Modal Verbs

Modal and Modal Phrases (Semi-Modals)

A modal is a type of auxiliary (helping) verb that is used to express: ability, possibility, permission or
obligation. Modal phrases (or semi-modals) are used to express the same things as modals, but are
a combination of auxiliary verbs and the preposition to. The modals and semi-modals in English are:
1.

Can/could/be able to

2.

May/might

3.

Shall/should

4.

Must/have to

5.

Will/would

Can, Could, Be Able To

Can, could and be able to are used to express a variety of ideas in English:
Ability/Lack of Ability
Present and Future:
can/cant + base form of the verb
1.

Tom can write poetry very well.

2.

I can help you with that next week.

3.

Lisa cant speak French.

am / is / are / will be + able to + base form of the verb

am not/ isnt / arent/ wont be + able to + base form of the verb
1.

Mike is able to solve complicated math equations

2.

The support team will be able to help you in about ten minutes.

3.

I wont be able to visit you next summer.

Past:
could / couldnt + base form of the verb
1.

When I was a child I could climb trees.

was / were + able to + base form of the verb

wasnt / werent + able to + base form of the verb
hasnt / havent + been able to + base form of the verb
1.

I wasnt able to visit her in the hospital.

2.

He hasnt been able to get in touch with the client yet.

Note: Can and could do not take an infinitive (to verb) and do not take the future auxiliary will.

Incorrect: I can to help you this afternoon.

Correct: I can help you this afternoon.

Correct: I will (Ill) be able to help you this afternoon.

Possibility / Impossibility
can / cant + base form of the verb
1.

You can catch that train at 10:43.

2.

He cant see you right now. Hes in surgery.

could + base form of the verb

1.

I could fly via Amsterdam if I leave the day before.

Ask Permission / Give Permission

Can + Subject + base form of the verb (informal)
1.

Can you lend me ten dollars?

Can + base form of the verb (informal)

1.

You can borrow my car.

Could + subject + base form of the verb (polite)

1.

Could I have your number?

2.

Could I talk to your supervisor please?

Make a suggestion To make a suggestion use:

Could + base form of the verb (informal)
1.

You could take the tour of the castle tomorrow.

Exercises: Can, Could, Be able to

Fill in the correct form of can, could or be able to as in the examples.
1.

Ben could not help his little brother with his homework yesterday.

2.

Can I call you later tonight?

1.

_______ Tony run long distances when he was a boy?

2.

______ you please call a tow truck for me? My car broke down. (polite)

3.

The students _______ to buy their textbooks today. The bookstore is all out of them.

4.

______ you teach me how to fix my computer? Youre so good at it.

5.

______ you ______ reach the customer if you call him at 4:00 his time?

Answers:
1.

Could

2.

Could

3.

arent able

4.

Can

5.

Will/be able to

May, Might
Formal Permission / Formal Prohibition
may / may not + base form of the verb
1.

You may start your exam now.

2.

You may not wear sandals to work.

Polite Request
May + subject + base form of the verb
1.

May I help you?

Possibility / Negative Possibility

may/ might + base form of the verb
1.

We may go out dinner tonight. Do you want to join us?

2.

Our company might get the order if the client agrees to the price.

may not / might not + base form of the verb

1.

Adam and Sue may not buy that house. Its very expensive.

2.

They might not buy a house at all.

To Make a Suggestion (when there is no better alternative)

may as well / might as well + base form of the verb
1.

You may as well come inside. John will be home soon.

2.

We might as well take Friday off. Theres no work to be done anyway.

Polite Suggestion
might + base form of the verb
1.

You might like to try the salmon fillet. Its our special today.

Exercises: May / Might

Fill in the correct form of may or might as in the example.

1.

May I sit here?

1.

They ______ finish the project on time. The main engineer is ill.

2.

You _____ want to stop by the museum gift shop on your way out.

3.

_____ I have your autograph?

4.

He _______ visit the Louvre. Hes in Paris anyway.

5.

You ______ park your car here. Its reserved for guests of the hotel only.

Answers:
1.

might not

2.

might

3.

May

4.

may as well

5.

may not

Shall, Should, Ought to

To Offer of Assistance or Polite Suggestion (When you are quite sure of a positive answer)
Shall + subject + base form of the verb
1.

Shall we go for a walk?

Note: Shall is only used with I or we. It is used instead of will only in formal English.
To Offer of Assistance or Polite Suggestion (When you are not sure of a positive answer)
Should + subject + base form of the verb
1.

