Modal Verbs
Lesson 8 of 3 in this unit.
📖 Reading Passage
Modal verbs are special helping verbs that give extra meaning to the main verb. In English, the most common modals are can, could, may, might, will, would, shall, should, must and ought to. At the A2 level, learners usually work with can, could, may, might, will, would, should and must. These words do not change their form. They are always used before the base form of another verb, for example: She can swim, He must study, We should go.\n\nThe main uses of modal verbs are to talk about ability, permission, possibility, obligation and future intentions. "Can" and "could" are often used for ability. "Can" is for present ability – I can speak English. "Could" can talk about past ability – When I was five, I could read. It is also used for polite requests – Could you help me?\n\nPermission is expressed with "can" and "may". "Can" is informal – Can I open the window? "May" sounds more formal – May I leave the room? Both are followed by the base verb.\n\nPossibility uses "may", "might" and "could". They show that something is possible but not certain – It may rain tomorrow, She might be at home, He could win the game.\n\nObligation and advice are shown with "must", "should" and "have to". "Must" is a strong rule – You must wear a helmet. "Should" gives advice – You should see a doctor. "Have to" is similar to "must" but is used for external obligations – I have to finish my work today.\n\nFuture intentions are often expressed with "will" and "shall". "Will" is the most common – I will call you later. "Shall" is used in formal or polite offers – Shall we start the lesson?\n\nRemember that modal verbs do not add –s, –ed or –ing endings. They stay the same no matter who is speaking. Also, after a modal verb we never use "to" before the main verb – we say "must go", not "must to go". Practising these patterns helps learners become more confident in everyday conversation.
📘 Vocabulary
20 words from this lesson
- ability
- skill to do something
- “She has the ability to sing well.”
- permission
- allowing someone to do something
- “He asked for permission to leave.”
- possibility
- something that may happen
- “There is a possibility of rain.”
- obligation
- a duty or requirement
- “You have an obligation to pay taxes.”
- advice
- suggestion about what to do
- “Her advice was very helpful.”
- intention
- plan to do something
- “My intention is to travel.”
- polite
- showing good manners
- “He made a polite request.”
- formal
- official or proper style
- “A formal letter was sent.”
- informal
- casual, not formal
- “We had an informal chat.”
- certain
- sure, definite
- “I am certain of the answer.”
- external
- coming from outside
- “External factors affect prices.”
- strong
- powerful, firm
- “He gave a strong argument.”
- base verb
- verb without endings
- “In "can go", go is the base verb.”
- pattern
- regular way of doing something
- “Follow the pattern of the exercise.”
- confident
- feeling sure of oneself
- “She felt confident after practice.”
- conversation
- talk between people
- “They had a long conversation.”
- rule
- a set guideline
- “The school has a dress rule.”
- offer
- to propose something
- “He made an offer to help.”
- request
- asking for something
- “She made a request for assistance.”
- practice
- repeated exercise
- “Practice makes perfect.”
📐 Grammar Notes
Modal verbs are auxiliary verbs that do not change for person or number. They are placed before the base form of the main verb: subject + modal + base verb (e.g., I can swim). No -s is added in the third person singular, and there is no -ing or -ed form after a modal. Negative forms are made by adding not after the modal: must not, should not, can’t. Contractions are common: can't, shouldn't, wouldn't. Questions are formed by placing the modal before the subject: Can you help? Should we start? For past ability, could is used, and could also makes polite requests. When expressing possibility, may, might and could are interchangeable, but might suggests a lower probability. Obligation uses must for strong internal rules and have to for external rules; should gives advice, not a strict rule. Future intentions typically use will; shall is used in formal offers or suggestions, especially with 'we' or 'I'. Remember that after a modal we never use 'to' before the infinitive; the correct form is must go, not must to go.
Practice Exercises
Work through each exercise to complete this lesson.
Which modal expresses a strong rule?
Choose the correct sentence for a polite request.
Which modal is used for future intention?
Select the sentence that shows ability in the past.
Which modal is more formal for asking permission?
Modal verbs take -s in the third person singular.
After a modal verb we use 'to' before the main verb.
You ____ (must/should) wear a seatbelt while driving.
She ____ (can/could) speak French when she was five.
____ (May/Can) I borrow your pen?
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