USE OF MODEL VERBS

There are nine model auxiliaries: can, could, must, may, might, shall, should, will and would.

1. Can:

The model verb ‘can’ is used to express ability, possibility, ask for or give permission, and to
make requests or offers.

 Examples:
o I can speak three languages. (ability)
o Can I borrow your pen, please? (asking permission)
o You can use my laptop. (giving permission)
o It can rain later, so bring an umbrella. (possibility)
o Can you help me with this work? (request)
o I can drive you to the airport if you need. (offer)

2. Could:

The model verb ‘could’ is used to make polite requests, suggestions, and to talk about past ability
or opportunity. Could is generally used in past tense.

 Examples:
o Could you help me with this? (polite requests)
o When I was young, I could run very fast. (past ability)
o I could have studied harder, but I didn’t. (past opportunity)
o You could try this restaurant, it’s very good. (suggestion)
o You could exercise more if you want to lose weight. (advice)

3. Must:

The model verb ‘Must’ is used to express different meaningful things, such as certainty (when
we are sure that something is true or will happen), obligation (when we have to do something
because of a rule, a law, or a personal duty), necessity (when something is very important or
essential to do), and recommendation (when we advise or suggest someone to do something).

 Examples:
o She must be very happy with her exam results. (certainty)
o You must wear a seat belt when you drive. (obligation)
o We must hurry, the train leaves in ten minutes. (necessity)
o You must see this movie, it’s amazing. (recommendation)
 4. May:

The model verb ‘May’ is used to express possibility or uncertainty, to describe general truths or
facts, to accept a different view or opinion (often with ‘well’ or ‘but’), and to ask for, give or
refuse permission. ‘May’ expresses a high possibility of something happening.

 Examples:
o It may rain tomorrow. (possibility)
o She may be late. (uncertainty)
o You may use my laptop. (giving permission)
o A typical farmer’s cottage may be seen in the museum. (general truth)
o The results may vary depending on the sample size. (fact)
o I may be wrong, but I think he is lying. (but)
o He may well be right. (well)

5. Might:

The model verb ‘Might’ is used to express an unlikely or uncertain possibility, to indicate a lack
of alternatives, to introduce two differing possibilities, to report what someone said with may in
the past or to make a suggestion. ‘Might’ expresses weak possibilities of something happening.

 Examples:
o He might be late because of the traffic. (uncertain possibility)
o You might want to check your spelling before you submit your essay. (suggestion)
o I might as well go to bed. There’s nothing else to do. (lack of alternatives)
o It might rain tomorrow, or it might be sunny. (two differing possibilities)
o She said she might come later. (report)

6. Shall:

The model verb ‘Shall’ is used with ‘I’ or ‘We’ to make offers, opinions, requests, orders,
commands, and future actions or intensions.

 Examples:
o Shall I open the window? (request)
o What shall I wear to the party? (opinion)
o I shall call you tomorrow. (future intensions)
 o You shall obey the law. (command)

7. Should:

The model verb ‘Should’ is used to give advice or recommendations, to talk about obligation or
duty, to talk about probability, to express the conditional mood, and to replace a subjunctive
function.

 Examples:
o You should drink more water. (advice)
o I should be at work by 9 am. (duty)
o She shouldn’t lie to her parents. (obligations)
o It should rain tomorrow. (probability)
o If I were you, I should go to the doctor. (conditional mood)
o It is important that he should know the truth. (subjunctive structure)

8. Will:

The model verb ‘Will’ is used to form the future tense, to make requests or offers, to complete
conditional sentences, to express likelihood and to issue commands.

 Examples:
o I will clean the garage. (future)
o Will you please be quiet? (request)
o If you study hard, you will pass the exam. (conditional sentence)
o That will be the postman. (likelihood)
o You will not speak to me like that. (command)

9. Would:

The model verb ‘Would’ is used to express the conditional mood (often with ‘if’), to make polite
requests, to talk about the past, to talk about the future in the past, and to show refusal in the past.

 Examples:
o If I had more time, I would learn a new language. (conditional mood)
o When I was a child, I would play soccer every day. (past)
o She said she would call me later. (future in past)
o He wouldn’t lend me his car. (refusal)