Modal Verbs – Examples, Exercise, Chart, FAQs

Modal Verbs

In the previous article, we have given you a fair idea of how essential Modals are for any competitive exam including SSC, Banking, Defense, and So on. This is so because Modals are an inseparable part of core English grammar. Hence, we need to learn all the modals in detail to excel in all of those exams. kindly bookmark this article for future reference.

Here, we are going to discuss the rest of the modal verbs we haven’t gone through in the first part of the article “Modals”.

What are Modal Verbs:

Modal verbs are helping verbs that are used to express a variety of fictitious circumstances, such as suggestions, capacities, or requests. They are used in conjunction with the main verb to alter its meaning slightly. They can’t necessarily be used on their own because they are auxiliary verbs.

How to Use Modal Verbs in Sentences :

Luckily, using modal verbs in a sentence is pretty simple. For basic sentences—the simple present tense—just remember these rules:

Modal verbs always come directly before the main verb (except for questions).
With modal verbs, use the infinitive form of the main verb without “to”.

Given below are a few examples of how modal verbs can be used to indicate the possibility or probability of an action taking place :

1. Can you pick up my phone?

2. It would not be possible for you to do this task by yesterday.

Here are some examples of modal verbs being used to show the necessity and obligation of the subject to perform a particular set of actions.

1. All the members of this society should follow these rules strictly.

Modal Verbs List :

Should

a) is used as a past equivalent of ‘shall’
For e.g. I expected that I should (would is more common to use) get the first position in my class.

Would

a) is used as a past equivalent of ‘will’
e.g. He promised me that he would get those new pair of sneakers next month.

b) to ask for someone’s permission (more polite than ‘will’); invitations or offers
e.g. Would you lend me your dress for the ball?
e.g. Would you like a sandwich?

c) is used for talking about the result of an event that you imagine
e.g. If you accepted his offer, he would be happy.

d) With ‘wish’
e.g. I wish she would come to my party.

e) the perfect infinitive structure is used to describe a possible action or event that did not in fact happen because something else did not happen first
e.g. If Rahul hadn’t called me yesterday, I would have missed today’s lecture.

Must

a) to express obligation and necessity
e.g. Tomorrow (at 8 a.m.) is your exam; you must wake up early tomorrow.

b) to show logical certainty.
e.g. I cannot see Rakesh anywhere. He must have left already.

Ought to

a) to show moral obligation or desirability
e.g. We ought to love our countrymen.

b) to show probability
e.g. He ought to be home by seven o’clock.

Used to

a) is used to show a discontinued habit
e.g. When I was a child, I used to bite my nails.

NEED – Used to Show Necessity or Obligation. (Semi-Modal)

I. Without do
• used in negative, interrogative and sentences that have ‘hardly/ scarcely/ only’.
• An infinitive without to follows the word “need.”
e.g. I need not go to his wedding.

II. With do
• Need is used with a “to-infinitive” and has the regular forms needs and needed as a finite verb
e.g. I do not need to do this today.

Perfect structures of need (with and without ‘do’): FOR PAST

Need not have – it means that someone did it, but it was not necessary.
e.g. You needn’t have washed the dishes. I would’ve put them in the dishwasher.
Didn’t need to – to say that something was not necessary under circumstances where it was not done
e.g. We had plenty of petrol in the tank so I didn’t need to fill it up.

DARE – Means to have the Courage to do Something (Semi-Modal)

I. Without ‘do’
• is used in negative and interrogative sentences
is used in interrogative and negative sentences, and a bare infinitive is used after it.
e.g. I daren’t think how many victims are there.

II. With ‘do’
• is followed by a bare infinitive or a to-infinitive
e.g. He didn’t dare (to) look back.

It goes without saying that you must learn the rules and concepts presented above. This knowledge of modals, however, might not be sufficient on its own to answer all of the exam questions. You must attempt an adequate number of practice problems in order to gain the speed and proficiency needed to outperform your rivals. Even if you learn the rules from heart, passing the exam simply cannot be done without preparation.

