Modal verbs

Modal Verb Tutorial      Uses http://www.englishpage.com/modals/modalintro.html

What are Modal Verbs?

a verb that combines with another verb in a verb phrase to help form tense,  mood, voice, or condition of the verb it combines with

 

Modal verbs are special verbs which behave very differently from normal verbs.

 

Here are some important differences:

1. Modal verbs do not take "-s" in the third person.

Examples:

* He can speak Chinese.

* She should be here by 9:00.

2. You use "not" to make modal verbs negative, even in Simple Present and Simple Past.

Examples:

* He should not be late.

* They might not come to the party.

3. Many modal verbs cannot be used in the past tenses or the future tenses.

Examples:

* He will can go with us. Not Correct

* She musted study very hard. Not Correct

Common Modal Verbs

Can

Could

May

Might

Must Ought to

Shall

Should

Will

Would

For the purposes of this tutorial, we have included some expressions which are not modal verbs

including had better, have to, and have got to. These expressions are closely related to modals in meaning

and are often interchanged with them.

 

http://www.learnenglish.de/grammar/verbmodal.htm

Uses

 

Can They can control their own budgets.

We can’t fix it.

Can I smoke here?

Can you help me?

 

 Ability / Possibility

Inability / Impossibility

Asking for permission

Request

 
Could Could I borrow your dictionary?

Could you say it again more slowly?

We could try to fix it ourselves.

I think we could have another Gulf War.

He gave up his old job so he could work for us.

Asking for permission.

Request

Suggestion

Future possibility

Ability in the past

 
May May I have another cup of coffee?

China may become a major economic power.

Asking for permission

Future possibility

 
Might We'd better phone tomorrow, they might be eating their dinner now.

They might give us a 10% discount

 

 Present possibility

 

Future possibility

 
Must We must say good-bye now.

They mustn’t disrupt the work more than necessary.

 

 Necessity / Obligation

Prohibition

 
Ought to We ought to employ a professional writer. Offer

Suggestion

Asking what to do

 
Shall

(More common in the UK than the US)

 

 Shall I help you with your luggage?

Shall we say 2.30 then?

Shall I do that or will you?

 

 Offer

Suggestion

Asking what to do

 
Should We should sort out this problem at once.

I think we should check everything again.

Profits should increase next year.

 

 Saying what’s right or correct

Recommending action

Uncertain prediction

 
Will I can’t see any taxis so I’ll walk.

I'll do that for you if you like.

I’ll get back to you first thing on Monday.

Profits will increase next year.

 

 Instant decisions

Offer

Promise

Certain prediction

 
Would Would you mind if I brought a colleague with me?

Would you pass the salt please?

Would you mind waiting a moment?

"Would three o`clock suit you?" - "That’d be fine."

Would you like to play golf this Friday?

"Would you prefer tea or coffee?" - "I’d like tea please."

 

 Asking for permission

Request

Request

Making arrangements

Invitation

Preferences