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Guia · Unidade 17 · B2
Verbos Modales de Especulación
Must, can't, might, should have — grados de certeza
- 1
Must y can't: deducir en presente
Cuando *must* no es una obligación: *You must be tired*, *That can't be Marcos* — y por qué *mustn't* no sirve para deducir.
Abrir lição- Must sirve para obligar (You must wear a helmet) y para deducir (You must be tired); el contexto decide.
- Deducción casi segura: must be — It must be cold outside.
- Lo contrario es can't be — That can't be Marcos. Mustn't es una prohibición.
- Lo que está pasando ahora: must be + -ing — She must be working late.
- Al conocer a alguien: You must be Marina! — ¡Tú debes de ser Marina!
- 2
Might, may, could: puede que sí, puede que no
Para lo que es posible pero no seguro: *It might rain*, *She may be late* — y cómo *should* y *will* completan la escala.
Abrir lição- Might, may, could + infinitivo: lo que es posible — She might be stuck on the Tube.
- Might not / may not = puede que no; can't / couldn't = imposible.
- En afirmativa, una posibilidad concreta no va con can: It might rain, no It can rain.
- Should: lo esperable — She should be here by now.
- Will ('ll): suposición segura, como nuestro futuro de probabilidad — That'll be Luana. (Será Luana.)
- Maybe (quizás) es una palabra; may be son dos: She may be lost.
- 3
Must have, can't have: deducir el pasado
Modal + *have* + participio para sacar conclusiones sobre lo que ya pasó: *She must have missed the train*, *It can't have been Bidu*.
Abrir lição- Para deducir sobre el pasado: modal + have + participio.
- must have (seguro que sí) — She must have missed the train.
- might / may / could have (puede que sí) — He might have forgotten.
- can't / couldn't have (seguro que no) — It can't have been Bidu.
- Had to es una obligación —tuvo que irse—; para deducir, must have.
- Se pronuncia must've, pero se escribe must have: nunca must of.
- 4
Should have, could have: lo que pudo ser
Arrepentimientos, reproches y caminos no tomados: *I should have called*, *You could have told me!*
Abrir lição- should have + participio: lo correcto que no se hizo — I should have called you.
- shouldn't have: lo que se hizo y no estuvo bien — You shouldn't have eaten the whole cake.
- could have: una opción que no se tomó, o un reproche — You could have told me!
- would have: lo que habría pasado — I'd have been bored.
- Should have (no pasó) no es must have (seguro que pasó).
- En el trabajo, suaviza la crítica: It would have been helpful to know earlier.