Modal Verbs Chart:

Can	TO EXPRESS POWER
	TO EXPRESS THE SENSE OF “TO GIVE PERMISSION”
	TO EXPRESS “THEORETICAL POSSIBILITY”
	TO EXPRESS HABITS AND NATURE
Could	PAST TENSE FORM OF CAN
	TO EXPRESS PAST ABILITY AND CAPACITY
	TO EXPRESS THE SENSE OF POLITE REQUEST
	TO EXPRESS PRESENT POSSIBILITY IN THE PRESENT UNREAL SITUATION BY THREATSEXPRESSING SENTENCES
May	TO EXPRESS THE SENSE OF “TO TAKE OR GIVE PERMISSION”
	TO EXPRESS THE SENSE OF POSSIBILITY
	TO EXPRESS WISH, PRAY, BLESS AND CURSE
	TO EXPRESS THE SENSE OF UNCERTAINTY OR SURPRISE
Might	USED AS THE PAST TENSE FORM OF MAY
	TO EXPRESS THE SENSE OF LESS POSSIBILITY
	TO EXPRESS THE SENSE OF POLITE REQUEST AND PERMISSION
Shall	TO EXPRESS THE SENSE OF AN ACTION, A BUSINESS AND AN EVENT
Shall	USED IN THE QUESTION TAG OF LET US OR LET’S STARTING
Will	USED WITH THE SUBJECT OF FIRST PERSON TO EXPRESS DETERMINATION, PROMISE, THREATENING, AND WILLINGNESS.
Will	TO EXPRESS THE SENSE OF REQUEST, INSTRUCTION, ORDERS AND INEVITABILITY.
Would	PAST TENSE FORM OF WILL
Would	TO EXPRESS PAST HABIT, PROBABILITY, WISH, DETERMINATION, PAST WILLINGNESS, CHOICE, AND A SENSE OF REFUSAL.
Should	USED AS A PAST TENSE FORM OF SHALL
	TO EXPRESS PAST DUTY, SENSE OF “TO GIVE”, SUPPOSITION, POSSIBILITY, PURPOSE AND RESULT
	USED AFTER LEST TO EXPRESS NEGATIVE PURPOSE.
	TO EXPRESS FORMAL NOTICES OR INSTRUCTION.
Ought To	TO EXPRESS MORAL OBLIGATION, STRONG POSSIBILITY, ADVICE, LOGICAL NECESSITY,
Must	TO EXPRESS COMPULSION AND STRONG MORAL OBLIGATION
Must	TO EXPRESS FIXED DETERMINATION, DUTY, CERTAINTY, STRONG LIKELIHOOD, AND A SENSE OF INEVITABILITY.
Used To	TO EXPRESS PAST HABITS AND SITUATION
Dare	TO BE USED IN THE SENSE OF “TO BE BRAVE ENOUGH TO DO SOMETHING”.

Modal Auxiliary Verbs:

The verbs – can, could, may, might, shall, should, will, would, must, and ought to are called Modal auxiliary verbs. The verbs – can, could, may, might, shall, should, will, would, must, and ought to are called Modal auxiliary verbs. The verbs – can, could, may, might, shall, should, will, would, must, and ought to are called Modal auxiliary verbs. It is important to note that these modal auxiliary verbs follow the rules of subject-verb agreement and can take on different tenses depending on the context and intended meaning of the sentence.

Modal Auxiliary Verbs Examples :

She can lift the bag.
He said, ” She could beat me in the race.”
May I use your phone to call my father?

Modal Verbs Exercises :

Fill in the blanks with the suitable modal auxiliary verbs :

1). …………. I go to drink water, Sir? (may/ can)

2). You ……… speak french. (can/ may)

3). It ……….. rain tonight. (may/ can)

4). She ………….. be rewarded if she performs well in her assignment. (Will / Shall)

5). You ………. do you work cheerfully.

6). Success …………. time and patience. (need/needs)

7). You ……….. keep your promise. (should/ ought)

8). She prayed that God ……… give me prosperity. (might / could)

9). ……….. I do it for you? (May / Can)

10). The bag is so heavy that I ……….. lift it. (cannot / could not)

FAQs on Modal Verbs

Q1. What is a Modal Verb?

Answer: Modal verbs are used to express a variety of fictitious circumstances, such as suggestions, capacities, or requests. They are used in conjunction with the main verb to alter its meaning slightly. They can’t necessarily be used on their own because they are auxiliary verbs.

Q2. How many Modal Verbs are there?

Answer: There are nine modal auxiliary verbs: shall, should, can, could, will, would, may, must, and might. There are also quasi-modal auxiliary verbs: ought to, need to, and has to.

Q3. What are the Examples of Modal Verbs?

Answer:
1. You can speak Hindi
2. Could I smoke here?
3. May she live with you.

Modal Verbs – Examples, Exercise, Chart, FAQs - GeeksforGeeks (2023)