11. modalizacion

Introducción a la Lectura Comprensiva de Inglés Académico para Medicina Veterinaria
FICHA TEÓRICO-PRÁCTICA #11:
VERBOS QUE EXPRESAN MODALIDAD
Te propongo que reflexionemos sobre el concepto de “modalidad”. Para ello, te doy algunas pistas a manera de preguntas:
Si tuvieras que ordenar a una persona que apague su cigarrillo, ¿qué palabra(s) o frase(s) o
construcción/construcciones verbales darían cuenta de que estás dando una orden?
Si tuvieras que aconsejar a un amigo/a que intentara estudiar en grupo, ¿qué palabra(s) o frase(s) o
construcción/construcciones verbales darían cuenta de que estás dando un consejo?
Si conversaras con un grupo de amigos sobre los diferentes posibles programas para el próximo fin de semana,
¿qué palabra(s) o frase(s) o construcción/construcciones verbales darían cuenta de que estás ofreciendo diferentes
posibilidades?
Si te extraña a determinada hora que tu amigo/a no haya llegado puntualmente a la cita acordada, pero imaginas
con casi un 100% de certeza su inconveniente, ¿qué palabra(s) o frase(s) o construcción / construcciones verbales
darían cuenta de que estás expresando una certeza, una suposición sobre algo que en realidad no sabes?
¿Cómo expresas en su casa que no permitís fumar?
Las expresiones que se te ocurrieron para expresar las ideas anteriores, son expresiones de modalidad porque dar una
orden es un modo de expresar una idea, al igual que dar un consejo, expresar una prohibición, una posibilidad, etc. Te
invito a leer el material a continuación para que te familiarices con la manera en que se expresa la modalidad en inglés.
Los verbos que expresan modalidad se utilizan para referirnos a los siguientes modos en que puede producirse una acción:
la capacidad / habilidad de una persona o cosa para realizar o llevar a cabo una determinada acción,
una acción que es necesaria, aconsejable, obligatoria, prohibida, o futura
una situación que es posible, imaginada o hipotética,
una certeza
una promesa
un reproche o una crítica sobre lo que no se hizo, o se hizo pero estuvo mal.
Presentan las siguientes características comunes:
no se auxilian, es decir que se utilizan en interrogativo y negativo de la misma manera que el verbo TO BE.
van seguidos de un verbo principal, indicador de la acción, en infinitivo sin to.
seguidos de auxiliar HAVE + VERBO PRINCIPAL (éste último en pasado participio) indican una acción en pasado, y
su significado puede ser diferente de su estructura MODAL + VERBO PRINCIPAL (infinitivo).
presentan una sola forma para todos los pronombres.
En lenguaje académico, los verbos modales could, may, might, (expresando posibilidad) y should, (expresando acción
aconsejable), se utilizan mucho en el género artículo de divulgación científica (paper), y la idea es expresar ideas con cierta
precaución, evitando ser categórico, para no cometer errores respecto de la certeza de ciertos conocimientos que se
expresan, y de ese modo evitar la crítica de los colegas científicos. El siguiente cuadro resume los verbos que expresan
modalidad más usuales y sus usos:

