Modal Verbs

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Understanding Modal Auxilliary Verbs

Modal Auxiliary Verb (also called Modal Verb, or Modal Auxiliary) is a type of verbOpens in new window that is combined with another verb to express certainty, ability, intention, necessity, obligation, opinion, permission, possibility, probability, prohibition, and speculation etc.

Modality and Associated Modal Verb

The charts below outline which Modal verbs are used to express a particular concept.

1. Modal Verb	Can/Could
   Modality	Ability
   Meaning & Example	Can and Could imply ability. Could, however, is the past tense of can. Consider the following examples: “If Andy can swim, he will accept the swimming invitation. Gretchen could draw beautifully when she was a child but now she says she can’t draw at all.

2. Modal Verb	May/Might
   Modality	Possibility
   Meaning & Example	May and Might are used to express possibility; both are used where the possibility exists as far as you know, with might often suggesting a lower probability. Survey the following examples: “I may attend the wedding if I can find my favorite shoe” (suggests that you do want to attend the wedding) whereas; “I might attend the wedding” (suggests that you don’t)

Modal Verb	Should/Must
Modality	Obligation
Meaning & Example	Should and Must are used to express suggestion or a sense of duty. Note the sense of obligation in these two sentences: “Andy should study harder if he wants to get good grades” “Andy must study harder to improve his grades, according to his teacher.”

3. Modal Verb	Will/Would
   Modality	Willingness
   Meaning & Example	Will and Would may be used to express willingness: “I will be happy to help with the dishes.” Sometimes, would may express repeated past actions or habits: “Every Saturday he would work on his farm”.

Observe the meanings in the following sentences where the modal verbs indicate varying degrees of certainty.

Characteristics of the Modal Verbs

The modal verbs are members of a larger set of auxiliary verbs Be and Have, and share some properties with auxiliary verbs, but in addition, they have formal features of their own:

1. They do not co–occur, i.e., there is no such phrase as:

   • will can come, may shall be, etc.

   Though in some dialects there are very limited possibilities of co-occurrence such as might could.

The modal auxiliaries cannot stand alone. They always go with a main verb that is expressed or understood:

1. 1. • Nicole can play the violin. (main verb, play, is expressed.)
   2. • I can too, (main verb is understood, i.e. it means, ‘I can play the violin, too’)
2. 1. • You should come again. (Main verb is expressed)
   2. • Should I? (Main verb is understood, i.e. it means, ‘Should I come again?’)

2. The modal auxiliaries do not change forms according to the person or number of the subject. As a result, they have no -s forms for their third person singular.

   For example:

   • I should be very careful.
   • We/They should be very careful while driving.
   • He/she should obey her parents.
   • You should be careful while talking with elders.

   Notice that the modal verb (should) remains unchanged across the various person and number of the subject.

3. The modal auxiliaries do not take the infinitive form. We cannot use to may, to can, to must, etc. or canning; there is no such construction as, I hope to can come tomorrow.

4. The past participle or the third form of a verb is only possible when have is used after the modal, as:

   • The passengers might have started their journey by now.
   • He may have reached the station.

5. They have no imperatives; as in: Can be here! Must come now!

6. All the modals basically indicate a present or future action, as:

   • He would return soon. (He is expected to return in the near future.)
   • He could be appointed as a manager tomorrow.

7. Particularly, must, has no past tense form, although others such as could, should, might, etc. do have; of those forms, only could is used to refer to past time (though all may occur in reported speech).

8. They are followed by infinitive form of the main verb. i.e. may I borrow your English text book?

Uses of the Modal Verbs

Modal verbs are not limited to one particular use. Most of them can be used to express several other concepts. Here, we look out the uses of the modal verbs in pairs.

Future Tense

Will/shall and would/should are also used to form future tenses.

Semi Modals

There are other verbs that have a similar meaning to modals but are followed by “to” and the infinitive form of the main verb.