1. What are modals?
Modals are used to ‘moderate’ verbs.
This means they change the meaning of the verb.
2. How to use modals
Modals are placed before the verb:
After a modal, the basic form of the verb is used. This means don’t use ‘to’, ‘ing’, or a participle.
| Modal | Basic form of verb | Modal + verb | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| can | run | can run | I can run quicker than my brother. |
| could | fly | could fly | The dog thought could fly. It could not. |
| should | go | should go | We should go, otherwise we will be late. |
| may | start | may start | You may start your exam now. |
| might | come | might come | Erin said she might come to our party. |
| must | change | must change | The company must change if it doesn’t want to go bankrupt. |
| will | win | will win | I am sure France will win this game. |
| would | kill | would kill | I would kill you if I could. |
3. What the modals mean
Each modal gives the verb a new meaning.
| Modal | Meaning | Short example | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| – | true | 1. I hear music. 2. I pay taxes. | 1. Shh. Wait. I hear music. 2. Each April I pay my taxes. |
| can | 1. fact 2. ability | 1. I can hear music. 2. I can pay taxes | 1. Quiet. I think I can hear music. We must be close. 2. I can only pay my taxes after I get paid. |
| should | 1. to not do so is unusual 2. the right thing to do | 1. I should hear music. 2. I should pay taxes | 1. Now, if all these cables are right, and I press play, I should hear music. 2. I know I should pay my taxes, but I don’t agree with how the money is being spent. |
| may | 1. possible 2. am thinking about it | 1. I may hear music. 2. I may pay taxes | 1. If you stop talking, I may hear the music. 2. I may pay taxes, but I’m not sure. Maybe I’ll just run away. |
| might | 1. possible 2. am thinking about it | 1. I might hear music. 2. I might pay taxes | 1. If you stop talking, I might hear the music. 2. I might pay taxes, but I’m not sure. Maybe I’ll just run away. |
| must | 1. if I don’t, I will be unhappy 2. have no choice | 1. I must hear music. 2. I must pay my taxes | 1. Everyone is talking about their new album. I must hear it! 2. The government says I must pay my taxes. |
| will | 1. 100% sure 2. future | 1. I will hear music. 2. I will pay my taxes | 1. If you turn the CD player on, I‘ll hear music. 2. I‘ll pay my taxes after I get paid. |
| would | 1. cause and effect 2. if I could | 1. I would hear music. 2. I would pay my taxes | 1. I would hear more music if I had a radio. 2. I would pay my taxes if I had the money, but I don’t. |
4. Using modals to be polite
Using modals make questions more polite.
The modals for polite questions are:
can, may, might, would
| Not polite | Polite |
|---|---|
| Get me a cheeseburger! | Can you get me a cheeseburger? Could you get me a cheeseburger? Would you get me a cheeseburger? |
| I want to borrow your car. | Can I borrow your car? Might I borrow your car? May I borrow your car? |
| Give me all your money. | Can you give me all your money? Might you give me all your money? Would you give me all your money? |
5. Exercises
1. Make a sentence using each of the basic modals.
2. Make polite questions using the basic modals.Modals are used to ‘moderate’ verbs (i.e. they change the meaning). After a modal, the basic form of the verb is used.