English Grammar Essentials: Modals, Verbs & Word Forms

Essential Noun-Verb Transformations

• Operation - Operate
• Transplant - Transplant
• Suffering - Suffer
• Cure - Cure
• Prevention - Prevent
• Experiment - Experiment
• Cause - Cause
• Discovery - Discover
• Research - Research
• Treatment - Treat
• Development - Develop
• Clone - Clone

Common Suffixes for Word Formation

Suffixes: -ion, -ness, -ist, -ence, -ment

• -ist: Specialize → Specialist
• -ness: Sad → Sadness; Lonely → Loneliness
• -ment: Treat → Treatment; Enjoy → Enjoyment
• -ion: Depress → Depression; Connect → Connection
• -ence: Intelligent → Intelligence; Important → Importance

Essential Phrasal Verbs and Meanings

• Give up: Stop (deixar de)
• Go without: Not have (no tenir)
• Cut down on: Reduce (reduir)
• Call on: Visit (visitar)
• Take up: Start (començar)
• Turn off: Disconnect (desconnectar-se)
• Get over: Recover from (recuperar-se)
• Work out: Exercise (fer exercici)

Understanding Modal Verbs for Ability

• Could / Couldn't: Expresses past ability. (podia) + Infinitive
• Can / Can't: Expresses present ability. (puc) + Infinitive
• Will be able to / Won't be able to: Expresses future ability. (podré) + Infinitive

Modal Verbs for Possibility and Certainty

Using May, Might, Could, Must, Can't

• Can, Could, Might, Must: These forms remain the same for all subjects.
• May (not): Used to express possibility (similar to 'maybe'). + Infinitive
• Might (not): Used to describe something that is possible but not certain. + Infinitive
• Could: Expresses possibility. (Note: 'Couldn't' is generally not used to express possibility in the same way as 'might not' or 'may not'.)
• Must + Infinitive: Used for something that is true, with no doubt. (Strong certainty)
• Can't + Infinitive: Used for something that is impossible. (Strong certainty of impossibility)

Modal Verbs for Advice and Obligation

Should, Must, Have to

• Must / Have to: Used for important aspects like laws and rules, or when something is necessary.
• Have to: Used when there is a necessity to do something.
• Don't have to: Indicates there is no necessity to do something.

Practice: Applying Modal Verbs

Complete the sentences with the correct modal verb.

1. I’m sure Sara’s tired, because she’s gone home already – Sara must be tired. She’s gone home already. (must)
2. It’s possible that he doesn’t live there now – He might not live there now. (might)
3. It’s not possible that this is Tim’s phone – his is an iPhone5 – This can't be Tim’s phone. His is an iPhone5. (can’t)
4. It’s possible that he’s got a brother, but I’m not sure – He may have a brother. (may)
5. It’s only a small ring, so it’s possible that it’s not too expensive – It’s only a small ring, so it may not be too expensive. (may)