Verbos que Expresan Modalidad
MODAL
REFERENCIA
can (puede)
HABILIDAD
CAPACIDAD
= be able to
PROBABILIDAD
POSIBILIDAD
OBLIGACIÓN
CONSEJO
could
(pude/podía -podría)
CONDICIONAL
FUTURO
PROMESA
PROHIBICIÓN
REPROCHE
RETO
NECESIDAD
CERTEZA
SUPOSICIÓN
(not (not)
(have+verbo pas. part)
may (puede) (not
might (podría)
should (debería)
ought to (debería)
must (debe)
= have to
will
would
not)
(have+verbo pas. part)
= need to
(have+verbo pas.
part.)
PERMISO
EJEMPLOS DE LA VIDA COTIDIANA:
You can do it because you are good enough. (capacidad)
Podés hacerlo porque sos lo suficientemente bueno.
I can use a computer and speak English and French fluently.
(habilidad)
Se usar la computadora y hablar inglés y francés con fluidez.
These people can cause trouble. (posibilidad)
Esta gente puede causar/ quizás cause/posiblemente cause
problemas.
That cannot be Mary. She’s too old. (certeza, suposición)
Esa no puede ser María. Es muy anciana.
You cannot stay till ten. It’s open till 9:30. (prohibición)
Usted no puede permanecer hasta las 10:00. Está abierto hasta
las 09:30.
You could have studied more. (reproche)
Podrías haber estudiado más.
I could stay in the sun for hours when I was younger.
(capacidad)
Podía permanecer / Era capaz de permanecer al sol por horas
cuando era más joven.
I could run the 42 km. marathon when I was in my 20s.
(habilidad)
Podía correr / Era capaz de correr 42 kms. cuando rondaba los
30.
You could come at five. (probabilidad, posibilidad)
Podrías venir a las 5.
This issue may bring about trouble. (probabilidad, posibilidad)
Este tema puede traer / quizás-probablemente traiga
problemas.
She might arrive tomorrow night. (probabilidad)
Ella podría llegar / quizás-probablemente llegue mañana a la
noche.
You might study for a couple of hours and then come home.
(consejo)
Podrías estudiar por un par de horas y luego venir a casa.
You should exercise more. (consejo)
Deberías hacer más ejercicio.
You shouldn’t smoke so much. (consejo)
No deberías fumar tanto.
You should submit all the papers by January 15. (obligación)
Usted debería/debe entregar toda la documentación para el
15 enero.
You shouldn’t have said that. (reproche, reto)
No deberías haber dicho eso.
If the bus is on time, she should be here by 6. (probabilidad,
posibilidad)
Si el colectivo llega en hora, ella debería estar aquí para las 6.
You must get a 6 in order to pass the exam. (obligación)
Usted debe obtener un 6 para aprobar el examen.
He must be in trouble. He never arrives late. (certeza)
El debe de estar/seguramente está en problemas. Nunca
llega tarde.
He must have overslept, otherwise he would be already here.
(certeza)
El debe de haberse dormido, de otro modo ya estaría aquí.
You mustn’t enter there. (prohibición)
Usted no debe entrar allí.
I will finish this paper tomorrow. (futuro - promesa)
Terminaré este “paper” mañana.
He would travel if he had the money to do so. (condicional) El
viajaría si tuviera el dinero para hacerlo.

Introducción a la Lectura Comprensiva de Inglés Académico para Medicina Veterinaria
PRÁCTICA:
1. Uní los verbos que expresan modalidad con la expresión que corresponda a su significado; uno de ellos no
tiene par, algunos tienen más de un par:
1. must
2. mustn’t
3. must have
4. should
5. should have
6. can
7. cannot
8. could
9. may
10. might
a. posiblemente, quizás
b. con la condición de que
c. está prohibido
d. tiene la obligación de
e. tiene la capacidad de
f. sabe
g. es aconsejable que
h. seguramente
i. te reprocho que
11. will
12. would
2. Leé el material de lectura a continuación y resolvé:
a. ¿A qué género pertenece el texto?
b. ¿Qué ofrece el texto? ¿Un producto
o un servicio? ¿Qué tiene de particular
o especial ese producto o servicio?

