31 Jan 2025

MODAL VERBS I

MODAL VERBS (meaning & uses) 






MODAL VERBS

MODAL VERBS

MODAL VERB

MEANING/USES

EXAMPLES

CAN
(poder/ saber/ tener la habilidad)
-                ability
-                permission
-                possibility
- He can speak English
- Can I open the door?
- Anybody can make mistakes

CAN’T
(No se puede, porque es imposible)

-   impossibility

- I can’t find my keys, I’ve lost them.

COULD
(Pudo, podría)
-                past ability
-                present or future permission
-                I could never play the piano
-                Could I smoke in here?

MAY
=MIGHT
(Poder/ es posible
-                Permission (more formal than can)
-                Possibility
-                You may borrow my car if you like
-                The road may be blocked
-                What you say might be true

SHOULD
=OUGHT TO
(debería/ consejos)

-                advice
-                You should do as he says
-                You should go to the doctor
-                You ought to start now


MUST
(tener que/ tener la obligación)

-                obligation (imposed by the speaker)
-                certainty/deduction
-                You must be back by 12 o’clock

-                There must be a mistake

HAVE TO
(tener que/ tener la obligación)

- obligation (imposed by other person)

- I have to be back at 12 o’clock

DON’T HAVE TO
(no es necesario/ no tienes que…)

- absence of obligation

- You don’t have to go to school in the afternoon

MUSTN’T
(no se debe… está prohibido)

- prohibition

- You mustn’t park on the yellow lines

NEED
(Es necesario)

- necessity

- You need have a passport to travel abroad




12 Jan 2025

BBC Learning English (New Year's Resolutions)


Finn's resolutions
Time to get healthy
            

     Do you make New Year's resolutions? These are the promises people make to themselves in the New Year. 

Often, people say things like 'I'm going to lose weight', or 'I want to read more'. Finn and Rob have made some - and we'll find out what they are in this video.


*           Finn and Rob made some New Year's resolutions. But what do you think Finn's resolutions will be - and will he keep them? Choose three.
                         Eat no meat in January
                         Eat less ice cream
                         Go running every morning
                         Learn a foreign language
                         Stop drinking coffee
*             Now, let's watch the video and find out if you were right.
    Watch the video and complete the activity:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/course/lower-intermediate/unit-14/session-1

Question 1What were Finn's three resolutions?
A Eat no meat in January, eat less ice-cream, go running every morning
B Go running every morning, learn a foreign language, stop drinking coffee
C Eat no meat in January, go running every morning, stop drinking coffee
Question 2How many resolutions has Finn broken?
A 1
B 2
C 3
Question 3What tense is this? "I've just ordered a nice, big, vegetarian breakfast."
A present perfect
B past simple
C present simple
Question 4Finn said he went running _______.A a long time agoB a short time ago
Question 5What was Finn eating?A A vegetarian breakfast
B A full English breakfast