Modal Auxiliary Verbs Overview

Modal Auxiliary Verbs

• Modal auxiliary verbs are used to modify the meaning of main verbs, expressing concepts like possibility, ability, permission, obligation, and intention.
• There are 10 modal verbs: can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would, and ought to.

Can

• Expresses ability, willingness, possibility, and permission.
• Examples:
  • "Can you help me move next Monday?" (willingness).
  • "We can arrive in time if we leave now." (possibility).
  • "We can swim, but we can't surf - yet!" (ability).
  • "Mom, can I go over to my friend's house?" (permission).

Could

• Expresses possibility, past ability, suggestions, and requests.
• Also used in conditional sentences.
• Examples:
  • "Extreme rain could cause the river to flood the city." (possibility).
  • "Naman could sing a song as a professional singer by the age of 11." (past ability).
  • "You could see a movie or go out to dinner." (suggestion).
  • "Could I use your computer to email my friend?" (request).

May

• Used to ask for, grant, or describe permission, make polite offers, express possibility, and express a wish or desire.
• Examples:
  • "May I borrow your pen, please?" (asking permission).
  • "May we ask you some questions about your experience?" (asking permission).
  • "May I help you set the table?" (polite offer).
  • "We may run into some problems down the line that we did not expect." (expressing possibility).
  • "May you both have a long, happy life together." (expressing wishes for the future).

Might

• Used to express possibility, ask for permission in a formal and polite way, make suggestions, and introduce differing possibilities.
• Examples:
  • "I might go to college in the fall." (expressing possibility).
  • "Hetal might share his calculus homework if you offer him a slice of pizza." (expressing possibility).
  • "I was hoping I might borrow the car this evening." (asking permission).
  • "You might try rebooting the computer; that should fix the problem for you." (making suggestions).

Must

• Expresses necessity, strong intention, emphasis on positive action, and a strong likelihood.
• Examples:
  • "We must get funds to organize the function effectively." (necessity).
  • "You must not tell anyone about what we saw." (necessity).
  • "You must stop when the traffic lights are red." (necessity).
  • "Jenny, you must not play in the street! (prohibition)

Shall

• Used to express future tense, politeness, formality, requests, offers, suggestions, and maxims.
• Used often in formal English.
• Examples:
  • "Shall we walk along the beach?" (request).
  • "What shall I do with this spare part?" (seeking advice).

Will

• Used to express future time, willingness, determination, promise, habit, intention, and threats.
• Examples:
  • "You will not speak." (future time).
  • "I will do the work." (willingness).
  • "I will achieve my goal." (determination).
  • "He will watch TV for hours." (habit).

Should

• Expresses obligation, suggestion, and expectation.
• Example:
  • "You should go to the doctor." (suggestion).

Would

• Expresses polite requests, hypothetical situations, repeated actions in the past, wishes or desires, and regret.
• Example:
  • "Would you like to have a cup of tea?" (polite request).

Ought To

• Expresses moral obligation and desirability. It is always followed by "to" + a verb.
• Examples:
  • "We ought to put in our best effort." (moral obligation).
  • "We ought to win." (desirability).

This quiz covers the essential concepts surrounding modal auxiliary verbs, their meanings, and their uses. Learn about the ten modal verbs such as can, could, and may, along with examples to clarify their application in sentences. Test your understanding of how these verbs modify the meaning of main verbs in various contexts.