Verbos que Expresan Modalidad
RABIES ALERT
RABIES
Rabies is a virus which attacks the central nervous system of all wann-blooded animals, including
humans.
TRANSMISSION
Rabies is primarily transmitted through a bite from a rabid animal. It can also result from infected
saliva entering the body through an open wound or a mucous membrane (such as in the eyes and
mouth)
SYMPTOMS
After the virus first appears in an animal's saliva (this can take anywhere from weeks to months after
a bite occurs), the following symptoms of rabies will usually appear within 3 to 5 days.
• Staggering, caused by paralysis of the hind legs.
• Foaming around the mouth, caused by paralysis of the throat and an inability to close the
jaws.
• Attacking people, animals or objects.
• Extreme behavioral changes, such as the appearance of a commonly nocturnal (active at
night) animal during the day or a diurnal (active in daytime) animal during the night
• Disorientation and a lack of inhibition.
Affected animals may show any, all or none of these symptoms.
MEDICAL TREATMENT
The rabies incubation period can be, but is not always, lengthy. Therefore, ALL bites must be
reported and treatment begun immediately.
For humans:
• First, wash the bite area well with soap and hot water.
• Seek medical attention immediately at a hospital emergency room or with your private
physician. The doctor will determine whether post-exposure treatment is necessary.
• If not treated in time, the rabies virus virtually always results in death.
-OVER-
424 East 92nd Street New York,
NY 10128
(212) 876-7700

Introducción a la Lectura Comprensiva de Inglés Académico para Medicina Veterinaria
3. Encerrá con las frases verbales con verbos que expresan modalidad de los siguientes enunciados,
traducílas teniendo en cuenta el actor, y luego indicá qué idea da el verbo que expresa modalidad.
Ejemplo: The process of developing heifers as replacements must begin during the cow calf production phase.
debe comenzar (obligación)
Finalmente, interpretá los enunciados con tus propias palabras para cmprender las ideas expresadas con
verbos que expresan modalidad.
Ejemplo: El proceso de desarrollo de vaquillonas como vacas de reemplazo debe comenzar durante la fase de
producción de cría.
The veterinarian should have isolated the infected horse.
Stall and barn management should assure cow comfort and cleanliness.
You should have sterilized the hypodermic needles and surgical instruments.
Fecal flotation for the diagnosis of sarcoptic mange may reveal mites or eggs.
Anabolic growth implants can increase heifer rates of gain and increase pelvic size.
Because of the severity of the disease, an oral administration of antibiotics may be helpful.
Hormonal and genetic factors may also play a role in development of cutaneous neoplasms.
By using one calving season, this dictates that heifers must calve initially at either 24 or 36 mo of age.
Milkers should wear rubber gloves during the milking process as a prevention measure against mastitis.
Inadequately nourished bitches may demonstrate poor maternal instinct and provide little or inadequate milk.

Verbos que Expresan Modalidad
You should administer the drug immediately after birth when outbreaks of the disease occur in newborn animals.
Look at the abdomen of this dog; the mange must have started there before passing on to its chest, ears, elbows and
legs.
Mares may infect their foals of Equine Infectious Anemia in utero, the incubation period is 1-3 wk but may be as long
as 3 mo.
Excessive adipose tissue in heifers during the pre weaning phase may result in reduced subsequent performance of
these animals.
A bitch preparation for breeding must include consideration of nutrient balance, protein content and quality, and
caloric density.
Vaginal smears should be used with bitches with low fertility not only to determine optimum breeding time but also to
determine whether conception has occurred.
The ideal crossbred cow ought to produce a calf that has no dystocia, gains rapidly from birth to weaning in terms of
muscle and bone growth, and has adequate, but not excessive, fat deposition.
Any cow-calf production system should have as one of their goals to wean calves that approach their genetic potential
whether they sell calves at weaning or develop these heifers to go into the cow herd.
Developmental practices for replacement heifers must continue after puberty and the subsequent breeding season
until calving so they are capable of maintaining a 12-mo calving interval after entering the cow herd.

