{"id":1379,"date":"2021-06-25T10:53:00","date_gmt":"2021-06-25T10:53:00","guid":{"rendered":"<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The English modal verbs are a subset of the English auxiliary verbs used mostly to express modality. They can be distinguished from other verbs by their defectiveness and by their neutralization. The principal English modal verbs "},"modified":"2022-05-10T12:02:11","modified_gmt":"2022-05-10T12:02:11","slug":"english-modal-verbs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wordscoach.com\/blog\/english-modal-verbs\/","title":{"rendered":"English Modal Verbs"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"words-head\" id=\"words-4267738631\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-5017566440575750\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-5017566440575750\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"3340569236\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<p>The English modal verbs are a subset of the English auxiliary verbs used mostly to express modality. They can be distinguished from other verbs by their defectiveness and by their neutralization. The principal English modal verbs are can, could, may, might, shall, should, will, would, and must.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">Here&#8217;s a list of the modal verbs in English:<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Can, could, may, might, must, must not\/ may not, need not, ought to, shall, should,&nbsp; will, would. Certain other verbs are sometimes, but not always, classed as modals; these include ought, had better, and (in certain uses) dare and need.<\/strong><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\n<script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script>\n                <ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-5017566440575750\" data-ad-slot=\"3406615517\" data-ad-format=\"link\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n                <script>\n                     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n                <\/script>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">Modals are different from normal verbs:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1: They don&#8217;t use an &#8216;s&#8217; for the third person singular.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2: They make questions by inversion (&#8216;she can go&#8217; becomes &#8216;can she go?&#8217;).<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3: They are followed directly by the infinitive of another verb (without &#8216;to&#8217;).<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-red-color\">Modal verbs are:<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1. can<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table  class=\" table table-hover\" ><tbody><tr><td><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\">Use<\/span><\/strong><\/td><td><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\">Examples<\/span><\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>ability to do sth. in the present (substitute form: to be able to)<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>I <\/strong><strong>can <\/strong><strong>speak English.<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>permission to do sth. in the present (substitute form: to be allowed to)<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Can <\/strong><strong>I go to the hotel?<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>request<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Can <\/strong><strong>you wait a moment, please?<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>offer<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>I <\/strong><strong>can <\/strong><strong>lend you my car till tomorrow.<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>suggestion<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Can <\/strong><strong>we visit Grandma at the weekend?<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>possibility<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>It <\/strong><strong>can <\/strong><strong>get very hot in Arizona.<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2. <em>could<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table  class=\" table table-hover\" ><tbody><tr><td><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\">Use<\/span><\/strong><\/td><td><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\">Examples<\/span><\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>ability to do sth. in the past (substitute form: to be able to)<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>I <\/strong><strong>could <\/strong><strong>speak English.<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>permission to do sth. in the past (substitute form: to be allowed to)<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>I <\/strong><strong>could <\/strong><strong>go to the hotel.<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>polite question *<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Could <\/strong><strong>I go to the hotel, please?<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>polite request *<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Could <\/strong><strong>you wait a moment, please?<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>polite offer *<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>I <\/strong><strong>could <\/strong><strong>lend you my car till tomorrow.<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>polite suggestion *<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Could <\/strong><strong>we visit Grandma at the weekend?<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>possibility *<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>It <\/strong><strong>could <\/strong><strong>get very hot in Montana.<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3. <em>may<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table  class=\" table table-hover\" ><tbody><tr><td><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\">Use<\/span><\/strong><\/td><td><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\">Examples<\/span><\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>possibility<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>It <\/strong><strong>may <\/strong><strong>rain today.<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>permission to do sth. in the present (substitute form: to be allowed to)<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>May <\/strong><strong>I go to the hotel?<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>polite suggestion<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>May <\/strong><strong>I help you?<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>4. <em>might<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table  class=\" table table-hover\" ><tbody><tr><td><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\">Use<\/span><\/strong><\/td><td><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\">Examples<\/span><\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>possibility (less possible than may) *<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>It <\/strong><strong>might <\/strong><strong>rain today.<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>hesitant offer *<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Might <\/strong><strong>I help you?<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\n<script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script>\n                <ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-5017566440575750\" data-ad-slot=\"3406615517\" data-ad-format=\"link\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n                <script>\n                     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n                <\/script>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>5. <em>must<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table  class=\" table table-hover\" ><tbody><tr><td><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\">Use<\/span><\/strong><\/td><td><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\">Examples<\/span><\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>force, necessity<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>I <\/strong><strong>must <\/strong><strong>go to the supermarket today.