Modal Verbs

Can, Could, Must, May, Might, Will, Would, Shall, Should, Ought to
Characteristics of modal verbs

• Modal verbs are auxiliary verbs.

• They cannot change their form and so they stay the same when used in all
three persons.
I must – He must – You must.

• They don’t have an infinitive version (to can), or a participle version (musted)
or a gerund version (mightning)

• Therefore, all modal verbs MUST be followed by a bare infinitive verb.

(without the “to”) Ex. He must (to) go to work.
Characteristics of modal verbs
• We cannot conjugate them

• They modify other verbs (This is why they need to be follow by

another verb)

• They express ability, possibility, deduction, suggestion, offers,

permission, obligation, necessity, prohibition, probability,
recommendation, etc.
Most used modal verbs in English:
• Can • Will
• Should • Would
• Could • Might
• May • Must
CAN
• We use can and can't to talk about someone's skill or general abilities:
She can speak several languages.
He can swim like a fish.
They can't dance very well.
• We use can and can't to talk about the ability to do something at a specific time in
the present or future:
I can see you.
Help! I can't breathe.
• We use could and couldn't to talk about the past:
She could speak several languages.
I couldn't see you.
CAN
• We use can to make general statements about what is possible:
(Probability)
It can be very cold here in winter. (= It is sometimes very cold here in
winter.)
You can easily get lost in this town. (= People often get lost in this
town.)
• We use can't or cannot to say that something is impossible:
That can't be true.
You cannot be serious.
May/Might/Could – Probability
• We use may, might and could to say that something is possible, but
not certain:
They may come by car. (= Maybe they will come by car.)
They might be at home. (= Maybe they are at home.)
If we don't hurry, we could be late. (= Maybe we will be late.)
• May expresses a greater degree of certainty.
• We also use might/may to suggest, to offer and to request something:
My sister might come home for my birthday
May I buy you a drink?
MUST
• We use must when we want to express a personal obligation:
I must stop smoking
He must work harder.
• We use must to show we are sure something is true and we have
reasons for our belief:
It's getting dark. It must be quite late.
You haven’t eaten all day. You must be hungry.
• We use must to show that you think it is a good idea for someone to
do something:
You must come and stay with us some time.
HAVE TO
It changes its form with a their person.

• We use have to for external obligations. What somebody in authority

has said it is necessary to do:
Do you have to wear a tie to go to work? (work rules)
She has to be on time for the teather show.

• But… in formal writing, we use “must” instead of “have to”:

Passengers must fasten their seat-belts
SHOULD
• We use should and shouldn't to make suggestions and give advice:
You should send an email.
You shouldn’t go by train.
You should take your medicine.