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• Use modal verbs to express what you are able to do, can do, have to do or must do to help the enviornment.

• Use the different verb tenses and time indications to talk about actions taken in the present, past or future to live more sustainably.

• This guide contains a video as well as reading and listening practice.

Watch the video of Laura talking about the risk to the environment in her town in Colombia and suggesting some potential solutions.

Useful vocabulary for describing environmental and climate change issues include:

Useful verbs for describing the environment and climate change include:

Modal verbs in English include 'can', 'should' and 'must'. They express the speaker’s feeling towards an action, such as to be able to/can or to have to/must. Modal verbs indicate modality, ability, necessity, possibility, obligation or permission.

Modal verbs can work on their own, or with another verb that is always in the infinitive. For example:

Debo reciclar más. - I must recycle more.

Debemos coger el transporte público en vez de viajar en coche – We must take public transport instead of travelling by car.

Podemos reducir el agua que usamos – We can reduce the water that we use

Quiero evitar los fuegos en los bosques – I want to avoid fires in the woods

¿Sabes como ayudar a las especies en peligro? – Do you know how to help endangered species?

Modal verbs also work as impersonal verbs in the third person singular, followed by an infinitive. For example:

Se puede recoger basura en el parque. – You (one) can pick up rubbish in the park.

Se debe ducharse en vez de bañarse. – You (one) can have a shower instead of having a bath.

No se debe tirar basura en la calle. – You (one) must not throw rubbish in the street.

Have a look at the Impersonal verbs in Spanish guide to learn more about these verbs.

Find out more about modal verbs and the infinitive in the Infinitives in Spanish guide.

Read this text about pollution and water shortage in Mexico City and answer the questions below.

Un problema del medio ambiente en la Ciudad de México es la contaminación del aire. Esto se debe principalmente al aumento en el número de coches. Además, se han construido numerosas fábricas e instalaciones industriales. Como consecuencia, hay menos espacios verdes en la ciudad cada año, que afecta la salud de los habitantes.

Hay también un problema con la falta de agua en la Ciudad de México. Las grandes empresas extraen agua del suelo para fabricar bebidas, y como resultado no hay bastante agua para la gente en la ciudad. El gobierno distribuye agua a la gente pero no es de buena calidad y es marrón.

Useful nouns for talking about reducing waste, reusing and recycling include:

Useful verbs include:

All Foundation Tier vocabulary listed in this guide can be found on the vocabulary sheet below.

Use the different verb tenses to work out when actions took place, take place or when they will take place.

Actions in the past

Examples in the preterite tense

Reciclé el papel. - I recycled paper.

Recogí basura. - I picked up litter.

Examples in the imperfect tense

Reciclaba el papel - I used to recycle paper.

Recogía basura - I used to pick up litter.

Actions in the present

Riciclo el papel - I recycle paper.

Recojo basura - I pick up litter.

Actions in the future

Examples in the immediate future tense

Voy a reciclar el papel. - I am going to recycle paper.

Voy a recoger basura. - I'm going to pick up litter.

Examples in the simple future tense

Reciclaré el papel. I will recycle paper.

Recogeré basura. - I will pick up litter.

Time indicators can also give clues as to whether the speaker is referring to past, present or future actions:

Mexican students Laura and Pablo are talking about actions they take to help the environment.

Listen to each person and work out what they say about:

• what they have done in the past

• what they are doing now

• what they will do in the future

Complete the tables in English.

Click or tap on the image below for a list of useful vocabulary to use when talking about the environment.

Useful vocabulary for describing environmental and climate change issues include:

Useful verbs for describing the environment and climate change include:

All Foundation and Higher Tier vocabulary listed in this guide can be found on the vocabulary sheet below.

Click or tap on the image below for a list of useful Higher Tier vocabulary to use when talking about the environment.

Now you have revised the important vocabulary and key grammar points for talking about the environment why not have a look at the Talking about life at school in Spanish?