Modal verbs are a category of auxiliary verbs in English grammar that play a unique and crucial role in expressing attitudes, degrees of necessity, possibility, ability, permission, and more. They work alongside main verbs to modify or enhance the meaning of a sentence, providing nuanced shades of meaning and indicating the speaker's viewpoint. Here's a description to help you understand modal verbs:
1. Expressing Modality:
Modal verbs are used to convey the speaker's attitude, opinion, or the way an action is seen from their perspective. They add layers of meaning to sentences by indicating how certain, likely, necessary, or possible an action is. Modality can be divided into several categories:
2. Possibility and Probability:
Modal verbs such as "can," "could," "may," "might," and "shall" are used to express degrees of possibility and probability.
Example: She may join us for dinner.
3. Necessity and Obligation:
Modal verbs like "must," "have to," and "should" are employed to denote necessity, obligation, or strong recommendation.
Example: Students must complete their assignments.
4. Ability and Permission:
Modal verbs such as "can" and "could" indicate someone's ability to perform an action, while "may" and "might" can express permission or give someone the right to do something.
Example (Ability): He can speak multiple languages.
Example (Permission): You may use my laptop.
5. Requests and Offers:
Modal verbs like "will" and "would" are used to make requests or offers, indicating willingness or the speaker's intention.
Example (Request): Would you please pass me the salt?
Example (Offer): I will help you with your project.
6. Deduction and Inference:
Modal verbs like "must" and "might" are used to express deductions or inferences based on available evidence.
Example: He's wearing a raincoat, so it must be raining.
7. Politeness and Formality:
Modal verbs can contribute to the tone of a sentence, making it more polite or formal.
Example: Could you kindly provide me with some information?
Modal verbs are distinct from main verbs in that they lack certain tenses and forms. They are always followed by the base form of the main verb and do not add "-s" in the third person singular. Understanding modal verbs allows you to convey a wide range of meanings, attitudes, and intentions in your communication, making your language more expressive and effective.
2. All modal verbs have the following features in common :
They are always followed by the “Infinitive without to”.
They are the same for all pronouns.
They do not need auxiliaries. They take direct negative
and question forms .
They never combine whit another verbal modes.
3. I can to sing I can sing
She could running fast She could run fast
4. She cans swim She can swim
It might rains It might rain
5. Do you can do this ? Can you do this?
He doesn´t may like it He may not like it
6. She will can come tomorrow.
She can come tomorrow.
She will be able to come tomorrow .
7. I can see you at 3 p.m. tomorrow. Can you mange that?
They cannot (can´t) dance
8. You can use my office.
You cannot (can´t) smoke here.
9. I could read without glasses last year.
I could not (couldn´t) last night.
14. It Might happen again. (It cold happen again)
she Might not accept the offer.
15. He Might have missed his train.
(He could have missed his train)
I Might not have managed to convince her.
16. Note:
“May “can also be used to show a possibility in the past,
but is less common than might and could.
He Might/could/(may) have missed his train.
17. Note:
However, you must avoid using “May “in a third
conditional sentence:
If a have studied more, I might /could/would/may have
passed my test.
18. In very informal context, we tend to use “can” instead of the appropriate
modal verb. Although this is acceptable, it is always best to use the
correct modal verb in a formal situations and in exams.
Request: Can you open the door? Could you open the door?
Asking for permission: Can I use the phone? May I use the phone?
Suggestion: We can meet next week we could meet next week.
Possibility: It can happen again It May/might/could happen again.
19. …you speak German?
Yes, I …. I… speak it fluently when we lived in
Germany.
Why do you ask?
I need this letter translated into German, do you think
you… do it?
Let me see , Yes, I … be able to. It … take a little time,
though. And of course, I … need a dictionary too.
… I borrow yours?to
20. Can you speak German?
Yes, I can. I could speak it fluently when we lived in
Germany.
Why do you ask?
I need this letter translated into German, do you think
you Can do it?
Let me see , Yes, I might be able to. It could take a
little time, though. And of course, I may need a
dictionary too. May I borrow yours?
21. Of course, Oh Wait, my sister … have taken it.
Let me go and have a look. No, it is here, you …
borrow it
Oh Yes, your sister is a German teacher, you … have a
Asked her.
She is on holiday at the moment, and this … wait. I
need it for tomorrow.
I … not be able to do it for tomorrow, but I … do it for
Wednesday.
22. Of course, Oh Wait, my sister Might have taken it.
Let me go and have a look. No, it is here, you can
borrow it
Oh Yes, your sister is a German teacher, you could
have asked her.
She is on holiday at the moment, and this can´t wait. I
need it for tomorrow.
I might not be able to do it for tomorrow, but I can do
it for Wednesday.
23. Wonderful. … you e-mail it to me when you have a
finished?
Shure.
