AMITY INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, MAYUR VIHAR

SUBJECT – ENGLISH
TOPIC- MODALS
Modals are auxiliary verbs used along with main verbs. A modal gives
additional information about the function of the main verb that follows it
and forms the tense, mood, and voice of the main verb.
Modals cannot be used on their own but along with other main verbs to express
attitudes.
- When something happens, they form the tense of the main verb.
For example: 1. I shall go. 2. He will go.
- They express permission, necessity or possibility to do something.
For example:
1. They may go.
2. You must go.
3. I can’t go.
4. I might go.
5. She would go if she could.
Observe the highlighted words in these sentences.
1. We can make our nation a superpower by the year 2020.
2. Kalam says that we need to do things ourselves. We must not import
equipment from other nations.
3. In twenty years, each one of us ought to have our destiny worked out.

All the highlighted words are modal auxiliaries that are used with another verb
to express the mood of the speaker.
- The main modals are: can, could; may, might; shall, should; will, would; must;
ought to; need to; have to.
- The negative modals are: couldn’t, wouldn’t, shouldn’t, mustn’t, needn’t,
oughtn’t.
Modals are those auxiliary (helping) verbs which express the ‘mode’ or
‘manner’ of the actions indicated by the main verbs. They express modes such
as ability, possibility, probability, permission, obligation, etc.
The following are modal auxiliaries:
Shall, should, will, would, can, could, may, might, must, ought to, used to,need,
dare.
Use of Modal Auxiliaries
(a) Shall and Will
1. ‘Shall’ is used with the first person subject (I, we) and ‘will’, used with all
person subject, to express simple future.
2. ‘Shall’ with the first person subject, expresses:
Intention e.g. I shall go home today,
Promise e.g. I shall try to do better.
Threat e.g. I shall kill him.
Determination e.g. I shall do or die.
3. ‘Will’ with the second & third person subject, expresses:
Order e.g. You will do it just now.
Threat e.g. You will be punished
Promise e.g. You will have a holiday
Determination e.g. I shall do or die.
3. ‘Will’ with the second & third person subject, expresses:
Order e.g. You will do it just now.
Threat e.g. You will be punished
Promise e.g. You will have a holiday
Determination e.g. You will work for me.
Intention e.g. Will he go with you?
(b) ‘Would’ is used to express:
Determination E.g. I would have my way.
Habitual action e.g. he would sit all day with the book in his hand.
Willingness e.g. I would do my best to satisfy you.
Wish e.g. Would that I were healthy.
(c) ‘Should’ is used to express:
Duty e.g. We should keep our word.
Advice e.g. you should take rest.’
After ‘lest ’e.g. Work hard lest you should fail.
Polite request e.g. Should I help you to solve this problem?
(d) ‘May’ is used to express:
Possibility e.g. he may succeed in his work.
Permission e.g. may I come in?
Wish e.g. may you live long.
Purpose e.g. he works hard so that he may pass.
(e) Can is used to express:
Power/ability [Link] can swim
He cannot speak English
Permission e.g. You can go now.
Can I use your bicycle?
(f) Might (past tense of May) is used to express:
Suggestion e.g. he might join a college.
Possibility e.g. it might rain.
Purpose e.g. he works hard that he might win a scholarship.
(g) Could (past tense of can) express:
Power/ability e.g. he could run fast when he was young.
Polite request e.g. could you please help me?
(h) Must express:
Compulsion e.g. you must carry out my orders.
(i) Ought to:
It is used to denote duty or moral or social obligation. It is used nearly in the
same sense as should .
The verb that follow ought always takes to +V1 form.
For example:
We ought to obey our teachers.
We ought not to speak ill of others.
(j) Need:
It is used in the sense of ‗require ‘or ‗want‘. Need not expresses the idea that
there is no compulsion, e.g.
You needn‘t leave today, you can leave tomorrow. You needn‘t pay the whole
amount in one installment.
Need I wait till he comes?
(k) Dare:
It means to have the courage to do something‘.
e.g. he dare not go there.
(l) Used to +V1:
It expresses a habit in the past
Used to +V1
e.g. I used to swim when I was young.
I used to live in Mumbai. (Now I live in Delhi).
We used to go to Shimla in winter but now we don‘t.
(m) Has to/Have to:
It expresses ‗some compulsion, obligation or necessity in the present or future
tense‘.
Has to/have to +V1e.g. Mohan has to finish his work in time.
I cannot come with you because I have to finish my work in time.
(n) Had to:
It is used to express ‗compulsion, obligation or necessity in the past.‘
The expression ‗had to‘ is the past tense of ‗have to‘
Had to +V1 e.g. yesterday my servant did not come. I had to wash my clothes
myself. The enemy had to accept defeat at last.
(o) Will have to:
It is used to express compulsion, obligation or necessity in the future.
The expression ‗will have to‘ is the future tense of ‗have to‘
Will have to +V1e.g. Next week you will have to deposit your fee.
EXERCISES
I Complete the passage, with the appropriate answer.

Self-miracle refers to your need to change your life to what you really (a)…………… create. The
simple truth is only you possess the power to improve your conditions in line with everything
you (b)……………….like to carry out. You(c) …....... live your dreams to be able to improve your
life permanently. This must be done immediately if you wish to attain what you have targeted.

II Fill in the blanks with appropriate modals from the options given below.

1. He ..................... use my phone.

(a) can
(b) shall
(c) would
(d) may
2. When I was young I ..................... climb any tree.
(a) can
(b) will
(c) could
(d) might
3. ..................... I have a cup of tea?
(a) Would
(b) Must
(c) Could
(d) Might
4. You ..................... go only after finishing your work.
(a) would
(b) may
(c) shall
(d) could
5. You ..................... work hard.
(a) should
(b) would
(c) may
(d) might
6. You ..................... obey your parents.
(a) could
(b) must
(c) can
(d) may
7. Soldiers ..................... obey orders without any question.
(a) can
(b) would
(c) must
(d) will

8. You ..................... answer all questions.

(a) may
(b) must
(c) would
(d) could
9. I ..................... go to the market tomorrow.
(a) can
(b) would
(c) will
(d) might
10. I wish you ..................... fight this election.
(a) can
(b) shall
(c) would
(d) may
III. Fill in the blanks with suitable modals:

1. Usha ......... run a hundred yards in ten seconds.

2. The baby is crying, he ......... be hungry.

3. ......... you tell me the way to the post office, please?

4. You ………… keep your scooter locked.

5. When I was a boy, I ……… walk forty miles in a day.

6. You ………… have watered the flowers, for it is going to rain.

7. If we had taken the other road, we ………… have arrived earlier.

8. As Rahul was the last one to leave, it ………… be he who left the door open.

9. She ………… speak three languages even when she was twelve.

10. Your job ………… be very demanding, but at least it isn’t boring.

ANSWERS:

I. (a) must (b) may (c) need to

II. 1. (a) Can 2. (c) Could 3. (c) Could 4. (b) May 5. (a) Should 6. (b) Must

7. C must 8. (b) Must 9. (c) Will 10. (c) would

III. 1. Can 2. Must 3. Will 4. Should 5. Could 6. Need not 7. Would 8. Might

9. could 10. May