MODAL AUXILIARIES
Modal Auxiliary is a special
auxiliary which is used to denote a particular mood or expression of the
subject.
A modal verb is used to indicate
likelihood, ability, permission, request, capacity, suggestion, order,
obligation, advice, command, determination, promise, etc…
Modals do not change with the person
or number of the subject
Modal phrase or semi modals are used
to express same things as modals, but are a combination of helping verbs and
the preposition like ought to, used to.
Read the following sentences
carefully.
(i) He can drive a car. (‘can’ shows
ability)
(ii) The rich should help the poor.
(‘should’ shows moral obligation)
(iii) It may rain today. (‘may’ shows
possibility)
In the above sentences, ‘drive’,
‘help’ and ‘rain’ are Main Verbs whereas ‘Can’, ‘Should’ and ‘May’ are Helping
Verbs that denote particular moods, expressions or conceptions of the mind.
Here ‘can’ ‘should’ and ‘may’ express ‘ability’, ‘moral obligation’ and
‘possibility’ respectively. Since these auxiliaries denote moods or
expressions, they are called Modal Auxiliaries.
There are 13 Modal Auxiliaries (four
of which are semi-modals/ marginals) .
Modals : will
would, shall should, can could, may, might, must
Semi modal : used to, ought
to, dare to, need to.
USEAGES OF MODALS:
CAN –
Ability, Capacity, Determination,
Offer, Permission, Possibility, Request
COULD –
Ability(past), Polite request
WILL –
Assumption, Command, Order,
Prediction, Probable condition, Promise, Request, Spontaneous decisions, Used
with future tense, Wish
WOULD –
Habbits in the past, Improbable
condition, Offer, Request, Wish
SHALL –
Command, Promise, Suggestion, Threat,
Used with first person singular and plural in future tense
SHOULD –
Advice, Logical conclusion,
Obligation
MAY –
Formal permission, Formal
prohibition, Possibility
MIGHT –
Less possibility
MUST –
Certainty, Command, Force necessity, Prohibition, Recommendation,
Strong belief, Strong obligation
OUGHT TO – Duty, Moral
obligation, Necessity
USED TO –
Habbits in the past
NEED TO – Moral obligation, Necessity
DARE TO –
Boldness, Challenge
The following examples will help you
understand better.
Modal Auxiliaries
1 CAN:
Ability : I can speak
English.
Capacity : this tank
can hold 1000 liters of water
Determination : I can win this
singing contest
Offer :
I can lend you my pen.
Permission : Can I go to
the library?
Request : Can you
wait a moment, please?
2 COULD:
Ability :(past) : I
could speak English.
Polite request: Could you wait a moment, please?
3 MAY:
Formal prohibition: you may not carry the plastic bags inside
Permission : May I go to
the cinema?
Possibility : It may rain
today.
4 MIGHT:
Possibility (less possible than may):
It might rain today.
5 MUST:
Command : you must do
as I say
Force, necessity: I must go to the supermarket today.
Recommendation: You must read the new novel by Bhagat.
6 SHALL:
Command : you shall
not get in
Promise : you shall
get your money back soon
Suggestion : Shall I carry
your bag?
Threat : you
shall pay for it
7 SHOULD:
Advice : You
should drive carefully on the highway.
Obligation : You should
switch off the lights when you leave the classroom.
8 WILL:
Assumption, Prediction: I think it
will rain on Friday.
Conditional clause: if he studies well, he will score good
marks
demand, order, request, Wish: Will
you please shut the door?
Promise : I swear I
will not tell lies again
Spontaneous decision: Can somebody
take me to the hospital? I will.
9 WOULD:
Habits in the past: Sometimes he would bring me some flowers.
Improbable condition: if I were a
bird, I would fly
Request, Wish: Would you shut the door, please?
10 OUGHT TO:
Duty :
You ought to submit your
assignment on time.
Moral obligation: We ought to help the needy.
Necessity : We ought to
hire some furniture for the party.
11 USED TO:
Habits in the past: My grandfather used to walk for long hours
when he was
young.
12 NEED TO:
Moral obligation: We need to keep our environment clean.
Necessity : I need to
buy a packet of milk.
13 DARE TO:
Boldness : I dare not
go out in the dark.
Challenge : How dare you
enter my room?