Modal Verbs

What Are Modal Verbs?

Modal verbs are auxiliary verbs like can, should, and must that express conditions such as
possibility, ability, necessity, and permission.
Frequently used modal verbs include can, may, might, could, should, would, will, and must. Less
common ones like shall and ought are still used in specific contexts.
Modal verbs are followed by the main verb’s infinitive (without to) and remain consistent across
subjects.
In past contexts, forms like could, might, should, and would indicate hypothetical or past scenarios.
Modal verbs are used in diverse sentence structures, such as questions (Could you help me?),
suggestions (You should try the lasagna.), and habits (I would often walk to school.).
Modal verbs can be tricky, but the good news is that they’re straightforward once you learn how
they work. Below, we explain everything you need to know to use modal verbs with ease.

Modal verbs definition

Modal verbs show possibility, intent, ability, or necessity. Common examples of modal verbs
include can, should, and must. Because they’re a type of auxiliary verb (helper verb), they’re used
alongside the infinitive form of the main verb of a sentence.
Modal verbs are used to express certain hypothetical conditions, such as advisability, capability,
or requests (refer to the complete list below). They’re used alongside a main verb to inflect its
meaning.
Consider the difference between these two examples:
 I swim every Tuesday.
 I can swim every Tuesday.
The first example is a simple factual statement. The speaker participates in a swimming activity
every week on Tuesdays.
The second example uses the modal verb can. Notice how the meaning changes slightly. The
speaker does not necessarily swim every Tuesday; they’re saying that they are capable of
swimming every Tuesday or that the possibility exists for them to swim every Tuesday. It’s
hypothetical.
Because modal verbs are auxiliary, they can’t generally be used on their own. A modal verb can
appear alone in a sentence only if the main verb is implied because it has previously been
established.
Example: Can you swim every Tuesday?
Yes, I can.
Modal verbs are quite common in English; you’ve seen them in action hundreds of times, even if
you didn’t know what they were called. Here are the most frequently used ones:
 can  would
 may  should
 might  will
 could  must
There are other, less common modal verbs. Some like shall and ought are rarely used any longer.
There are also verbs that can function either as main verbs or as modal auxiliaries depending on
the context: got, need, and have all behave like modal verbs in the common colloquial expressions
got to, need to, and have to.
Some modal verbs express specific conditions that don’t come up often like dare in its modal form
in “Dare I ask?” The word used in the idiomatic phrase used to, as in “I used to be an English
student too,” behaves like a modal verb with only a past tense form.

When are English modal verbs used?

Modal verbs are used to show the following conditions: likelihood, possibility, ability, permission,
request, suggestion/advice, command, obligation/necessity, and habit.
Likelihood:
Some things seem likely to be true but can’t be stated as definite facts. In these cases, you can use
the modal verbs should and must to show probability without certainty.
Example: My baby brother should be asleep by now.
Her parents must be so proud.
Possibility:
In a situation when something is possible but not certain, use the modal verb could, may, or might.
Example: This plan could work if everyone cooperates.
She may become the youngest pro soccer player ever.
Judging by the clouds, it might rain today.
Ability:
The modal verb can expresses whether the subject of a sentence is able to do something. Likewise,
the negative form, cannot or can’t, shows that the subject is unable to do something.
Example: She can speak three languages, but none of them well.
You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.
Before his injury, he could run five miles every morning.
Permission:
If you want to ask permission to do something, start your question with can, may, or could.
Traditionally, may is considered a more formal and polite usage for permission; if you ask, “Can
I go to the bathroom?” it could be misinterpreted as “Do I have the ability to go to the bathroom?”
However, in modern informal usage, may and can are both perfectly acceptable options for
describing possibility or permission.
Example: Students, you may leave early today.
Could I play too?
Request:
Similarly, if you want to ask someone else to do something, start your question with will, would,
can, or could.
Example: Would you get that box off the top shelf?
Will you turn that music down?
Suggestion or advice:
What if you want to recommend a course of action but not command it? You can use the modal
verb should if you’re giving suggestions or advice without ordering someone around.
Example: You should try the lasagna.
That guy should wear less cologne.
Command:
On the other hand, if you want to command someone, use the modal verbs must, have, or need.
With the latter two, the main verb does not drop the word to from its infinitive form.
Example: You must wash your hands before cooking.
You need to be here before 8:00.
Obligation or necessity:
Modal verbs can express a necessary action, such as an obligation, duty, or requirement. Likewise,
the negative forms express that an action is not necessary. Use the same modal verbs as with
commands: must, have, and need.
Example: We have to wait for our boss to arrive before we open.
You don’t need to come if you don’t want to.
Habit:
To show an ongoing or habitual action—something the subject does regularly—you can use the
modal verb would for the past tense and will for the present and future. The phrase used to is also
acceptable when you’re talking about a habit in the past.
Example: When I lived alone, I would fall asleep with music.
I will arrive early to every meeting and leave late.