MODAL VERBS

M O D A L V E R B S

Modal verbs are a very special kind of verbs. They have only one form. They occupy the same positon as an auxiliary in a sentence, but they are different because modals have a meaning and auxiliaries don't.

Example:

Auxiliary

Do you swim? ( nadas?)

I don't swim. (No nado.)

Modals

Can you swim? Puedes nadar?
Will you swim? Nadarás?
Should you swim? Deberias nadar?
I can't swim No puedo nadar.
I won't swim. No nadaré.
You shouldn't swim. No deberias nadar.

Modals are very difficult for students because one modal can be in the present, past or future with different meaning:
Example:
I could swim when I was six years old. (Capacity or ability in the past)
Could you open the window, please? ( A request in the present )
I'm not sure, but he could come tomorrow: (A future probability)

Here is a compendium of the different ways in which Modals can be used:

CAN
1.- Present ability = be able to
- I can swim well = I am able to swim well
- Joyce can speak several languages = Joyce is able to..

2.- Permission
- Can I use your phone?
- Can I leave early today?

3.- Request
- Can you help me?
- Can you do something for me?

4.- If Clauses (1st. Case)
- He can go if he wants
- I'll help you if I can

5.- Present and future probability.
- Don't plant this tree near your house because this species can reach a height of 100 feet
- She can call you tonight

COULD

1.- Past ability = be able to (pod¡a)
- I could stand on my head when I was younger = I was
able to stand on my head when I was younger.
- They could go to the beach when they lived there = they
were able to go to the beach when they lived there.

2.- Permission (podr¡a)
- Could I talk to you?
- Could I see you later?

3.- Request (podr¡a)
- Could you give me a hand?
- Could you do me a favor?

4.- If Clauses (2nd Case)
- I could do it if I had time.
- He would go if he could.

5.- Past opportunity (could+have+past participle)
- She could have won the race,but she didn't want to take
part.

6.- If Clauses (3Rd. Case)
- I could have bought it if I had gotten the money.

BE ABLE TO replaces CAN and COULD when these can't be used.

1.- After prepositions.
- I'll be glad to be able to help you (poder).

2.- Ability in the present perfect.
- He has been able to get a good job ( ha podido).

3.- Future ability.
- We will be able to swim well soon (podremos).

4.- Past fulfillment.
- They were able to escape from prison (pudieron).


WILL

1.- Future promise
- I will help you. Don't worry.
- My son will pick you up

2.- Future determination
- I will pass this course
- We will get the scholarship

3.- Simple future (only with going to) (Certainty)
- We are going to have a test next week.

4.- If clauses (1st. case)
- She will go out if her father lends her his car.

5.- Request
- Will you lend me some money?

6.- Negative / refusal in the present.
-My car won't start.
-This key won't turn.

WOULD

1.- Future when said in the past. (Reported speech)
-"I will come next week"......He said he would come next week

2.- Request
- Would you close the door?

3.- If clauses (2nd. case)
- I would quit this job if I had enough money.

4.- If clauses (3rd. case)
-They would have done it if they had wanted to.


5.- Negative / refusal in the past.
I asked my brother to lend me some moeny, but he wouldn't.
- They tried to talk to her, but she woulnd't listen.

MAY - MIGHT

1.- Present and future possibility
-He may (might) call you tonight

2.- Past possibility
- she may (might) have gone out last night.

3.- Permission
- May I go to the bathroom?
- May I ask you something?

SHALL
It is used for first person questions. It is not transalated
1.- Offer.
- shall I help you? (Te ayudo?)
yes, please (do). or No, thank you.
- What time shall I call you?
Call me at two.(Wh-questions are answered with imperatives)

2.- Suggestions or invitations.
- Shall we go out tonight?
Yes, let's do / no, let's not.

- When shall we visit her?
let's visit her tomorrow.

