness  to do something I can say I have a strong will to  

wake up early. That's the equivalent in Spanish to  saying: "tengo una voluntad fuerte" in English is  

will when it is not a modal verb because remember  when it is a modal verb it is used to express  

these things. Future simple, it is also used  to express a promise, we can use it to express  

a spontaneous decision, or it is also used in a  conditional in the first conditional to be more specific 

so in future simple: "I will meet you at  the park".

for expressing a promise: "I will help you with your project"

for a spontaneous decision "the phone is ringing; I'll get it"  

something spontaneous: "someone is knocking at the  door, I will open it." if someone drops something,  

"don't worry I'll pick up the book for you"  things like that.   

and conditional: "if Nicole studies she will pass the exam"

when there is a high possibility of something to be true in the future  

if the condition is met. alright, the next modal  verb is "would". "Would" is used for making polite  

requests for example "would you mind closing  in the window?". Something to have in mind here  

is that if you want to cooperate if the other  person wants to cooperate to a question asked  

with "would" like with would you mind the correct  answer would be "no", or "not at all" like "would  

you mind" means "te importaría..." in Spanish and  so you would say: no, I wouldn't. I wouldn't mind.  

if you want to cooperate you need to say "no"  or "not at all" or "no I wouldn't mind" or "I  

wouldn't" that means that you want to cooperate,  you want to help the other person. Polite offer:  

"would" is also used for making polite offers, for  example: "would you like me to carry the box for  

you?" in this case, "would you like me...?" is  like "te gustaría que yo..." in Spanish. Like:  

"would you like me to carry...?", "would you like  me to help you?", "would you like me to write for  

you?", "would you like me to drive you home?" for  example that is the structure. "Would you like me  

to..." or "I would like you to do something" or  "I would like you to finish your homework" in the  

case of parents interacting with their children.  "Would" is also used for expressing preference:  

"I would prefer tea over coffee". For expressing  hypothetical situations: "if I won the lottery,  

I would travel the world" this is also a  conditional, remember when we have the conditional  

word "if", that means that it's a condition "if  I won the lottery" so, what is the condition in  

this example to travel around the world? "win  the lottery". The next modal verb is "shall".  

So "shall" was more popular in Old English if you  like to read the Bible for example you will notice  

that "shall" is used all the time, however,  nowadays is still used in formal contexts or  

in official papers and especially when using the  first person "I" or "we" doesn't mean that with  

other subjects is not used but it is preferred  with "I" or "we". Okay, let's see some examples  

"Shall we begin the meeting?". In this example  we are using it instead of saying "let's begin  

the meeting" like an invitation a suggestion to do  something. If I don't feel confident enough with  

the person I'm inviting, I better say "shall  we". "shall we go to the cinema tonight?" if  

I feel more confident I would say: "let's go  to the cinema tonight". Probably with a, with  

my best friend, or with my girlfriend I would  say that: "let's go to the cinema tonight". But  

with someone I just met or someone with whom  I don't feel confident enough I say: "shall  

we go to the cinema?" so with your boss or with  your co-workers you should be more formal that's  

why in this example it says: "Shall we begin the  meeting?" it is also used to make offers: "I shall  

help you with the cleaning". In this example it is  used as a replacement of "will" but to sound more  

formal. I shall help you with the cleaning" is the  same as saying "I will help you with the cleaning"  

I'm offering my help it's also used to express  promises. "You shall be the first person to know",  

like: "you will be the first person to know" I  promise you this. As I pointed out before "shall"  

is also used in legal and official language,  example: "clients shall receive their packages  

within a week of purchase" probably this is a  rule in a company, it lies in the manual, in the  

policies manual of the company. If the client  does not receive their purchase within a week,  

probably there will be some kind of compensation  for the time. Next modal verb is "should".  

"Should" is used to express advice. If you want to  give a piece of advice to someone, example: "you  

should eat more fruits and vegetables" to express  a recommendation, example: "the doctor said I  

should consume more probiotics and antioxidants"  example, kombucha. Obligation: "students should  

attend all classes". "Must". "Must" is used to  express strong necessity or obligation, something  

that is mandatory, example: "you must follow the  rules" prohibition: "must" is also used to express  

when something is not possible, right? example:  "you must not smoke here" he's not allowed to  

smoke here, so, "you must not smoke here". "Must"  is also used to express a logical deduction:  

"the roads are wet, it must have rained".  Strong suggestion: "you must watch this movie,  

it's awesome" in here we are not expressing an  obligation or a Prohibition, in this case if I  

like something very much, and I want to recommend  it to the other person and I want to emphasize  

that it is extremely good, then I say: "man you  must read this book, it was amazing". "you must go  

to this place, it has the best food in the city",  things like that. The next modal verb is "may".  

Remember that "may" has another meaning as a noun.  When it is not a modal verb, "May" could be the  

month of the year, the fifth month of the year.  "May" could be the name of of someone, like "Aunt  

May" in the movie Spider-Man. But when it is used  as a modal verb it is used to express permission,  

possibility, probability, requests, and wishes.  Permission: "may I go to the restroom?". If I want  

to be polite I use "may". a possibility in the  present or in the future: "it may rain tomorrow"  

okay. Probability: "he may arrive late, he's  often late". So here I'm expressing a probability,  

if someone does something repeatedly, I can  express a probability statistically speaking,  

you know, "he may arrive late today because he's  often late". Request: "may I borrow your pen,  

please? Wishes: "may all your dreams come true"  this is commonly used in Christmas, for example,  

when you want to wish something good to someone:  "May the good Lord bless you in this beautiful  

day", "may all your dreams come true", "may you  get what you expect in life", "may you achieve  

the biggest goals you have", etc. "Might" is  similar to "May". Let's pretend when I say "may"  

it's like 70 or 80 percent of the possibility, but  when I say "might" it goes to 60 or 50 even. Let's  

see some examples: "I might go to the party if  I finish my work". What I'm saying is that there  

is no such a big possibility for me to go to the  party, maybe I have a lot of work so if I say "I  

might go" it's like: "de pronto voy" in Spanish.  "De pronto voy, si termino mi trabajo" that would  

be this example. And this sentence itself is a  conditional. Probability: "she might be at home;  

let me check" there is a small possibility that  she is a home maybe she usually works at this time  

so I'm not sure but I say "she might be at home".  Suggestion, a polite suggestion: "you might want  

to try the new restaurant". Instead of saying "you  must try this restaurant" which is a little rude,  

or "you have to try this restaurant" if I'm  not confident enough with a person I would say:  

"you might want to try this new restaurant", I  am suggesting politely. Hypothetical situations,  

again a conditional: "if I had studied harder, I  might have passed the exam" that's something that  

didn't happen, this is the third conditional. Past  permission, or polite requests: "she asked if she  

might use the restroom" so this is something  called reported speech but what I'm reporting  

is conditional so in the active form, though  she would have said "may I use the restroom,  

please? so if I am reporting I have to report that  in past and instead of saying "may" which is what  

she used in her question "may I use the restroom"  when I am reporting something that used "May" in  

the active voice, then I have to use "might". Modal verbs are versatil, and can be combined  

to express different meanings, please keep in mind  that their use may vary depending on the context,  

formality, and the intention of the speaker.  Some are stronger like when I want to express  

obligation, or when I want to be more  formal, so make sure you understand how  

each of them work before you use them. So  guys, that's all for today thank you very  

much for watching let me know if you have any  questions. I made this video for my students  

at Carbonell. Let me know guys if you have any  questions and good luck in the exam. Bye bye 

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