<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>possibility<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>You <\/strong><strong>must <\/strong><strong>be tired.<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>advice, recommendation<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>You <\/strong><strong>must <\/strong><strong>see the new film with Brad Pitt.<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>6. <em>Must not\/ may not<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table  class=\" table table-hover\" ><tbody><tr><td><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\">Use<\/span><\/strong><\/td><td><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\">Examples<\/span><\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>prohibition (must is a little stronger)<\/strong><\/td><td>1. <strong>You mustn&#8217;t work on dad&#8217;s computer.<\/strong><br><br>2. <strong>You may not work on dad&#8217;s computer.<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>7. <em>need not<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table  class=\" table table-hover\" ><tbody><tr><td><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\">Use<\/span><\/strong><\/td><td><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\">Examples<\/span><\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>sth. is not necessary<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>I <\/strong><strong>needn&#8217;t <\/strong><strong>go to the supermarket, we&#8217;re going to the restaurant tonight.<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>8. <em>ought to<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>&nbsp;<strong>similar to <em>should<\/em> \u2013 <em>ought to<\/em> sounds a little less subjective<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table  class=\" table table-hover\" ><tbody><tr><td><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\">Use<\/span><\/strong><\/td><td><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\">Examples<\/span><\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>advice<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>You <\/strong><strong>ought to<\/strong><strong> drive carefully in bad weather.<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>obligation<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>You <\/strong><strong>ought to<\/strong><strong> switch off the light when you leave the room.<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>9. <em>shall<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>&nbsp;<strong>used instead of <em>will<\/em> in the 1st person<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table  class=\" table table-hover\" ><tbody><tr><td><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\">Use<\/span><\/strong><\/td><td><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\">Examples<\/span><\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>suggestion<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Shall <\/strong><strong>I carry your bag?<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>10. <em>should<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table  class=\" table table-hover\" ><tbody><tr><td><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\">Use<\/span><\/strong><\/td><td><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\">Examples<\/span><\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>advice<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>You <\/strong><strong>should <\/strong><strong>drive carefully in bad weather.<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>obligation<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>You <\/strong><strong>should <\/strong><strong>switch off the light when you leave the room.<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\n<script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script>\n                <ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-5017566440575750\" data-ad-slot=\"3406615517\" data-ad-format=\"link\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n                <script>\n                     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n                <\/script>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>11. <em>will<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table  class=\" table table-hover\" ><tbody><tr><td><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\">Use<\/span><\/strong><\/td><td><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\">Examples<\/span><\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>wish, request, demand, order (less polite than would)<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Will <\/strong><strong>you please shut the door?<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>prediction, assumption<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>I think it <\/strong><strong>will <\/strong><strong>rain on Friday.<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>promise<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>I <\/strong><strong>will <\/strong><strong>stop smoking.<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>spontaneous decision<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Can somebody drive me to the station? &#8211; I <\/strong><strong>will<\/strong><strong>.<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>habits<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>She&#8217;s strange, <\/strong><strong>she&#8217;ll <\/strong><strong>sit for hours without talking.<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>12. <em>would<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table  class=\" table table-hover\" ><tbody><tr><td><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\">Use<\/span><\/strong><\/td><td><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\">Examples<\/span><\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>wish, request (more polite than will)<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Would <\/strong><strong>you shut the door, please?<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>habits in the past<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Sometimes he <\/strong><strong>would <\/strong><strong>bring me some flowers.<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\n<script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script>\n                <ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-5017566440575750\" data-ad-slot=\"3406615517\" data-ad-format=\"link\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n                <script>\n                     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n                <\/script>\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What are modal verbs with examples?, The principal English modal verbs are can, could, may, might, shall, should, will, would, must.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1385,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25,11],"tags":[29,139],"class_list":["post-1379","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-english-grammar","category-verb","tag-english","tag-modal-verbs"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wordscoach.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1379","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wordscoach.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wordscoach.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wordscoach.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wordscoach.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1379"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.wordscoach.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1379\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wordscoach.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1385"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wordscoach.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1379"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wordscoach.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1379"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wordscoach.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1379"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}