Introducción a la Lectura Comprensiva de Inglés Académico para Medicina Veterinaria
An alternative management system for heifers could be restrict calves before weaning to reduce body fat and growth,
thereby allowing compensatory gain to take effect after weaning and allow heifers to reach target weights by the
appropriate age at puberty.
Nota: wk significa week y mo significa month
4. Lee con atención los textos y sus fuentes a continuación y resolvé los ejercicios propuestos:
Texto 1.
1. ¿De qué trata el texto? ¿Cuál es el tema general? Pensá en un título para el texto como respuesta a las
dos preguntas anteriores.
Tema General:
2. ¿Qué expresa el texto sobre el tema general? En otras palabras, cuál es la idea principal? Expresála en
un solo enunciado:
Idea Principal:
3. Identificá 4 verbos que expresan modalidad y
transcribí las frases verbales que
los contienen (no el enunciado
completo)
Ejemplo: may not have survived
1.
expresá esas frases en español
puede no haber sobrevivido
quizás no haya sobrevivido
posiblemente no haya sobrevivido
explicá el uso del verbo
que expresa modalidad
posibilidad
2.
3.
4.

Verbos que Expresan Modalidad
Texto 1:
1 Cells are the smallest functional units of the body. They are so small that they cannot be studied without the aid of a
microscope. In fact, many of the intracellular organelles are so small that an electron microscope must be used to
visualize them. There are a plethora of cell types within the body of any animal, each uniquely different from
anatomically (structurally) and physiologically. For the purpose of this discussion, an average, basic cell, is presented.
5 The reader should recognize that the intracellular organelles and details of cellular physiology may appear in varying
degrees in other cells of the body.
Fuente: Christenson, D. E., Veterinary Medical Terminology, W. B. Saunders (1997), p.18.
Texto 2:
1. Realizá una lectura rápida del texto a
continuación para determinar el Tema General del
mismo (¿de qué trata el texto?). Escribílo en pocas
palabras en español, en forma clara y precisa.
2. Re leé el texto y determiná en no más de tres
enunciados en español, la Idea Principal (¿Qué
expresa el autor sobre el tema general?) del
mismo.
Texto 2:
1
5
10
15
20
25
Drug action is often explained with a lock and key analogy, whereby the drug is the key and the lock is the
ultimate site of action, known as the receptor. Receptors are reactive chemical groupings situated on the surface of
the cell or within the cell itself. When a drug reacts with a receptor, it does so through the formation of weak chemical
bonds, which are usually reversible. These are forces that bind the compound onto the receptor site. The union of
drug and receptor yields the drug-receptor complex, which is then responsible for the initiation of pharmacologic
activity.
The effects of a drug in the body can be viewed as the ultimate consequences of interaction between the drug
and its receptor, once the drug has diffused across the various biological membranes in the body and reached the
vicinity of the receptor at its site of action. When one administers a drug, therefore, the objective is to achieve an
adequate concentration of the drug at its site of action and to maintain this concentration for a desired period of time.
The concentration attained at the receptor site depends on a number of factors, which include the rate and extent of
absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination. Generally only a small proportion of the total drug in the body is
at any particular time present at its site of action, complexing with the receptor, and producing a pharmacologic
effect. This is because the bulk of the drug may bind with other tissues. Although this latter portion of the drug is not
involved directly in the production of pharmacologic effects, it does have an important role to play in that it governs
the kinetics of redistribution and the ultimate disappearance of the drug from the body.
Most drugs are carried from the site of absorption to the site of action and elimination by the circulating blood.
From the blood stream, the drug must traverse the various biological membranes and fluid compartments before its
molecules can reach intracellular receptor sites. Some drugs cannot pass all types of membranes and therefore are
restricted in their distribution and in their potential effect, whereas others pass through all membranes and become
distributed throughout the various fluid compartments. In addition, some drugs may accumulate in various areas as a
result of binding, dissolving in fat, or an active transport active mechanism. The accumulation may be at the site of
action or, more often, in some other location. In the latter situation, the site of accumulation may serve as a storage
depot for the drug. Although it is in itself pharmacologically inactive, the drug in the storage depot is in equilibrium
with the free drug and thereby maintains an effective concentration of the drug at its site of action. Binding of drugs

