Modal verbs
Modal verbs, or also called modal auxiliary verbs are not verbs but can occur only in conjunction with a regular verb. There are verbs such as may, can, must or should. In English there is often no other tenses of modals. In these cases, one must also know the so-called replacement forms of modal verbs. This replacement forms can also be set in other tenses. In English there are some important modal verbs:
can: may be able – Spare form: to be viable to
may: – may substitute form: to be allowed to
must: have – Spare form: to have to
need: need, need – replacement form: to have to
A special feature of the modal verb “must” represents the negation “must not” is not “must not” but “not allowed”.
“I can not play” therefore means “I must not play”
“I do not play” means “I do not have to play”
Colloquial short forms
Colloquial short forms such as Is not, wanna, gonna and gotta apply formally incorrect, but are often heard and therefore indispensable in spoken language.
Is not: short form of Is not, Are not, or have not, or Has not.
Example: It is not over ’til it’s over.
You is not seen nothing yet.
gonna: short form of going to.
Ex: I’m gonna do it.
gotta Short form of got to.
Example: I gotta go.
wanna: short form of want to
