School and University Vocabulary with Modal Verbs & Conditionals

School and University Vocabulary

Subjects:

• Art
• Biology
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• Chemistry
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• Medicine
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• Physical Education (PE)
• Physics
• Psychology

Words connected with school & uni:

Certificate, cheat, coursework, essay, fail, grade, mark, pass, resit, term, timetable.

Noun Suffixes: -er, -or, -ist, -ian, -ee

Director, electrician, employer/employee, historian, instructor, journalist, lecturer, photographer, physicist, professor, scientist, technician, trainee.

Grammar: Modal Verbs

General rules for modals

An infinitive without to follows a modal verb. Example: Sam should go to the doctor.

Modal verbs do not take -s in the 3rd person singular. Example: He must go to school.

Modal verbs do not use do/does in negatives or questions. Example (negative): He mustn't smoke at a hospital. Example (question): Must he go?

Modals of Ability

• Can: Ability in the present. Example: He can (sabe) play the guitar.
• Could: Ability in the past. Example: She could (sabía) sing very well when she was younger.
• Be able to: Ability in the future. Example: The students from 4th of ESO will be able to speak English fluently very soon.

Modals of Possibility and Certainty

May, might, can, could, must (possibility/strong deduction), may not, might not, could — used to talk about possibility in the present and the past. Example: They may be in class at the moment.

Modals of Advice

Should / Ought to: To express a recommendation. Example: If you are not feeling well, you should / ought to go to the doctor.

Had better: To give a strong suggestion. Example: You had better ask Mary about the exams.

Modals of Necessity and Obligation

Need to: Expresses necessity. Example: I need to go to the doctor.

Needn't: Lack of necessity. Example: You needn't worry about the exam. I'm sure you will pass.

Must: Indicates obligation that comes from the speaker. Example: I must wake up early if I want to arrive on time.

Have to: Expresses rules already established. Example: Students in England have to wear uniform.

Modals of Prohibition and Certainty

Mustn't: Prohibition. Example: You mustn't smoke at a hospital. It's banned.

Must (certainty): To express that we are sure about something. Example: He must be the new boss; he's entered the office at the moment.

Can't: Expresses impossibility/deduction. Example: That can't be his new girlfriend; he's with Susan.

Conditional Sentences

1st conditional: IF + SUBJECT + PRESENT SIMPLE, WILL + INFINITIVE. Example: 'If it rains, we will stay at home'.

2nd conditional: IF + SUBJECT + PAST SIMPLE, WOULD + INFINITIVE. Example: 'If he studied more, he would pass the exam'.

3rd conditional: IF + SUBJECT + PAST PERFECT, WOULD HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE. Example: 'If he had known that, he would have decided differently.' Example corrected: 'Jane would have found a new job if she had stayed in Boston.'