SHOULD

1.-Unfulfilled obligation in the present or future = ought to
-I should do my homework tonight, but I'll go out instead.
I ought to do my homework tonight, but I'll go out instead.

- You should be doing your homework.
You ought to be doing your homework.

2.- Advisability = ought to.
- You look sick. You should see the doctor.
You look sick . You ought to see the doctor

- Your grades aren't good. You should study more.
Your grades aren't good. You ought to study more.

3.- Offer (same as shall) (It's not translated)
- Should I close the door? (cierro la puerta?
Yes, please (do)/ No, thank you.

-Where should I put the boxes? (donde pongo las cajas?)
Put them on the floor.

4.- Suggestions or invitations (same as shall).
- Should we watch TV.? (Vemos TV?)
Yes, let's do/No, let's not.
5.- Unfulfilled obligation in the past (ought to+have+past
participle).
- I should (ought to) have studied last night, but I went out
instead.
- He should (ought to) have come earlier

MUST

1.-Obligation = have to (necessity)
- He must do his homework = He has to do his homework
- They must go home now = They have to go home now.

2.- Present deduction.
- She doesn't look so young. She must be around 60.
- He is wearing a white uniform. He must be a doctor.

3.- Past deduction. (Must+have+past participle)
- She arrived at the office late. She must have gotten up
late.
- He looks happy. He must have won the game.


WOULD RATHER

1.- Preference
- I'd rather stay at home than go out.
- We'd rather not watch TV.

HAD BETTER

1.- Advisability.
- You'd better go to Aruba on your next vacation.
- You'd better not make any more mistakes.

WOULD LIKE

1.- Desire (Can be followed by an infinitive or noun).
- I'd like to smoke
- We'd like some ice cream.

MSR.

Infinitives

Gerunds and infinitives:

Infinitives and gerunds are verbal nouns. They occupy the same position as any normal noun in a sentence. They can be the subject of a sentence, the object of a verb or preposition, etc.
When one is the subject of a sentence we can use any one of them
E.g.:
Fishing is a nice sport
To fish is a nice sport

The problem for students begin when they are objects of verbs, Only some verbs accept infinitives as objects, only some verbs accept gerunds as objects, some verbs accept both without any change in meaning and others accept both ,but there is difference in meaning:

Verbs that accept infinitives or gerunds with different meaning
Stop
Try
Forget
Remember

E.g.:

Ekatherina stopped talking to Nelson
(She was talking to Nelson and then she didn’t do it anymore)

Ekatherina stopped to talk to Nelson
(She was doing something different and she stopped doing that to begin talking to Nelson)

Dennis tried to open Sumiko’s bedroom door
(He made an effort, worked to open the door)

Dennis tried opening Sumiko’s bedroom door.
(This is only an experiment to see if he could open the door)



Ivonne forgot to lock the door of her house
(First she forgot and because of that she didn’t lock the door)

Ivonne forgot locking the door of her house
(First she locked the door and afterwards she forgot she had locked it)

Verbs Followed by an Infinitive
She agreed to speak before the game.

agree
aim
appear
arrange
ask
attempt
be able
beg
begin
care
choose
condescend
consent
continue
dare
decide
deserve
detest
dislike
expect
fail
forget
get
happen
have
hesitate
hope
hurry
intend
leap
leave
like
long
love
mean
neglect
offer
ought
plan
prefer
prepare
proceed
promise
propose
refuse
remember
say
shoot
start
stop
strive
swear
threaten
try
use
wait
want
wish




Verbs Followed by an Object and an Infinitive
Everyone expected her to win.

advise
allow
ask
beg
bring
build
buy
challenge
choose
command
dare
direct
encourage
expect
forbid
force
have
hire
instruct
invite
lead
leave
let
like
love
motivate
order
pay
permit
persuade
prepare
promise
remind
require
send
teach
tell
urge
want
warn


Note: Some of the verbs included in the list above may be used without an
object.

