Modal Verbs

• Ability— what someone can do
• Permission— what someone may do
• Obligation/Necessity— what someone must do
• Possibility— what might happen
• Advice— what someone should do

Key Modal Verbs

1. Poder —can, to be able to

• Expresses ability or possibility.
• Often used to ask for or give permission.

Examples

2. Deber —should, ought to, must

• Expresses advice, obligation, or probability.

Examples

3. Tener que —to have to

• Expresses necessity or obligation.
• Followed by an infinitive.

Examples

4. Querer —to want

• Expresses desire or willingness.

Examples

5. Other Useful Verbs

Salir —to leave, to go out

• Often used to talk about going out or leaving.

Parecer —to seem

• Used to express opinions or impressions.

Caber —to fit

• Used to talk about fitting (in space, time, etc.).

Usage Tips

• Modal verbs arefollowed by an infinitiveverb:puedo nadar,debo estudiar,tengo que salir.
• They donotchange meaning when used in different tenses, but the context does (e.g.,podía= could,debería= should ).
• Some modals, likedeberandpoder, are commonly used in theirconditional forms(debería,podría) to sound more polite or hypothetical.

Summary

• Usepoderfor ability and permission.
• Usedeberfor advice and strong obligation.
• Usetener quefor necessity and external obligation.
• Usequererfor desire.
• Remember to follow modal verbs with aninfinitive.
• Other verbs likesalir,parecer, andcabercan also express related meanings.