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Modal Verbs

Express feelings, emotions, and attitudes! Master modals to show possibility, necessity, obligation, and more in your English.

🎭 What Are Modal Verbs?

Modals express the feeling of verbs through obligation, possibility, necessity, and more.
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CAN (could)
  • Ability
  • Possibility
  • Permission
Could you help me tomorrow? (possibility)
I can help you next week. (ability)
You can eat that pizza. (permission)
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MAY (might)
  • Possibility
  • Permission
I might be able to come later. (possibility)
May I leave early today? (permission)
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SHALL (should)
  • Necessity
  • Obligation
  • Inference
We should use a map so we don't get lost. (necessity)
Jack should help Jane repair her car. (obligation)
The rain shouldn't stop the football game. (inference)
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WILL (would)
  • Prediction
  • Intention
  • Willingness
I thought I would be rich by age thirty. (prediction)
I will finish the report soon. (intention)
Would you carry the groceries into the house? (willingness)

🎯 Modal Practice

Choose the correct modal to complete each sentence!

You _______ help me with this homework. It's very difficult.

🎪 Special Modal Cases

Learn these important modal variations and special uses!
📜 Formal "Shall"

The modal shall is formal and seldom used in spoken English.

Formal writing only - rarely used in conversation
❗ Strong Necessity

Must is used for strong necessity or obligation:

You must be crazy to think I'll give you my password. (necessity)
To avoid jail, we must not break the law. (obligation)

The contraction of must not is mustn't.

🎩 Degrees of Politeness

Some modals show respect or politeness:

Could you please give me a job referral?
Would you let me use your car tomorrow?
Might you be able to help me?

"Could you help me" is more polite than "Can you help me"

⏰ Modals with Perfect Tenses

Modals are used with perfect and progressive verb tenses:

Jane ought to have studied more. (necessity)
I should have completed my homework last night. (obligation)
Christopher might have left early. (possibility)
John must have been driving when I called. (prediction)

Ought to is used similarly to should. The negative is ought not to: We ought not to go there.

🧠 Modal Mastery Quiz

Choose the best modal for this situation:
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