modals : SARKARI LIBRARY – SARKARI LIBRARY

Modals

Modals are a special type of auxiliary (helping) verbs that are used to indicate modality—i.e., likelihood, ability, permission, request, capacity, suggestions, order, obligation, or advice. They never change their form (no -s, -ing, -ed, etc.).

Common Modal Verbs

The core modal verbs are: Can, Could, May, Might, Will, Would, Shall, Should, Must, Ought to.

1. CAN

Ability (Present): I can solve this puzzle easily.
Permission (Informal): You can use my pen.
Possibility: It can get very cold in Delhi during winter.
Request (Informal): Can you pass the salt?

2. COULD

Past Ability: She could speak fluent French when she was young.
Polite Request: Could you please help me with this project?
Polite Permission: Could I borrow your book for a day?
Less Certain Possibility: It could rain later today.
Suggestion: You could try restarting your computer.

3. MAY

Formal Permission: You may now begin the exam.
Polite Request: May I come in, sir?
Possibility (Likely): The Prime Minister may visit our city next month.

4. MIGHT

Possibility (Less Likely): We might go to the concert, but we’re not sure yet.
Polite Suggestion: You might want to reconsider your decision.
Very Polite Request: Might I ask a question?

5. WILL

Future Tense / Certainty: They will arrive by 6 PM.
Willingness / Promise: I will always support you.
Habit (Characteristic): My grandfather will often talk for hours about his youth.
Request: Will you be quiet, please?

6. WOULD

Past Habit: He would always take a walk after dinner. (Similar to “used to”)
Polite Request: Would you mind closing the window?
Imaginary Situation (Conditional): I would travel the world if I won the lottery.
Preference: I would rather have tea than coffee.

7. SHALL

Future (Formal, with ‘I’ and ‘We’): I shall call you tomorrow.
Suggestion / Offer: Shall we begin the meeting?
Promise / Threat: You shall receive your reward.

8. SHOULD

Advice / Recommendation: You should get at least 8 hours of sleep.
Mild Obligation / Duty: We should respect our elders.
Expectation: The package should arrive by Monday.

9. MUST

Strong Obligation / Compulsion: You must follow the traffic rules.
Necessity: I must finish this report today.
Logical Certainty / Deduction: You’ve been traveling all day; you must be tired.

Note: “Must not” (Mustn’t) expresses prohibition. Example: You must not park here.

10. OUGHT TO

Moral Duty / Advice: You ought to help your friends in need.
Probability: With his experience, he ought to clear the exam easily.

Note: It is similar to “should” but slightly stronger in moral sense.

Modals in the Past

We use “Modal + Have + Past Participle (V3)” to talk about the past.

Modal	Usage	Example
Could have	Past ability that was not used	I could have topped the class if I had studied. (But I didn’t)
May have	Possibility in the past	She may have left her umbrella in the car.
Might have	Less certain possibility in the past	He might have forgotten about the meeting.
Should have	Past advice that was not followed (Regret/Criticism)	You should have consulted a doctor. (But you didn’t)
Would have	Used in the result clause of a past unreal conditional	I would have called you if I had known your number.
Must have	Logical conclusion about a past event (Certainty)	The ground is wet. It must have rained last night.
Ought to have	Similar to “should have”	You ought to have helped him. (But you didn’t)

Key Points to Remember

No ‘s’ with third person singular: He can swim. (NOT He cans swim)
No ‘to’ after modals (except Ought to): You must go. (NOT You must to go)
They are followed by the base form (V1) of the verb: She will come. (NOT She will comes)
They don’t have past or future forms themselves. We use different modals or phrases to express past time (e.g., could for past ability, had to for past obligation of ‘must’).
“Need” and “Dare” can be used as both main verbs and modals.
- Modal: You need not wait. / He dare not challenge me.
- Main Verb: You don’t need to wait. / He doesn’t dare to challenge me.