Should I call a doctor?

A Prediction or Expectation that Something Will Happen

should/shouldnt + base form of the verb
1.

The proposal should be finished on time.

2.

I shouldnt be late. The train usually arrives on time.

To Give Advice
should / ought to + base form of the verb
1.

You should check that document before you send it out.

2.

You ought to have your car serviced before the winter.

To Give Advice (about something you think wrong or unacceptable)

shouldnt + base form of the verb
1.

James shouldnt teach him words like those.

Exercises: Should, Shouldnt, Ought To

Fill in should, shouldnt or ought in the following sentences as in the example.
1.

He shouldnt encourage such bad behavior.

1.

You _____ get your teeth cleaned at least once a year.

2.

The house ______ be ready to move into by next month. Its almost finished.

3.

Ron ________ to improve his attitude. If he doesnt, he might get fired.

4.

________ I get your jacket? Its cold in here.

5.

You ________ put your feet on the table. Its not polite.

Answers:
1.

should

2.

should

3.

ought

4.

shall

5.

shouldnt

Must, Have to, Need to, Dont have to, Neednt

Necessity or Requirement
Present and Future:
must / have to / need to + base form of the verb
1.

You must have a passport to cross the border.

2.

Elisabeth has to apply for her visa by March 10th.

3.

I need to drop by his room to pick up a book.

Past:
had to / needed to + base form of the verb
1.

I had to work late last night.

2.

I needed to drink a few cups of coffee in order to stay awake.

Note: have to and need to are often used in the same context, but many times, need to is used to
express something that is less urgent, something in which you have a choice.
Almost 100% Certain
must + base form of the verb
1.

Thomas has lived in Paris for years. His French must be very good.

To Persuade
must / have to + base form of the verb
1.

You must try this wine. Its excellent.

2.

You have to visit us while youre in town.

Prohibited or Forbidden
must not / mustnt + base form of the verb
1.

You must not drive over the speed limit.

2.

You mustnt leave medicines where children can get to them.

Lack of Necessity
dont /doesnt /didnt + have to + base form of the verb
1.

You dont have to park the car. The hotel valet will do it for you.

2.

Tim doesnt have to go to school today. Its a holiday.

3.

You didnt have to shout. Everyone could hear you.

neednt + base form of the verb

1.

You neednt worry about me. Ill be fine.

Exercises: Must, Have to, Need to, Dont Have

to, Neednt
Fill in the blanks with one of these modals:
must, must not, have to, has to, dont have to, doesnt have to, neednt as in the examples.
There may be more than one correct answer.
1.

Shira doesnt have to drive to the airport. Shes going by taxi.

2.

You must speak politely to the customers.

1.

You ______ tell Anna about the party tomorrow night. Its a surprise! (must not, need to,
doesnt have to)

2.

Tina _______ register for her classes on Monday, otherwise she wont get a place in them.
(doesnt have to, mustnt, has to)

3.

You ________ send that fax. Ive already sent it. (must, will have to, dont have to)

4.

A dog ______ get special training in order to be a guide dog. (must, need to, dont have to)

5.

Jeremy _______ get up early tomorrow. His class was cancelled. (mustnt, doesnt have to,
dont need to)

Answers:
1.

must not

2.

has to

3.

dont have to

4.

must

5.

doesnt have to

Modals: Will / Would

will / wont + base form of the verb
1.

John will pick you up at 7:00am.

2.

Beth wont be happy with the results of the exam.

Polite Request or Statement

Will / Would + base form of the verb
1.

Will you please take the trash out?

2.

Would you mind if I sat here?

3.

Id (I would) like to sign up for your workshop.

Habitual Past Action

Would/Wouldnt + base form of the verb
1.

When I was a child, I would spend hours playing with my train set.

2.

Peter wouldnt eat broccoli when he was a kid. He loves it now.

Exercises: will, would

Fill in the blanks with one of the following words: will, wont, would, wouldnt.
1.

Will you please help me lift this box?

1.

I ______ like to order the onion soup please.

2.

The manager _______ be pleased to hear that a customer slipped on the wet floor.

3.

_______ it be okay if I slept here tonight?

4.

When Igor lived in Russia, he ________ call his mother as often as he does now.

5.

I can assure you sir, the order ______ be shipped out tonight.

Answers:
1.

would

2.

wont

3.

would

4.

wouldnt

5.

will

Exercises All Modals

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the following modals:
can, could, be able to, may, might, shall, should, must, have to, dont have to, need to
- You may have to make the modals negative according to the context of the sentence.
- There may be more than one possibility.
1.

