MODALS

Modals are special verbs that are

different from the regular verbs. They
are never used alone and are always
followed by a principal verb. They
provide additional information about the
principal verb. They are used to express
certainty, possibility, willingness,
obligation, necessity and ability.
The List of the Modals with their Positive and
Negative forms is given below:

POSITIVE Negative
❖ Will ❖ Will Not/ Won’t
❖ Would ❖ Would Not/ Wouldn’t
❖ Shall ❖ Shall Not/ Shan’t
❖ Should ❖ Should Not/Shouldn’t
POSITIVE Negative
❖ May ❖ May Not/ Mayn’t
❖ Might ❖ Might Not/ Mightn’t
❖ Can ❖ Can Not/ Can’t
❖ Could ❖ Could Not/ Couldn’t
❖ Must ❖ Must Not/ Mustn’t
 POSITIVE Negative
❖ Have To ❖ Don't Have To
❖ Need ❖ Need Not/ Needn’t
❖ Ought ❖ Ought Not To/ Oughtn’t To
❖ Dare ❖ Dare Not/ Daren’t
❖ Used To ❖ Used Not To/ Didn’t Use to
 USES OF MODAL ‘WILL’
▪ The first rule for the use of Modal ‘will’ is that
it expresses pure future with second and
third person as subjects.

▪ You will go to Mumbai tomorrow.

▪ He will complete his work by tonight.

 USES OF MODAL ‘WILL’
▪ The second rule for use of Modal ‘will’ is that
it shows willingness, intention, promise,
determination with the first person as a
subject.

I will cook the dinner. (willingness)

I will study hard (intention)
I will work hard for the exams. (promise)
I will succeed. (determination)
 USES OF MODAL ‘WILL’
▪ The third and last use of Modal ‘will’ is that it
tells about the characteristic habit,
assumption, invitation or request and
insistence.

A child will usually obey his parents.

(Characteristic habit)
He will be here at any moment.
(Assumption)
Will you go with me. (Request)
He will not listen to his teacher’s advice.
(Insistence)
 USES OF MODAL ‘WOULD’
The rule for the use of Modal
‘would’ is that it expresses
past habits, polite request,
wish/ preference.
EXAMPLES OF MODAL ‘WOULD’
He would wake up early in the
morning and go to work. (Past habits)
My mother would always make
me my favourite dishes. (Past
habits)
Would you get me a glass of water,
please? (Polite request)
I would like to see the owner. (Polite
request)
EXAMPLES OF MODAL ‘WOULD’

I wish you would be here.

(Wish)
I would rather have food at
home than outside.
(Preference)
 USES OF MODAL ‘SHALL’
▪ The first rule for the use of Modal ‘Shall’ is
that it expresses pure future with the first
person as the subject.
▪ The second rule for the use of Modal ‘Shall’
is that it is used to ask for advice,
suggestions, requests, etc. with the first
person in the interrogative.
▪ The third rule for the use of Modal ‘Shall’ is
that it is used to express command, threat,
warning, promise, assurance, determination,
etc. with the second and third person as the
subjects.
Examples of Modal ‘Shall’

1) We shall go to school tomorrow.

(Pure Future)

2) I shall teach you to dance. (Pure

Future)

3) Shall I bring a glass of fresh juice for

you? (Request)

4) Shall I close the door? (Advice)

EXAMPLES OF MODAL ‘SHALL’

Shall we go to the market tomorrow?

(Suggestion)
You shall get a reward for your
achievement. (Promise/ Assurance)
You shall go to your room. (Command)
They shall win the match.
(Determination)
 USES OF MODAL ‘SHOULD’
▪ The first rule for the use of Modal ‘Should’ is
that it is used to express duty, obligation,
advisability or desirability.
▪ The second rule for the use of Modal
‘Should’ is that it is used to express logical
interference, supposition, assumption,
possibility or probability.
▪ The third rule for the use of Modal ‘Should’ is
that it is used to express a purpose after
‘lest’.
EXAMPLES OF MODAL ‘SHOULD’
1) We should go to school every day. (Duty)
2) You should not be late for work. (Obligation/
Desirability)
3) You should exercise more often.
(Advisability)
4) He should be at the office by now.
(Possibility)
5) If he should see me there, he will be happy.
(Probable Condition)
6) Leave on time, lest you should miss the
train. (should after lest)
 USES OF MODAL ‘MAY’

