Review: Spanish Present vs Modal Verbs

Now that you’ve learned both the present tense conjugation of regular verbs and how to use modal verbs with infinitives, let’s review and compare these two forms. This will help you see the difference and understand how to use each correctly in sentences.

Key Difference

1. Structure:

   • Present Tense Verbs: Subject pronoun + conjugated verb.
     • Example: Yo hablo (I speak).
   • Modal Verbs: Subject pronoun + conjugated modal verb + infinitive.
     • Example: Yo quiero hablar (I want to speak).

Present Tense Examples:

1. Hablar (to speak)

   • Yo hablo español. (I speak Spanish.)
   • Tú hablas con tus amigos. (You speak with your friends.)
   • 
     

2. Comer (to eat)

   • Él come una manzana. (He eats an apple.)
   • Nosotros comemos juntos. (We eat together.)
   • 
     

3. Vivir (to live)

   • Ella vive en Madrid. (She lives in Madrid.)
   • Ellos viven en una casa grande. (They live in a big house.)

Modal Verbs Examples:

1. Querer (to want)

   • Yo quiero hablar español. (I want to speak Spanish.)
   • Tú quieres comer pizza. (You want to eat pizza.)
   • 
     

2. Necesitar (to need)

   • Él necesita estudiar. (He needs to study.)
   • Nosotros necesitamos trabajar. (We need to work.)
   • 
     

3. Ir a (to be going to)

   • Ella va a viajar mañana. (She is going to travel tomorrow.)
   • Ellos van a leer un libro. (They are going to read a book.)
   • 
     

4. Poder (to be able to)

   • Yo puedo correr rápido. (I can run fast.)
   • Tú puedes cantar bien. (You can sing well.)