Prepared by Ms. K.

Rajalakshmi Therich selvam

 A modal is a helping verb. It expresses a mood. It comes
before the main verb generally.
 The Modals are :
 Shall – Should.
 Will – would
 Can – Could
 May – Might
 Must, need, dare, used to, ought to.
Shall – Futurity, Compulsion.
Ex – I shall go to Chennai tomorrow.
You shall do it.
Should – Compulsion.
Ex – You should submit the Record today.
Will – Futurity, Certainty.
Ex – Prem will come soon.
I will pass the exam.
Would – Habitual action, wish.
Ex – I would get up at 6 am.
I would like to dance.
Can – Present ability, asking for help, offering help.
Ex – She can dance well.
Can you help me.
We can lift this.
Could – Past ability, request.
Ex – He could walk for a long distance.
Could you help me?
May – Polite request, possibility.
Ex – May I come in sir.
It may rain today.
Might – Possibility
Ex – He might do it.
Must – need, obligation
Ex – You must take rest.
We must obey law.
Need – Necessity
Ex – Need I come there?
Dare – boldness, anger
Ex – I dare not do such things.
How dare you talk like this?
Used to – Past habits.
Ex – I used to walk for one hour every morning.
Ought to – Moral obligation.
Ex – We ought to help the poor.
Fill in the blanks with suitable Modal auxiliary.
1. A good teacher _______ make even boring
lessons interesting.
2. In the army soldiers ________ obey their
officers.
3. The patient is very critical, but who knows he
__________ recover.
4. I _______ smell something burning in the
kitchen. It _______ be the meat in the oven.
5. _______ I come in sir? Yes, of course You __ .
6. One ______ always keep his promises.
7. All citizens _______ obey the laws of the land.
8. Visit us tomorrow. My mother ______ be happy to
see you.
9. Don’ t worry. This _____ happen to anyone.
10. ______ God bless you.
11. Law makers _______ not be a law breakers.
12. God ________ not be everywhere. So he made
‘mothers’.
13. Give me a fish I _____ live for a day. Teach me to
fish, I ________ live for a life time.
14. You _______ not study all the essays.
15. I _______ to play with marbles and tops.
 Answers
A good teacher _____can__ make even boring lessons interesting.
In the army soldiers ___must / should_____ obey their officers.
The patient is very critical, but who knows he __may / can________
recover.
I ____can___ smell something burning in the kitchen. It ___may____ be
the meat in the oven.
__May_____ I come in sir? Yes, of course You _can_ .
One ____must__ always keep his promises.
All citizens _____must__ obey the laws of the land.
Visit us tomorrow. My mother ____will__ be happy to see you.
Don’ t worry. This _may____ happen to anyone.
____May__ God bless you.
Law makers ___should____ not be a law breakers.
God _____may / can___ not be everywhere. So he made ‘mothers’.
Give me a fish I __will___ live for a day. Teach me to fish, I
___can_____ live for a life time.
You ___need____ not study all the essays.
I _____used __ to play with marbles and tops.