Introducción a la Lectura Comprensiva de Inglés Académico para Medicina Veterinaria
30
to proteins and other macromolecules is known to occur in almost every tissue of the body. It has been demonstrated
with albumin, globulins, hemoglobin, mucopolysacharides, nucleoproteins, phospholipids, and additional substances.
Binding is generally a reversible process because nearly all drugs eventually disappear from the body. The majority of
drugs appear to be held to binding sites by weak chemical bonds of the Van der Waals, hydrogen, or ionic types. The
reversible binding of drugs to various intracellular and extracellular substances is important in determining how long a
drug remains in the body. Without these storage pools, many drugs would be metabolized and excreted so rapidly
that they would hardly have time to exert their pharmacologic action.
Fuente: BARRAGRY, T., Veterinary Drug Therapy, Lea & Febiger, 1994, pág. 382
3. Revisión. Leé el texto anterior nuevamente:
a. Indicá a qué frase o palabra del texto hacen referencia las siguientes palabras o frases, también del
texto:
a. reactive chemical groupings
situated on the surface of the cell
or within the cell itself (línea 2):
b. it (línea 3):
c. which (línea 5):
d. this concentration (línea 10):
e. which (línea 11):
f. its (línea 13):
g. This (línea 14):
h. their (línea 20):
i. the latter situation (línea 23):
j. they (línea 32):
b. En las líneas del texto que se indican a continuación:
1. encontrá conjunciones,
2. transcríbílas,
3. expresálas en español,
4. indicá su uso según co texto.
LÍNEA CONJUNCIÓN /
CONECTOR
a. línea 9:
b. línea 14 (x2):
c. línea 20:
d. línea 21:
TRADUCCIÓN
USO

Verbos que Expresan Modalidad
Texto 3:
1. Expresá en español y con tus propias palabras las siguientes frases sustantivas extraídas del texto 3:
1. treatment costs (línea 3):
2. proper management and nutritional practices (línea 4):
3. a cure-all for disease problems (línea 7):
4. widespread concern (línea 9):
5. low-level feeding of antibiotic (línea 11):
6. unknown reproductive disease status (línea 31):
2. Expresá en español las siguientes frases con verbos que expresan modalidad, indicá su uso (¿posibilidad?
¿obligación? ¿recomendación?).
1. could be minimized or prevented (línea 4):
2. should be isolated (líneas 25/26):
3. must be considered (línea 43):
3. Traducí los siguientes verbos y frases verbales extraídas del texto. Transformá las frases al negativo y al
interrogativo:
1. cause (línea 1):
2. would eliminate (línea 10):
3. bears (línea 19):
4. Redactá un resumen del texto que contenga tantos enunciados como párrafos contiene el texto. Es decir,
redactá una idea principal para cada párrafo; aseguráte de presentar el tema general al inicio de tu resumen.
Resumen texto 3:

Introducción a la Lectura Comprensiva de Inglés Académico para Medicina Veterinaria
Texto 3:
Management and Nutrition: Introduction
Diseases in farm animals cause annual losses of billions of dollars, a large portion of which is
attributable to deaths, treatment costs, and reduced feed efficiency and growth rate. Many disease outbreaks
could be minimized or prevented with proper management and nutritional practices. Although viruses,
5 bacteria, and other microorganisms are the basic causes of disease in domestic animals, errors in
management and nutrition are significant predisposing factors. Although the importance of these factors is
well known, many individuals still seek a cure-all for disease problems. For example, the practice of adding
antibiotics to rations beginning shortly after birth, sometimes continuing throughout the animal’s life, cannot
compensate for poor management practices. In addition, there is widespread concern about drug residues in
10 food of animal origin and development of super-resistant bacteria capable of affecting man as well as
livestock. Laws have been proposed that would eliminate low-level feeding of antibiotics and prohibit the
therapeutic use of some antibiotics in animals. Use of some antibiotics has already been prohibited, and
further prohibition is virtually certain. Therefore, livestock producers must rely more and more on good
management.

