🎯 Why This Matters
To express ability, permission, obligation, and possibility.
Nuanced expression of attitudes and likelihood.
🇪🇸 The Challenge
Nuanced meanings. CAN/COULD/MAY/MIGHT/SHOULD/MUST have overlapping but distinct meanings that don't map cleanly to Spanish equivalents.
🇲🇽🇨🇴🇦🇷 Adding TO after modals
Problem: Spanish modal patterns use infinitives
Watch out: Saying 'I must to go' or 'I can to swim'
✅ Fix: Modals + BASE verb directly: 'must go', 'can swim' (no TO!)
🧠 Mental Note: Delete 'to' after: can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would
🇪🇸 Same TO trap
Problem: Spanish 'debo ir' = must + infinitive
Watch out: Transferring the infinitive pattern to English
✅ Fix: English modals are SPECIAL - they take base form, not infinitive
🧠 Visual Explanation (The Mental Fix)
The Certainty Scale
MUST for 'almost certain', MIGHT for 'maybe', CAN'T for 'no way!'
🗣️ Pronunciation Guide
How Spanish speakers should pronounce this structure:
Can vs Can't
Spanish Habit: Not distinguishing clearly between them
English Reality: CAN = /kən/ (weak). CAN'T = /kænt/ (strong, with clear 't')
Examples:
- I can do it → /aɪ kən ˈduː ɪt/
- I can't do it → /aɪ ˈkænt ˈduː ɪt/
- Can is weak, CAN'T is stressed
Practice: If you can't hear your own 't' in can't, natives won't either!
📖 How It Works
Teacher Recommendation: Teacher recommended
Time Investment: 10 hours
🔑 Signal Words (Memory Anchors)
These words/phrases appear with this structure:
| English | Spanish | Example |
|---|---|---|
| can/can't | poder/no poder | I can swim / No puedo nadar |
| could | podría/pude | Could you help? / I could run fast (past) |
| must/have to | deber/tener que | I must go / Tengo que irme |
| should | debería | You should rest / Deberías descansar |
| may/might | puede que/quizás | It may/might rain / Puede que llueva |
💬 Real Examples
Let's see this structure in action with correct vs incorrect usage:
Example 1: Must vs Have to
✅ CORRECT: "I must finish this. / I have to finish this."
🇪🇸 Translation: "Debo terminar esto. / Tengo que terminar esto."
❌ COMMON MISTAKE: "I must to finish this."
Why wrong? Modal verbs don't take 'to'! MUST + base verb, no 'to'
Example 2: Can vs Could (polite requests)
✅ CORRECT: "Could you help me?"
🇪🇸 Translation: "¿Podrías ayudarme?"
❌ COMMON MISTAKE: "Can you help me? (less polite)"
Why wrong? COULD is more polite than CAN for requests
Example 3: Must for deduction
✅ CORRECT: "He must be tired after that long flight."
🇪🇸 Translation: "Debe estar cansado después de ese vuelo largo."
❌ COMMON MISTAKE: "He is must tired."
Why wrong? MUST + be + adjective. 'Is must' is not grammatical.
✏️ Practice Exercises
Ready to test your understanding? Let's practice!