The infinitive is often a complement used to help define an abstract noun. Here is a very partial list of abstract nouns, enough to suggest their nature. Try following these adjectives with an infinitive phrase.
their desire to play in the championship game, a motivation to pass all their courses, her permission to stay up late, a gentle reminder to do your work) to see how the phrase modifies and focuses the noun.


Nouns often followed by infinitives

Advice
appeal
command
decision
desire
fact
instruction
motivation
Opportunity
order
permission
plan
possibility
preparation
proposal
recommendation
Refusal
reminder
request
requirement
suggestion
tendency
wish


Infinitive phrases often follow certain adjectives. When this happens, the infinitive is said to play the role of Adjective Complement.

a. She was hesitant to tell the coach of her plan.
b. She was reluctant to tell her parents, also.
c. But she would not have been content to play high school ball forever.

Here is a list of adjectives that you will often find in such constructions.

Ahead
amazed
anxious
apt
ashamed
bound
careful
certain
content
delighted
Determined
disappointed
eager
eligible
fortunate
glad
happy
hesitant
liable
likely
Lucky
pleased
proud
ready
reluctant
sad
shocked
sorry
surprised
upset

Verbs Followed by a Gerund
They enjoyed working on the boat.
Admit
advise
appreciate
avoid
can't help
complete
consider
delay
deny
detest
dislike
Enjoy
escape
excuse
finish
forbid
get through
have
imagine
mind
miss
permit
postpone
practice
quit
recall
report
resent
resist
resume
risk
spend (time)
suggest
tolerate
waste (time)


Verbs Followed by a Preposition and a Gerund
We concentrated on doing well.

Admit to
Approve of
Argue about
Believe in
Care about
Complain about
Concentrate on
Confess to
Depend on
Disapprove of
Discourage from
Dream about
Feel like
Forget about
Insist on
Object to
Plan on
Prevent someone) from
Refrain from
Succeed in
Talk about
Think about
Worry about



MSR/mbs

IF

If
Rudyard Kipling

IF you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

IF you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

IF you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: `Hold on!'

IF you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!


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keep your head (verb): to stay calm; to remain cool
make allowance for (verb): to take into account
impostor (noun): person who pretends to be someone else; charlatan; fraud; phony
knave (noun): con man; cheat; trickster
stoop (verb): to bend down; to bow; to incline; to crouch
build 'em up (informal contraction): build them up
worn-out (adjective): used; completely exhausted; useless
pitch-and-toss (noun): game in which players throw coins
sinew (noun): tough, fibrous tissue joining muscle to bone
hold on (verb): to continue; to persist
foe (noun): enemy
count with you (verb): to matter to you; to be important to you

ALP FOR BASIC 5

Dear students:
you will have to click on the followig website:

http://www.rong-chang.com/qa2/stories/story003.htm

You will have to read the story, complete some activities, write down the new words you may encounter find their meanings and also write them down. Then, you will write a small composition (between 100 and 120 words) expressing your opinion about the story and the website to present in class. You must hand in the compositon and the list of new words on the day of the project presentation.

ALP for I12

Dear students:

Your task for this month's project will be to enter the following website:

http://www.nexuslearning.net/books/Holt-EOL2/Collection%203/landlady.htm


If you cannot click and enter the website, Copy the address and paste it in the website browser on top of the page and then press enter.

You will have to read the story, write down the new words, find their meanings and also write them down. Then you will have to write a small composition expressing your opinion about the story and the website. Your composition must contain bewtween 100 and 120 words. This composition as well as the list of new words must be presented in class on paper the day of the project presentation.

ALP FOR A12T APRIL 2009

You'r task for the ALP will be to watch a video, listen carefully and summarize what Professor Pausch lectured. To do that you will have to click on the following link and you will be able to watch the video


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9ya9BXClRw&feature=PlayList&p=AB89C510F81C7099&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=13
or

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5700431505846055184#