What are Modal Verbs in English and How Do You Use Them?
LikeWhy are they important?
Depending on when you use them, they can change the meaning and can affect the tone and politeness of a sentence. Online English tutors can provide targeted guidance to master these subtle but crucial aspects of the language.
Let's look at the most common modal verbs:
| CAN | WILL | MAY |
| COULD | WOULD | MIGHT |
| MUST | SHOULD | OUGHT TO |
CAN
Ability: “ I can speak Spanish”
Permission: “You can use my phone to call your mum”
Request: “Can you pass me a spoon, please?”
COULD
Ability: “When I was younger I could run 30km, I couldn’t swim though.”
Polite Request: “Could I borrow your pen?” *Requests usually refer to the near future.
Possibility: “Dan could be the person you need to talk to about that problem”
WILL
Future actions : “I will help you with your project”
Prediction: “It will rain tomorrow”
wouldPast habits: “When I was younger I would go fishing every weekend”
Polite Requests: “Would you mind passing me the salt?”
MAY / MIGHT
Permission: "You may leave the room."
Possibility: "It may rain tomorrow."
Probability: "She may be at home now."
MUST
Obligation: "You must finish your homework before watching TV."
Necessity: "You must wear a seatbelt in the car."
Certainty: "He must be at home; his car is in the driveway."
SHOULD / OUGHT TO
Advice: "You should see a doctor if you're not feeling well."
Recommendation: "We should eat more vegetables."
Expectation: "They should arrive soon."
Now practise by answering the questions below.
Remember: try to give extended answers to practise more!
1) What can you do that your friends can't?
2) What is something you could do when you were younger but now you can't?
3) Who will be the first person you see tomorrow morning?
4) What will you do next weekend?
5) What would you always eat when you were younger?
6) I have a toothache, what should I do?
7) What would you recommend I do if I visited your country?
Now read my answers to help you 😊
1) I can speak Japanese, most of my friends can't do this. In the UK it's more common to learn European languages such as Spanish, French or German.
2) When I was younger I could hula-hoop, I tried it the other day and I can't do that anymore 😅. It's funny how there are many activities that we did when we were younger and then one day we stop. We only realise we can't do it anymore when it's too late.
3) Tomorrow morning the first person I'll see will be my fiancé, we try to have coffee together before going to work.
4) Next weekend I'll have a BBQ with my friends and family....I hope the weather will be good!
5) When I was younger I'd eat strawberry sweets, I'm not so keen on them now I'm older.
6) You ought to visit the dentist for a check-up.
7) If you visited my country (England!), you should definitely come to the North East! It's very beautiful and not many tourists come here.
Mastering modal verbs is a crucial part of becoming fluent in English. By practising regularly and getting feedback from a skilled English tutor, you can significantly improve your ability to communicate effectively and politely.