Modals
المؤلف:
EVELYNP.ALTENBERG & ROBERTM.VAGO
المصدر:
English Grammar Understanding the basics
الجزء والصفحة:
P141-C12
2025-11-11
27
Modals
One kind of helping verb is called a modal. A modal adds information, such as possibility, necessity, or requests, to the verb that follows. The modals are underlined in the sentences below:
1. Ellen can do the job.
2. I will worry about that later.
3. You should rest before the party.
4. Dennis might change that carpeting.
There are nine basic modals, listed below.
Quick tip
One kind of helping verb is called a modal. The basic modals of English are:
Answers
Answers
To enhance your understanding
Here are the modals again:
can could
may might
shall should
will would
must
Historically, those modals on the left have been considered present tense forms while those on the right have been considered past tense forms. Note that three of the past tense forms end in the consonant d; think of it as a reminder of the past tense suffix-ed, as in the verb stayed.
To further enhance your understanding
Some expressions are similar to modals but consist of more than one word. They are called phrasal modals or periphrastic modals. Here are some examples, underlined in the following sentences:
5. I am able to go.
6. I ought to go.
7. I am going to go.
8. I would like to go.
9. I have to go.
10. I need to go.
Notice that many of the phrasal modals have the same meaning as one of the one-word modals; for example:, am able to= can, ought to= should, am going to= will.
11. I am able to go=I can go.
12. I ought to go=I should go.
13. I am going to go= I will go.
Note also that phrasal verbs end in to, which is followed by the base form of the verb.
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