MODAL AUXILIARIES

Modal auxiliaries are auxiliary verbs that lend different shades of meaning to the main
verb to which they are attached. Modals help to express the mood or attitude of the
speaker and convey ideas about possibility, probability, necessity, obligation, advisability,
and permission.

The single-word modal auxiliaries are:

Can May Must Shall Will

Could Might Should Would
Some phrasal modal auxiliaries
are:
Have
Be able to Be supposed to Have to Ought to better
Be going to Be to Have got to Used to

SINGLE-WORD MODAL AUXILIARIES

Single-word modal auxiliaries are always followed by the simple (or stem) form of the
verb.

Here are some examples of the how single-word modal auxiliaries influence meaning:

Statement Meaning

I can go. I am able to go. / I have permission to go.

I could go. If certain conditions were met, I would be able to go.

I may go. Its not certain, but theres a chance that Ill go. / I
have permission to go.

I might go. Its not certain, but theres a chance Ill go.

I must go. I am obliged to go.

I shall go. I am going (in the future).

I should go. It is advisable/recommended/obligatory that I go.

I will go. Its certain that I am going (in the future). / I am willing to
go.

I would go. My going is uncertain; it depends on certain conditions.

 The following chart demonstrates some uses for single-word modal auxiliaries. Notice that
in some cases when the verb tense changes, the modal is replaced with another word or
group of words. Empty spaces denote non-existent forms.

MODAL MEANING PRESENT FORM PAST FORM FUTURE FORM NEGATIVE FORM

He will be able to
Can 1. Ability He can play the piano. He could play the play He cannot play the
piano. the piano. piano.
I was able to go when
2. Opportunity I can go now that Ive I I can go when I finish I cannot go.
finished working. finished working. working later tonight.

Their parents will

3. Permission Their parents say they Their parents said they surely They cannot have a
were allowed to have
can have a party. a say that they can have party.
party. a party.
4. Informal request Can I borrow your Cant I borrow your
(refers to near
future) book? book?
It can be tiring to
5. Possibility study It cant be tiring to sit
(usually a and work at the same around and watch TV
generalization) time. all day!
Could 1. Past of can Before I hurt my wrist, I Even before I hurt my
could toss pizza dough. wrist, I couldnt toss
pizza dough.
2. Conditional I could have made an I could make an I couldnt make an
omelet if we had had omelet if we have the omelet even if we had
the ingredients. ingredients. the ingredients.
3. Suggestion You could have taken a You could take a long
long weekend to visit weekend to visit your
your family. family.
4. Polite Request Could you phone me Couldnt you phone me
(refers to near
future) when you arrive? when you arrive?
Ms. Stevens couldn't
5. Possibility / Ms. Stevens could be Ms. Stevens could have Ms. Stevens could be
Impossibility the electors choice for been the electors become mayor. the electors choice for
mayor. choice for mayor. mayor.
May 1. Permission You may submit your You were allowed to When you finish, you You may not submit
may submit your
paper via email now. submit your paper via paper your paper via email.
email. via email.
2. Polite Request May I use your phone?
(refers to near
future)
3. Possibility The bakery may be The bakery may have The bakery may open The bakery may not
open now. opened earlier today. later today. open.

Might 1. Request (refers to Might I use your

near future) phone?

2. Conditional If you give me a If you had given me a If you will give me a Even if you give me a
chance, I might chance, I might have chance, I might chance, I might not
impress you! impressed you! impress you! impress you.

3. Suggestion You might have called You might call to say You might not want to
to say you werent you arent coming. call to say you arent
coming. coming.
My dog might not
4. Possibility My dog might be the My dog might have My dog might make a make
one who made the made the mess. mess. a mess.
mess.
MODAL MEANING PRESENT FORM PAST FORM FUTURE FORM NEGATIVE FORM
Must 1. Certainty She must be the best She must have been the She must not be the
athlete in our schools best athlete in our best athlete in our
history. schools history. schools history.

2. Strong To be healthy, you must To have stayed healthy, To be healthier, you To be healthy, you
recommendation eat well. you should have eaten should eat better. mustnt eat poorly.
better.
In the past, visitors had
3. Necessity Visitors must sign in at to In the future, visitors Visitors dont have to
reception. sign in at reception. must sign in at sign in at reception.
reception.
(Must You must not disrupt
not) 4. Prohibition his
concentration.

