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Modal Auxiliary Part 1

Modal auxiliary verbs are used with a main verb to express aspects like tense, mood, or voice. They behave irregularly and never change form. Common modal verbs include can, could, may, might, will, would, shall, should, must. Modals are followed by a bare infinitive verb without "to" and are used to indicate modality or meanings like certainty, possibility, willingness, obligation, necessity, ability. Examples of their uses include permission, ability, obligation, prohibition, lack of necessity, advice, possibility, and probability.

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198 views3 pages

Modal Auxiliary Part 1

Modal auxiliary verbs are used with a main verb to express aspects like tense, mood, or voice. They behave irregularly and never change form. Common modal verbs include can, could, may, might, will, would, shall, should, must. Modals are followed by a bare infinitive verb without "to" and are used to indicate modality or meanings like certainty, possibility, willingness, obligation, necessity, ability. Examples of their uses include permission, ability, obligation, prohibition, lack of necessity, advice, possibility, and probability.

Uploaded by

Yeni Handayani
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Modal Auxiliary Verb

Modal auxiliary verb (or helping verb as it's also called) is used with a main verb to help
express the main verb's tense, mood, or voice. Modals are special verbs which behave
irregularly in English. They are different from normal verbs like "work, play, visit..."
They give additional information about the function of the main verb that follows it.
They have a great variety of communicative functions.

Here are some characteristics of modal verbs:


 They never change their form. You can't add "s", "ed", "ing"...
 They are always followed by an infinitive without "to" (e.i. the bare infinitive.)
 They are used to indicate modality allow speakers to express certainty,
possibility, willingness, obligation, necessity, ability
List of modal verbs

can, could, may, might, will, would, shall, should, must

The verbs or expressions dare, ought to, had better, and need not behave like modal
auxiliaries to a large extent and my be added to the above list

Use of modal verbs:


Modal verbs are used to express functions such as:

1. Permission
2. Ability
3. Obligation
4. Prohibition
5. Lack of necessity
6. Advice
7. possibility
8. probability
Modal Verb Expressing Example
Strong obligation You must stop when the traffic lights
turn red.
must
logical conclusion / He must be very tired. He's been
Certainty working all day long.
must not prohibition You mustn’t smoke in the hospital.
ability I can swim.
can permission Can I use your phone please?
possibility Smoking can cause cancer.
ability in the past When I was younger I could run fast.
polite permission and Excuse me, could I just say
could request something?
Could you please close the door.
possibility It could rain tomorrow!
permission May I use your phone please?
may
possibility, probability It may rain tomorrow!
polite permission Might I suggest an idea?
might possibility, probability I might go on holiday to Australia next
year.
willingness to do I will give you another opportunity.
will something in the future, I will play tomorrow.
plan
polite request or offer, If you did not leave, I would still be
preference, general or taking care of you.
would
repeated willingness in Whenever I had to go there, they
the past would throw a party.
(formal) offer Shall we dance?
willingness to do Shall I call a doctor for you?
shall
something in the future
plan
50 % obligation I should / ought to see a doctor. I have
a terrible headache.
advice You should / ought to revise your
should/ought to
lessons
logical conclusion He should / ought to be very tired.
He's been working all day long.
lack of necessity/absence I need not buy tomatoes. There are
need not
of obligation plenty of tomatoes in the fridge.
had better advice You 'd better revise your lessons

Remember
Modal verbs are followed by an infinitive without "to", also called the bare infinitive.

Examples:

 You must stop when the traffic lights turn red.


 You should see to the doctor.
 There are a lot of tomatoes in the fridge. You need not buy any.

ability
I can swim.

permission
Can I use your phone please?

possibility
Smoking can cause cancer.

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