Verbos que Expresan Modalidad
15 Good management, which can decrease labor costs and increase feed efficiency and rate of gain, is
even more important in intensive production methods. These methods such as breeding and feeding practices
that accelerate the growth of animals (and shorten the period from birth to marketing or reproduction) and
increase efficiency of conversion of feed to meat, milk, or wool; however, they also introduce stresses that
increase the potential for disease. Confinement of many animals in a small area increases both direct and
20 indirect contact. This bears a direct relationship to disease incidence—each animal introduced into a group can
potentially introduce disease to every other animal in the group. As the size of the group increases, the
individual attention that each animal receives often decreases. Therefore, disease is more likely to become
well established before it is recognized and, as a result, treatment is less likely to be effective. Management is
extremely important in preventing disease when animals are added to a group, or when animals are removed
25 from a group and returned after being permitted to contact animals from other premises. Such animals should
be isolated for ≥2 wk (after arrival or return) to observe for signs of disease. If signs develop, isolation should
continue until the disease has run its course. Newly arrived animals can introduce numerous diseases,
including brucellosis, tuberculosis, paratuberculosis, respiratory disease, and neonatal diarrhea. The following
classes of animals represent the greatest risk of introducing disease into an established group: neonates,
30 weanlings, naturally bred females that fail to conceive and are rebred, males that have served females with
unknown reproductive disease status, females that have aborted, animals exhibiting signs of early or chronic
respiratory disease, and animals with a history of diarrhea of unknown etiology. The best safeguards against
introduction of disease, in addition to isolation, are careful inspection of the remaining animals at the site of
origin, a reputable seller, and (if obtainable) an official certificate of inspection signed by a licensed
35 veterinarian and the seller and approved by state or federal animal health officials (see also: Prepurchase
Examination: Introduction). Faulty nutrition is a major reason why many animals do not achieve their potential
and are prone to disease. Feeding an insufficient amount or a ration of poor quality, or overfeeding for
extremely high production or condition, can all cause problems. Rations for ruminants must include adequate
roughage to prevent severe GI disturbances and secondary disease (e.g., laminitis). Many foot problems are
40 the end result of indigestion and acidosis caused by overfeeding concentrates and providing insufficient
roughage.
Rations should be balanced with respect to protein, carbohydrates, and fats and contain all essential
vitamins and minerals. Age, gestation, lactation, and physical activity must be considered when formulating a
ration and determining the amount to be fed. Care should be taken that toxic plants or chemicals are not
included. Toxic materials not only affect the health of the animal ingesting the material but also may produce
anomalies in the fetus.
45 Although the specific enterprise must be considered when making management recommendations,
some general recommendations apply to all situations: 1) Provide adequate space. 2) Provide adequate
ventilation (Mechanical Ventilation). 3) Prevent undue exposure to extreme temperature changes. 4) Practice
good sanitary procedures at all times, and remove feces as often as practicable. 5) Follow an "all-in/all-out"
concept when feasible. 6) Thoroughly clean and disinfect the premises after removal of one group and before
introduction of the next group. 7) Provide adequate total nutrients, including vitamins and minerals. 8) Provide
50 adequate potable water at all times. 9) Prevent fecal contamination of feed and water. 10) Do not feed
damaged or spoiled feed. 11) Ensure that newborn animals nurse shortly after birth and receive adequate
colostrum. 12) Separate age groups as much as is practical. 13) Do not mix species. 14) Do not breed females
until they are of proper size. 15) Provide assistance at parturition if needed. 16) Immunize young animals
against diseases that are endemic in the area. 17) Control internal and external parasites. 18) Monitor animals
55 closely to identify early signs of disease. 19) Isolate diseased animals and provide adequate nursing care and
begin treatment as soon as possible.