Modals – Concept and Its Uses
Modal verbs
A modal verb is a special kind of helping verb. A modal verb helps the main verb to express the mood of the subject, and at the same, it can indicate likelihood, ability, permission, possibility, or willingness.
| Modal | Uses | Possibility | Permission | Request | Impossibility | Ability | Suggestion |
| Can | Examples | They can do it. | Can I bring it here? | Can you help me? | We can’t fix it. | ||
| Could | Examples | I think we could have. | Could I borrow yours? | Could you say it? | We couldn’t fix it. | He could work for us. | |
| May | Examples | I may finish…. | May I have another…. | ||||
| Might | Examples | They might be eating. | Might I ask your name? | Might I borrow your bag? | You might want to suggest that to the committee. | ||
| Shall | Examples | Shall I continue or not? | Shall I help you? | Shall we say…. | |||
| Should | Examples | Fees should decrease. | Should I do that or not? | He should be able to do…. | You should call. |
Modals express ideas such as possibility, permission, ability…
They are:
- CAN
- COULD
- WILL
- WOULD
- SHALL
- SHOULD
- MAY
- MIGHT
- OUGHT TO
Related topics
Naming Words for Class 2: Simple English Guide
Naming words are names of people, animals, birds, places or things. E.g. Leo, Rat, Crow, London, Book Four types of naming words E.g. Leo, Andrea, Father, Mother E.g. School, London, Park, New york E.g. Tiger, Monkey, Cow, Parrots E.g. Box, Pen, Apples, Car Everything that we can touch, feel, see and talk about is represented by […]
Read More >>Types of Nouns: Definition, Kinds, and Examples
If you’ve developed a nascent interest in the English language already, or your child enjoys reading from the English signboards and alphabet books, it’s time that they were introduced to nouns. Nouns (or naming words, as they are conveyed to kids) are the flat concrete surface on which your child or student’s vocabulary will be […]
Read More >>
Context Clues
What Are Context Clues? Context clues are small hints in a sentence or paragraph that you can see. It helps you understand the meaning of a word you do not know. For this, you will not need to use a dictionary. The sentence itself helps you understand. When you read, the words near can be […]
Read More >>
Speech Writing: Format, Topics, and Examples
What Is Speech Writing? While writing a speech we should concentrate on the three ‘C’s. Your speech should be clear, concise, and consistent. Let’s see the format of speech writing. Speech Writing Format It contains two parts. Title: Give a good title to the topic while writing a speech. Content: The content section is divided […]
Read More >>
Other topics
Comments: