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20.19 Summary overall - modal verbs

We have seen it's not too different from the English use. Here just a short summary to keep in mind.

Modal verbs an overview

verb	example	Spanish	example
internal need
must	You must read the book.	tener que	Tienes que leer el libro.
prohibition
must not	You must not drink this.	no deber	No debes que beberlo.
external obligation   no freedom of choice   logical consequence   instruction / attitude
to have to	You have to work more if you want to buy the car. You have to go to school. The judge says he has to go to jail. You have to meet her she will fascinate you!!	tener que	Tienes que trabajar más, si quieres comprar el coche. Tienes que ir a la escuela. El juez dijo que tiene que irse a la cárcel. Tienes que conocerlo, te va a fascinar.
attitude   moral obligation / moral principles   room for manoeuvre   offer   proposition   to ask for instruction
shall	You shall meet her, she will fascinate you!! You shall honour your parents. He shall go to Spain, but I think he goes to Italy. Shall I put the plates here? Shall I help you? Shall we go to the movies?	deber	Debes conocerlo, te va a fascinar. Debes venerar a tus padres. Debe ir a España, pero creo que se va a Italia. Los platos los pongo aquí? Te ayudo? Vamos al cine.
shall not	I shall not go to hell. He shall not go to Spain, but I think he goes anyway.	no deber	No debo ir al infierno. No debe ir a España pero creo que lo hace.
duty   assumption   advise
should	I should go to work now. He should know. You should be careful.	debería, tendría (in conjuntivo both is used)	Debería / tendría que ir al trabajo ahora. Debería/tendría que saberlo. Deberías / tendrías que tener cuidado.
should not	You should not stay here. He should not yet be arrived. You should not worry so much.	no debería	No deberías / tendrías que quedarte aquí. No debería haber llegado ya No deberías / tendrías preocuparte.
= should / shall
to ought to (AE)	I ought (not) to go to work now. He ought (not) be arrived. You ought (not) to be careful.	(no) debería	(No) Debería / tendría ir al trabajo ahora. (No) Debería/tendría que saberlo. (No) Deberías / tendrías que tener cuidado.
affirmative
need to	I need to go home	hace falta que	Hace falta que me vaya a mí casa.
not necessary to
need not to	He needn't do it but he did it anyway.	no hace falta que	No hacía falta que lo hizo, pero lo hizo.
have not to	I do not have to swim. I do not have to tell it to her. He doesn't have to do it if he doesn't want to."	no tener que	No tengo que nadar. No tengo que decírselo. No tiene que hacerlo si no quiere.
ability   possibility   informal permission
can / to be able to	He can / could / is able to drive a car.	poder / saber	Puede conducir un coche. (possibility) Sabe conducir un coche. (learned ability)
could	He can / could / is able to go to Madrid.	poder	Puede ir a Madrid.
to be able to	You can / could go and play in your room.	poder	Puedes ir a tu habitación y jugar.
permission   possibility   suggestion
may	May I leave the room? He may study geology. She may know this. / Maybe she knows.	poder	Puedo salir de la habitación? Puede estudiar geología. Puede ser que lo sepa.
might	Might I leave the room? He might study geology. She might know it. / Might be that she knows.	podría (poder conjuntivo)	Podría salir de la habitación? Podría estudiar geología. Podría ser que lo sepa.
forming future   polite "order"
will	They will go to Spain next year. Will you go home now?	futuro imperativo	Irán a España el año que viene. Vete a tu casa.
refusal
will not	He won't do it, whatever you say.	indicativo negativo	No importa lo que le digas, no lo hará.
request
would	Would you pass the butter?	imperativo	Dame la mantequilla, por favor.
refusal in the past
would not	He wouldn't do it, whatever we said.	indicativo negativo	No importa lo que le digamos, no lo hará.
desire
to want to	He wants to go to Barcelona.	querer	Quiere irse a Barcelona.
habit
to use to	She used to go to Barcelona every year	soler	Solía ir en autobus.

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