▶The rule for the use of Modal

‘May’ is that it is used to
▶express possibility, permission,
wish, faith, hope or a purpose.
 It may snow in the evening.
(Possibility)
May I go now, sir? (Permission)
May God always be with you.
(Wish, faith or hope)
He is working hard so that he may
get an appraisal. (Purpose)

EXAMPLES OF MODAL
‘MAY’
 USES OF MODAL ‘MIGHT’

▶Therule for the use of Modal

‘Might’ is that it is used to
express less possibility,
permission or a guess.
EXAMPLE OF MODAL MIGHT ARE
GIVEN BELOW:
It might rain today. (Less possibility)
Might I go to get the files?
(Permission)
That might be the new guard.
(Guess)
 USES OF MODAL ‘CAN’
The rule for the use of Modal
‘Can’ is that it is used to
express permission,
possibility, ability or
capacity.
 Can I go to the market?
(Permission)
Anyone can be the
thief. (Possibility)
He can stay awake for 2
days. (Ability/ Capacity)

EXAMPLES OF MODAL ‘CAN’

 USES OF MODAL ‘COULD’

The rule for the use of Modal

‘Could’ is that it is used to
express ability or capacity in
the past, polite request or a
possibility under certain
circumstances.
He could run very fast in his
youth. (Ability/ Capacity in
the past)
Could you wait for him? (Polite
request)
If we had money, we could have
bought a house. (Possibility
under certain conditions)

EXAMPLES OF MODAL
‘COULD’ ARE GIVEN BELOW:
 USES OF MODAL ‘MUST’

▶The rule for use of Modal ‘Must’

is that it is used to express
obligation/ duty, necessity,
compulsion, prohibition,
emphatic advice, determination,
assumption, conclusion/
interference, certainty/ strong
probability.
 The children must obey their parents.
(Duty)
We must not steal money from
anyone. (Duty)
You must follow the orders of your
boss. (Obligation)
I must reach work on time. (Necessity)
He must do as I say. (Compulsion)

EXAMPLES OF MODAL ‘MUST’

EXAMPLES OF MODAL ‘MUST’
ARE GIVEN BELOW:
You must not smoke in public
places. (Prohibition)
You must see a dentist at once.
(Emphatic advice)
We must not go before they come
back. (Determination)
The students must be in their classes at
this time. (Strong Probability)
He must be 40 years old. (Assumption)
He must have left by now. (Certainty)
 USES OF MODAL ‘HAVE TO’
The rule for the use of
Modal
‘Have to’ is that it is used in
the sense of must, to give
advice or to recommend
something.
EXAMPLES OF MODAL ‘HAVE TO’

I have to reach there by 9:30

pm. (in the sense of Must)

You have to start working

soon. (Advice)
 USES OF MODAL ‘NEED’

▶The main rule for the use of Modal

‘Need’ is that it chiefly shows the
absence of necessity or compulsion
in the negative and interrogative
sentences.
EXAMPLES OF THE MODAL NEED

You need not worry about work.

Need I talk to her?

 USES OF MODAL ‘OUGHT’

The rule for the use of Modal

‘ought’ is that it is used to
express the subjects
obligation or duty and also
it is used to give advice.
EXAMPLES OF MODAL ‘OUGHT’

I ought to love my parents.

(Obligation/ Duty)
We ought not to cheat anyone.
(Duty)
You ought to practise for more
than 2 hours a day if you want to
clear the exam.
 USES OF MODAL ‘DARE’
The rule for using the Modal
‘Dare’ is that it is used at
places where we need to
show courage. It is generally
used in negative and
interrogative way.
 EXAMPLES OF MODAL DARE
I dare not fail in my exams. (Negative)

How dare you interrupt us?

(Interrogative)
USES OF MODAL ‘USED TO’
The rule for the usage of Modal
‘Used to’ is that it is used to
express past habits and to
express the existence of
something in the past.
 EXAMPLES OF THE MODAL ‘USED TO’:

* I used to go swimming every

morning. (Past Habits)

* There used to be a door at this

place long ago.(Existence of
something in the past)