MODAL

 

MODAL

Modal verbs are a kind of auxiliary verb. They facilitate the main verb for suggesting potential, expectation, permission, ability, possibility, and obligation.

When used with the main verb, modal verbs do not end with -s for the third-person singular.  Modal auxiliary verbs never change form, but they have a different form for past tense.

The modal auxiliaries include:                                        

Present Tense	Past Tense
Will Can Must (have to) May Should (ought to) (had better)	Would (used to) Could (Had to) Might Should (ought to)

NB: The words in parentheses ( ) are semi-modals. They have the same meaning, but they are different grammatically.

Will – Would

Will indicates a ‘willingness’ to do something in the future. The negative form of will – will not (won’t) indicates an ‘unwillingness’ (refusal, reluctance) to do something.

Example:

o    I will give you another opportunity.

o    I will play tomorrow.

o    They will arrive at 10 AM.

o    She won’t come today.

Would indicates general or repeated willingness in the past. It also indicates preference in the present.  

Example:

o    If you did not leave, I would still be taking care of you.

o    Whenever I had to go there, they would throw a party.

o    We thought that people would buy this book.

o    If I were you, I would not do it.

o    I would like to make a toast.

 

Used to sometimes replaces would but sometimes it would be grammatically incorrect if we use used to in place of would.  

Example:

o    When I was in school, I used to make sketches.

o    He often used to cry at night without reason.

o    I used to take a break at this time of the year.

Can – Could – May – Might

These modals express possibility and ability.

Can indicates ability. Could indicates ability with an option.

Example:

o    I can do it. (The subject ‘I’ is sure about his/her ability)

o    I could do it. (The subject ‘I’ is not sure about his/her ability)

o    They cannot do it. (present)

o    They could not do it. (past)

Can & could also indicate possibility.

Example:

o    The temperature can rise this month.

o    They can’t go too far by now.

o    It could rain later.

May and might both indicate possibility but might can suggest that there is less possibility than may.  

Example:

o    It may rain later.

o    It might rain later.

o    They may come back.

o    They might come back.

Must

Must indicates necessity.

Example:

o    I must leave now.

o    He must study hard.

o    Alex must go home by 6.00 pm.

Have to has the similar meaning to must but implies less urgency.  

Example:

o    I have to leave now.

o    He has to study hard.

o    Alex has to go by 6.00 pm.

o    I had to leave then. (past)

o    He had to study hard to pass the exam. (past)

Should

Should indicates obligation and probability.

Example:

o    You should come home early.

o    You should not smoke at all.

o    I should visit my parents more often.

o    There should be an extra key for the lock in the drawer. (probability)

o    He should have reached by now. (probability)

o    I should have done that. (obligation in the past)

Ought to and had better sometimes replaces should.

Example:

o    You ought to come home early.

o    We ought to have taken a taxi. (Past)

o    We had better leave. (Had better is generally used in spoken English.)

o    I think parents ought to give children more freedom. (Had better won’t be appropriate here.