MODAL VERBS IN SONGS

Modal verbs very often appear in songs. There are some examples you may find useful in learning these structures:

1.MIGHT: We might as well be strangers (Podríamos ser dos desconocidos también)






2.MUST: Show must go on (El espectáculo debe continuar)






3.SHOULD: Should I stay or should I go? (¿Debería quedarme o irme?)






4.COULD (probabilidad): You could be happy (Podrías ser feliz)





5.CAN (Ability, Request -petición): Can you meet me halfway? (¿Podemos quedar en la mitad del camino?)

I USED TO RULE THE WORLD (SOLÍA GOBERNAR EL MUNDO)

Usamos used to para hablar de algo que solíamos hacer en el pasado, pero que ahora ya no hacemos.

Haz doble click sobre el siguiente enlace para ver su pronunciación, explicación en español y varios ejemplos: USED TO + INFINITIVE (solía...)

A continuación, vas a escuchar una canción de Coldplay titulada Viva la Vida. Habla de un rey que solía gobernar el mundo con su ejército y la ayuda de la Iglesia, pero que un día perdió su poder y ahora vaga por las calles como un hombre cualquiera.

Observa que sólo usa used to cuando habla de su pasado, mientras que para hablar de ahora (now), emplea el Presente Simple.




Now, answer the following questions without reading the lyrics:
-What things did he use to do when he was a king? (He used to...)
-What does he do at present? (He + Present Simple)

1. own the streets.
2. sweep the streets.
3. feel the fear in his enemies' eyes
4. hear the crowd sing 'Long live the king!'
5. not/ listen an honest word.

USEFUL EXPRESSIONS:
Long live [liv] the King!: ¡Viva el Rey!
RULE [rul]: gobernar
OWN [on]: poseer
crowd [kraud]: muchedumbre, multitud

COLDPLAY SINGING CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

UK CLOTHES AND FASHION (1st of Bachillerato A-B)

You are going to read a text about fashionable clothes in the UK.

There are ten items listed on the left column. Read the definitions on their right and try to provide a translation into Spanish. GO

FUTURE TENSES

This post is designed to practise FUTURE TENSES, including Present Continuous, Be Going To, Future Simple, Future Perfect and Future Continuous.

TECHNOLOGY AND THE FUTURE

This is a 10 minutes' film by Bruce Branit. It took him two years to make it, but it is worthy if you are fond of technology, future, love and music.


World Builder from Bruce Branit on Vimeo.

Now you can practise some vocabulary related to TECHNOLOGY ,SCIENCE and DEVELOPMENT

TOMORROW YOU DIDN'T- BY AVRIL LAVIGNE

This is a song we listened to in 2nd of Bachillerato. Listen to the music and fill in the gaps. After the lyrics, there is a vocabulary-help list.


LYRICS:
It’s a forgone (1)...................., you’re love’s an illusion
and the (2)....................... is starting to fade
boy let’s be honest, when it comes to your (3).....................
it’s just a lot of empty words you say
and the future’s only gonna be more of the same
you’ve only got (4)................... to blame

[Chorus]
Tomorrow you didn’t, yesterday you won’t
’cause I know everything you say you gonna do you don’t
that’s forgiven, it doesn’t matter (5)....................
hey, I know what love wasn’t, I know what (6)................... isn’t
so when you say you’re gonna change you gotta be kidding
tomorrow you didn’t,
hey hey, I’m outta here (7)..................

I used to believe in, all your romantic (8)......................
but it really ain’t that cute (9).........................
’cause my time’s too precious
so I wish you the best with
whatever it is you’re looking for
baby this is all for your own (10)..................,
I’m leaving ‘cause I know you never would

[Chorus]

I don’t need a crystalball to (11).................. it all my dear,
it doesn’t matter what you say,
it always turns out the same way
your predictions are (12).............................
and it’s tragically clear

[Guitar solo]

[Chorus]

(dadada, yea)



VOCABULARY HELP
forgone: obvio
FADE: desvanecerse
empty: vacío
gonna: going to
same: lo mismo
BLAME: culpar
'cause: because
it doesn't matter: no importa
gotta: got to
KID (kidding): bromear
outta here: out of here
ain't: isn't
cute: bonito, mono
precious: valioso
crystalball: bola de cristal
my dear: querido
TURN OUT: resultar

Beyond lessons: MODAL VERBS

This is a new post for my students of 2nd year of Bachillerato. Here you have some further exercises on modal verbs. I hope you find them useful. Good luck!
Click here for further practise on:


Modal verbs for POSSIBILITY
can, could and be able to
should 1, should 2

If you want to practise all modals together, click on:
mixed modals 1