Learning Together
Modal verbs
Learn what modal verbs are, and what they can express.
Modal verbs are helping verbs. They go before the main verb and add extra meaning: is the action possible, necessary, allowed, or within your ability?
The common modals: can, could, may, might, shall, should, will, would, must, ought to.
Helen Keller uses one again and again: "I should divide the period into three parts." "On the first day, I should want to see ..." "The next day I should arise with the dawn." "I should behold with awe."
In each, two verbs sit together. Should is the modal; divide, want, arise, behold are the main verbs. She keeps using should because the whole essay is imagined: what she would do, not what she does.
What modals can show:
| Use | Example |
|---|---|
| possibility | They might arrive late due to traffic. |
| necessity | She must finish her homework before dinner. |
| polite request | Could you pass the salt, please? / He would like some lassi, please. |
| ability | You can learn a lot from this experience. |
| moral duty | They ought to apologise for their mistake. |
| permission | May I leave early today? |
| advice | You should consider all the pros and cons. |
One modal can do more than one job (should is used for advice and for imagined plans), so read the whole sentence before deciding.
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