He has to take his car to be serviced. The brakes are squeaking.

2.

Would you please save me a seat at the dinner event.

1.

If you are sick, you ________ go to work. Youll infect everyone there.

2.

Drivers _______ stop at red lights.

3.

You _______ finish the proposal today. You can finish it tomorrow.

4.

She ______ hear much better with her new hearing aids.

5.

______ I order us a bottle of wine?

6.

Sam ______ pick his daughter up from school. Shes taking the bus home.

7.

You _____________ smoke here. Its a smoke-free building.

8.

You ________ eat so many sweets. They are bad for you.

9.

_________ you mind walking a little faster? Were going to be late.

10.

Im sorry. I _______ help you. I dont know how to do it.

Answers:
1.

shouldnt

2.

must

3.

dont have to

4.

can

5.

shall

6.

neednt

7.

mustnt

8.

shouldnt

9.

would

10.

cant

Auxiliary Verbs "Can/Could" and

"May/Might/Must"
Can
Used to express ability (to be able to do something):

I can make jewelry.

He cant speak French.

Can you open this jar?

Used to ask for permission:

Can I use your bathroom?

Can I leave now?

Can I raise the volume?

Used to make requests or suggestions:

Can I have more napkins?

Can I have the bill?

You can take this spot if you like.

You can do whatever you want.

Could (past form of can)

Describes an ability that someone had in the past:

I could swim when I was young.

You could see the boat sinking.

They could tell he was nervous.

Often used in auxiliary functions to express permission politely:

Could I take this jacket with me?

You could borrow my umbrella.

Could you please let me pass you?

Could I get you more water?

Used to express possibility:

All of them could ride in the van.

You could always stay at our house.

Could it be true?

This plan could really work out.

May
Used to ask for formal permission:

May I come in?

May I say something now?

May I ask one question?

Used to suggest something that is possible:

She may agree with this plan.

They may not be happy about what happened.

It may shower tonight.

Might (past form of may)

Used to suggest a smaller possibility than may does (actually, might is more common
than may in American English):

He might have finished it.

I might go see a doctor.

I might not come this time.

It might be right.

You might have lost it.

The store might have been closed today.

Must
Used to express something formally required or necessary:

I must complete the project by this week.

The government must provide health care for everybody.

Everyone must save the natural resources of the earth.

The building must have a fire alarm.

You must answer my question right now.

Used to show that something is very likely:

He must be a genius.

You must be joking!

There must be an accident.

She must be very tired.

[Quiz 21.1]

Choose the right word for each blank.

1) She
(can, could, may, might, must) have practiced a lot. Her
performance was amazing.
2) I cant find my watch anywhere. I
(can, could, may, might, must)
have lost it.
3) Professor,
(can, could, may, might, must) I ask a question?
4)
(can, could, may, might, must) you please lower your voice?
5) You
(can, could, may, might, must) be kidding! How is that possible?
6) I
(can, could, may, might, must) speak both English and Chinese
fluently.

English Modal Verbs

Modal verbs are a type of auxiliary verb which express the mood of another verb. They are used
to express ideas such as possibility, prediction, speculation, deduction and necessity.

Modal

Concept
Ability:
Can

Permission:
Offers :

Example
Julie can swim.
Can I come with you? ('May' is
also used.)
Can I help you?
That story could be true - who
knows!

Possibility:
Past ability :

Charlie could swim when he

was four years old.

Could
Permission :

Could I use your phone

please?

Requests :

Possibility :
May
Permission :

Slight possibility :
Might

Past form of 'may'

in reported speech.
Advice :

Could you tell me the way to

the station please?
The President may come to
our offices
if the meeting finishes before 5
pm.
May I borrow your dictionary?
We might win a prize but I
doubt it.
The President said he might
come.
You should take an umbrella in
case it rains.

Should
Logical deduction :

Advice :

I've revised so I should be

ready for the test.
You ought to write to your
grandmother.

Ought to
Logical deduction :

30 ought to be enough for

the taxi.
I shall be in London on
Future tense auxiliary : Monday (or I'll be ...).
Shall

Offers/suggestions
with ''I' and 'we'

Shall I order a taxi?

Shall we begin the meeting
now?
The ticket will cost about 50.

Future tense auxiliary:

Will
Invitations/offers :

Will you join us for coffee?

Won't you come in?