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Modal Verbs and Their Meaning
What are modal verbs?
Modals (also called modal verbs, modal auxiliary verbs, modal auxiliaries) are special verbs which behave irregularly in English. They are different from normal verbs like "work, play, visit..." They are used to indicate modality. They give additional information about the function of the main verb that follows it. They have a great variety of communicative functions.
Use of modal verbs:
Modal verbs are used to express functions such as: 1. Permission
2. Ability 3. Obligation 4. Prohibition 5. Lack of necessity 6. Advice
7. possibility 8. probability
Remember
Modal verbs are followed by an infinitive without "to"
Examples:
You must stop when the traffic lights turn red
You should see to the doctor
There are a lot of tomatoes in the fridge. You need not buy any.
Exception:
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A list of modals
Here is a list of modals:
Modal Verb Meaning Expressing Example
must
to have to 100 % obligation I must stop when the traffic lights turn red.
to be very probable logical conclusion (deduction)
He must be very tired after such enormous work
must not not to be allowed to prohibition You must not smoke in the
hospital.
can
to be able to ability I can swim
to be allowed to permission Can I use your phone please?
it is possible possibility Smoking can cause cancer !
could
to be able to ability in the past When I was younger I could stay up all night and not get tired..
to be allowed to more polite permission Excuse me, could I just say something?
it is possible possibility It could rain tomorrow!
may to be allowed to permission May I use your phone please?
it is possible, probable possibility, probability It may rain tomorrow!
might
to be allowed to more polite permission Might I use your phone please?
it is possible, probable weak possibility, probability
I might come and visit you in America next year, if I can save enough money.
need necessary necessity Need I say more?
need not not necessary lack of necessity/absence
of obligation
I need not buy any tomatoes. There are plenty in the fridge.
should/ought to
used to say or ask what is the correct or best thing to do
50 % obligation I should / ought to see a doctor. I have a terrible headache.
to suggest an action or to show that it is necessary
advice You should / ought to revise your lessons
to be very probable logical conclusion (deduction)
He should / ought to be very tired after such enormous work
had better to suggest an action or to
show that it is necessary
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Exercise on modals
Choose the right modal verb
1. There are plenty of tomatoes in the fridge. You _______________buy any. 2. It's a hospital. You _________________smoke.
3. He had been working for more than 11 hours. He ________________ be tired after such hard work. He______________ prefer to get some rest.
4. I ______________speak Arabic fluently when I was a child and we lived in Morocco. But after we moved back to Canada, I had very little exposure to the language and forgot almost everything I knew as a child. Now, I ______________just say a few things in the language.
5. The teacher said we ______________read this book for our own pleasure as it is optional. But we ______________read it if we don't want to.
6. ______________you stand on your head for more than a minute? No, I ______________. 7. If you want to learn to speak English fluently, you ______________to work hard.
8. Take an umbrella. It ______________rain later.
9. You ______________leave small objects lying around. Such objects ______________be swallowed by children.
10.People ______________walk on grass.
11.Drivers ______________stop when the traffic lights are red. 12.______________I ask a question? Yes, of course.
13.You ______________ take your umbrella. It is not raining. 14.______________you speak Italian? No, I ______________.
