Basic Modals
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.