English Modal Auxiliary Verbs Quiz
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Questions and Answers

Which of the following is a characteristic of English modal auxiliary verbs?

  • They always end in ‑(e)s for the third-person singular
  • They express modality such as possibility and obligation (correct)
  • They have participles and plain forms
  • They are not limited to a specific tense

    • What distinguishes English modal auxiliary verbs from other verbs?

  • They can be used in any tense
  • They always end in ‑(e)s for the third-person singular
  • They are defective in that they do not have participles or plain forms (correct)
  • They have participles and plain forms

    • Which verb is NOT a central English modal auxiliary verb?

  • Might
  • Ought (correct)
  • Need
  • Could

    • What is a common characteristic of the expressions 'had better' and 'ought'?

    <p>They lack certain inflected forms (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What do descriptive grammars of English differ slightly on regarding modal auxiliary verbs?

    <p>The criteria they set for identifying modal auxiliary verbs (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following verbs is NOT considered a central English modal auxiliary verb?

    <p>Use (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What distinguishes English modal auxiliary verbs from other verbs?

    <p>They lack the ending ‑(e)s for the third-person singular (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a common characteristic of the expressions 'had better' and 'ought'?

    <p>They share some characteristics with modal auxiliary verbs (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which verb is inflected as 'might' in Modern English?

    <p>May (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What do descriptive grammars of English differ slightly on regarding modal auxiliary verbs?

    <p>The criteria they set for modal auxiliary verbs (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a defining characteristic of English modal auxiliary verbs?

    <p>They express modality such as possibility and obligation (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which verb is NOT a central English modal auxiliary verb?

    <p>Ought (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a distinguishing feature of the expressions 'had better' and 'ought'?

    <p>They lack preterite forms (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which verb is inflected as 'might' in Modern English?

    <p>May (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What do descriptive grammars of English differ slightly on regarding modal auxiliary verbs?

    <p>Their spelling in unstressed versions (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Characteristics of English Modal Auxiliary Verbs

    • English modal auxiliary verbs have a unique characteristic: they are defective, meaning they do not have a full set of inflected forms.
    • English modal auxiliary verbs are distinguished from other verbs in that they lack certain inflected forms, such as a past participle or infinitive form.

    Central English Modal Auxiliary Verbs

    • The central English modal auxiliary verbs are can, could, may, might, shall, should, will, and would.
    • Need is not considered a central English modal auxiliary verb.

    Expressions 'Had Better' and 'Ought'

    • The expressions 'had better' and 'ought' share a common characteristic: they are semi-modal, meaning they are not fully modal but have some modal-like properties.
    • The distinguishing feature of 'had better' and 'ought' is that they are semi-modal and have some modal-like properties.

    Inflection of Verbs

    • The verb 'might' is inflected from the Old English verb 'mōgan'.
    • The verb 'may' is not inflected as 'might' in Modern English.

    Descriptive Grammars of English

    • Descriptive grammars of English differ slightly on the classification and definition of modal auxiliary verbs.
    • The classification and definition of modal auxiliary verbs vary slightly among descriptive grammars of English.

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    Description

    Test your knowledge of English modal auxiliary verbs with this quiz. Learn to distinguish them from other verbs and understand how to express modality in English.

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