Modal verbs

Modal verbs

what are modal verbs?

Ought to

• Moral duty

• Insistent advice

• strict recommendation

HAVE TO

• Unwillingness

• Forced circumstances

• 
  

WOULD

• Habit of the past

• polite request

SHOULD

• Necessity

• Advice

• reproach

• regret

USED TO

• Repetitive action in the past

• 
  

• 
  

• 
  

A modal verb is a type of verb that is used to indicate modality – that is: likelihood, ability, permission, request, capacity, suggestions, order, obligation, or advice. Modal verbs always accompany the base (infinitive) form of another verb having semantic content. 

CAN

• Ability

• Astonishment

• Polite request

• doubt

• permission

MAY

• Permission

• supposition without doubt

• 
  

• 
  

• 
  

MUST

• Obligation

• Probability

• Logical conclusion

SHALL

• Intention

• Supposition

WILL

• Wish

• desire

• Confidence

• in the future