ARIHANT INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

Modals
th
Grade: 10 Subject: English
Date: ………………. Notes
& Worksheet

Modals

Uses of Modals

Will is used
To express the pure future:
• You will see me at the mall.
• The Chairman will deliver the speech.
To express willingness, intention, promise, Determination
• I will write the letter for you. (Promise)
• I will help you. (Willingness/Intention)
• They will win the match. (Determination)
Note: will is never used with the first person in the interrogative.

Shall is used
To express pure future:
• We shall overcome someday.
• I shall help you.
To ask for advice, suggestion, request etc. with the First person (I,
We) in the interrogative:
• Shall I bring a cup of coffee for you? (Request)
• Shall I open the door? (Advice)
• Shall we meet tomorrow? (Suggestion)

Would (past form of will) is used

To express a habit:
• He would rise early in the morning and go for a walk.
• He would sit for hours reading this book.
To express a polite request:
• Would you open the door, please?
• Would you mind standing here?
To express a wish, preference:
• I wish you would come with us.
• Would that (I wish) he were here.
• I would rather have a coffee than milk.
• I would like to come with you.
To express an imaginary condition:
• I would do it, if I were allowed.
• if I won a lottery, I would buy a bike.

Should (Past form of shall) is used

To express duty/obligation or advice or desirability:
• We should obey our parents. (Duty)
• You should exercise daily. (Advise)
Should often implies a mild suggestion or advice. It is milder form of
must and ought to.
To express purpose after lest (in expression of fear):

• Work hard, lest you should fail.

• They hired a taxi lest they should miss the train.

May is used
To express possibility:
• Sophia may turn up today.
• It may rain today.
To express permission:
• You may go now.
• May I come in, Sir?
To express wish, faith, hope:
• May God bless you!
• May you live long!
To express a purpose:
• She is working hard so that she may win a scholarship.

Might (Past form of May) is used

To express less possibility:
• She might come today.
• It might rain tonight.
To express permission:
• Might I raise a question?

Can is used
To express permission:
• You can go now.
• He can stay here as long as he wishes.
To express possibility:
• This can be true.
• Anyone can make mistakes.
To express ability or capacity:
• I can climb this mountain.
• Hritik can dance very well.
Note: Can never indicates past time. In the sense of ability, the past and
the future tense forms are was/were able to and shall/will be able to:
• He was not able to cross the road. (Past)
• I hope I shall be able to solve this problem. (Future)

Could (past form of can) is used

To express ability/capacity in the past:
• She could dance very well in the youth.
• I could give him an answer if he had asked me.
To express a polite request:
• Could I borrow your book?
• Could you wait for some time?
To express possibility under certain conditions:
• If we had money, we could buy a car.
• It could not be true.

Must is used
To express obligation or duty:
• You must work hard.
• Soldiers must obey the orders of their officers.
• We must not cheat others.
To express necessity or compulsion:
• The letter must be written today.
• She must do as I say.
To express emphatic advice or determination:
• You must see a doctor at once.
• You must not leave before you finish your breakfast.
To express assumption, conclusion/inference, Certainty/strong
probability:
• The Postmaster must be in his office at this time.
• She must be twenty one.
• He must have reached by now.
Prohibition (Must not)
• Visitors must not park in the staff car parking.
 Ought (always followed by a ‘to’ infinitive) is used
To express the subject’s obligation or duty:
• We ought to respect our parents.
• We ought not to deceive anyone.
NOTE
There is no external authority in ought as there is in must which
expresses the speaker’s authority. Must compels action on the part of the
subject.
Ought expresses duty, inner conscience, a sensible action or advice. It
has the same sense as should to give advice:
• You ought to mediate for mental peace.
NOTE
Would, should, could, might, must, ought to before have refer to past.

Marginal Auxiliary Verbs

Need (not) is used

Chiefly to show absence of necessity or compulsion in the negative
or interrogative:
• The negative is formed by need not and the interrogative by inversion.
• He need not pay your fees right now.
• Need I speak to him?
It does not take‘s’ in the third person singular present tense. Its past is
had to in the affirmative, need not have in the negative and need have
in the interrogative.
• You need not have wasted your time in this useless activity.
• Need I have to see my doctor?

Dare is used
In the negative and interrogative. The negative is formed by dare not and
the interrogative by inversion.
It does not take‘s’ in the third person singular present tense.
• I dare not kill this snake.
• How dare you come here?
• Dare we interrupt him?
Both dare and need can be used as main verbs.
Then they take‘s’ in the third person singular present tense. They form
their negative and interrogative with do and are followed by to infinitive.

Used (to) is used

To express past habit:
• I used to carry a lunch box to school. (I don’t carry now)
• I used to sing in my young age. (I don’t sing now)
To express the existence of something in the past:
•There used to be a big mansion over here.

ARIHANT INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

Modals
Grade: 9th Subject: English
Date: ………………. Worksheet

Modals
1. Complete the slogan, by filling in the blank with the correct option.
When it gets really hot, rain _____ a blessing.
(a) should be (b) will be
(c) must be (d) ought to be

2. Select the option that identifies the error and supplies the correction for the opening line, from a Terms
and Conditions document.
Though all efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of the content on this website, the same
could not be construed as a statement of law or used for any legal purposes.
Option No. Error Correction
a) efforts effort
b) ensure ensuring
c) could should
d) of for

Directions: In the following questions, sentences are given with blanks to be filled in with an
appropriate and suitable Modal Auxiliary. Four alternatives are suggested for each question.
Choose the correct alternative out of the four alternatives.
3. I _____ rather die than join the gang of terrorists.
(a) could (b) should
(c) would (d) can

4. I _____ go on with the work, cause what may.

(a) may (b) will
(c) shall (d) can

5. You _____ tell the truth.

(a) must (b) would
(c) might (d) can

6._____ you post this letter for me, please?

(a) Must (b) Will
(c) Shall (d) Need

7. Identify the error in the given sentence and supply the correction.
You could not disturb him during his work.
Use the given format for your response.
Error Correction

8. Fill in the blanks with correct modal.

i. He knew that he _____ (would/must) be able to reach office in time.
ii. You _____ (dare/could) not enter my house again.
iii. I thought he _____ (should/would) be at school.
iv. Raman _____ (can/should) speak in two voices.
v. You _____ (should/can) have told me earlier.
9. Your sister is seriously injured. You _____ consult a good doctor.
(a) can (b) would
(c) might (d) must
10. The teacher said to Hari, “you _____ go where you like.”
(a) may (b) can
(c) shall (d) should

11. He prayed that God _____ give me prosperity.

(a) must (b) could
(c) should (d) might

12. Identify the error and supply the correction for the following advertisement of an antivirus software.
A properly installed and maintained antivirus program may wipe out any malware attack, be it a bot,
a virus, a Trojan or even ransomware.
Use the given format for your response.

Error Correction

13. Read the given sentence from an article on Yoga. Identify the error and supply the correction in the
sentence:
Yoga should help lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar, all of which are not good for
your heart and blood vessels.
Use the given format for your response.

Error Correction

14. Read the given sentence from a science journal. Identify the error and supply the correction in the
sentence.
‘When nutrition therapy is provided by a qualified professional, people could learn how to make
better food choices.’
Use the given format for your response.

Error Correction

15. Identify the error in the given sentence and supply the correction.
The news I heard just now is so strange that you could not believe it.
Use the given format for your response.

Error Correction