Shall 1. Inevitability One day, we shall Humanity shall never

overcome our abandon the quest for
dependence on oil. immortality.
I shall not let you
2. Promising I shall ensure that down.
(British usage) everything goes
according to plan.
Our train shall not
3. Future Action Our train shall arrive arrive
(British usage) ahead of schedule. ahead of schedule
after all.

Should 1.Recommendation For strong bones, you For stronger bones, you For strong bones, you You shouldnt drink too
should drink milk. should have drunk milk. should start drinking much milk.
milk.

2. Obligation I should return this

library book.
She should arrive at She shouldnt be at
3. Expectation She should be at the She should have arrived the the
airport right now. at the airport by now. airport before 9 oclock airport yet.
tonight.
We will go to the
Will 1. Future Action movie We will not go to the
tonight. movie tonight.
I will not disappoint
2. Promising I will ensure that you.
everything goes
according to plan.

Would 1. Past of will You said we would go to You said we wouldnt

the movie. go.
If I were in trouble, I Even if I got into
2. Conditional would If I had been in trouble, I If I got into trouble, I trouble,
would have asked him would ask him for
ask him for help. for help. I would not ask him for
help. help.

3. Repetition in When we were kids, we When we were kids, we

the past / would always play street would not play street
habitual action hockey in the alley. hockey in the alley.
or behaviour
PHRASAL MODAL AUXILIARIES

Like single-word modal auxiliaries, phrasal modals are always followed by the simple (or
stem) form of the verb.

Unlike single-word modals, however, most phrasal modals contain the verbs be or have, which
must be conjugated to identify tense and number (I am, you are, he/she/it is, I was, you were,
he/she/it was, etc). Exceptions are used to and ought to, which require no change in verb form.

Had better is never conjugated, and it does not include the word to as the other phrasal
modals do. Like single-word modals, it is followed immediately by the simple form of the
verb.

Here are some examples of how phrasal modal auxiliaries influence meaning:

Statement Meaning
I am able to go. I can go. / I have permission to go.

I am going to go. I will be going (in the future).

I am supposed to go. It is understood/expected/agreed-upon that I

will go.
I am to go. I am expected/obliged to go. / I have been ordered
to go.
I have to go. I am obliged to go.

I have got to go. I am obliged to go (extra emphasis on the

obligation).
I ought to go. It is recommended/advisable that I go.

I used to go. I went on a regular basis (habitual action in the

past).
I had better go. It is advisable that I go.
 The following chart demonstrates some uses for phrasal modal auxiliaries. Notice that in
some cases when the verb tense changes, part of the modal is replaced with another word
or group of words. Empty spaces denote non-existent forms.

MODAL MEANING PRESENT FORM PAST FORM FUTURE FORM NEGATIVE FORM

She was able to join She will be able to She is not able to
Be able to Ability She is able to join us. us. join join
us. us.

Be going to Plan (for the future) I was going to start I am going to start I am not going to
university next fall. university next fall. start university next
fall.
He is supposed to He is not supposed
Be supposed to Expectation He was supposed to bring to
bring dessert, but I dessert tonight. bring anything
guess he forgot. tonight!

Be to Expectation / She was to see the She is to see the She is not to see the
obligation project through to its project through to its project through to its
end, but she left before end, no matter how end after all.
its completion. long it takes.

Have to Obligation I have to leave now. I had to leave then. I have to leave in I do not have to
(= must) approximately 10 leave.
minutes.
I needed to prepare
Have got to Strong obligation I have got to prepare my I have got to prepare I do not need to
my presentation now. presentation at that my presentation as prepare my
time. soon as I finish dinner. presentation
anymore. Im ready!
We ought not
Ought to 1.Recommendation One ought to express We should have sent a We ought to send a forget.
ones gratitude. note to our hostess. thank you note to our *to is dropped in the
hostess. negative
With all the studying
2. Certainty When one studies she With all the studying
did, she ought to
hard, one ought to have shes done, she ought
pass. passed her exam. to pass her exam.
My grandfather used
Used to Habitual past action / to
behaviour walk 3 miles to and
from school every day!

Had better Recommendation You had better go. Its You had better not
getting late! go. The weather
looks pretty nasty!