Level Five
Lesson 50
modal verbs in English
Use modal verbs in English for particular abilities, situations, conditions, possibilities, responsibilities, and assumptions.
- Helen can play the piano. (ability)
- Jose may need to see a doctor about his back. (situation or condition)
- We might visit Washington D.C. next year. (possibility)
- You should make sure your children are behaving themselves. (responsibility)
- They must have a lot of money. (assumption)
- What will we do about this problem? (future)
modal verbs
50a. can
Use the modal verb “can” for ability, capability, and when a person is permitted to do something.
- Laura can play the guitar.
- Can you speak English?
- Victor can use his parents car for the weekend. They gave him permission.
:Lesson XX offers an introduction to the verb “can.”
50a. Examples
- We can get to our destination faster by train.
- This train can fit up to 500 people.
- It can travel up to 170 miles per hour.
50b. could
The modal verb “could” is the past form of “can.” It’s also used for possibility and speculation.
- John isn’t here right now. He could be stuck in traffic. (present speculation)
- When I was a young man, I could easily bench press 250 pounds. (past ability)
- You could try a little harder to keep your home neat and clean. (This sounds like criticism. It is possible to have a cleaner home, but this person isn’t trying hard enough to keep it that way.)
- I couldn’t keep my eyes open during the meeting. It was so boring. (couldn’t = could not)
Lesson Thirty-five offers an introduction to the verb “can.”
50b. Examples
- This could be the start of a new partnership.
- We couldn’t get our van started this morning.
50c. will
The verb “will” helps to form the future tense, and it’s an important modal verb. Use “will” with the main verb to talk about future activities and offers of assistance.
- I’ll get the door for you. (This is an offer of assistance.)
- We will be in Detroit this weekend. (This is a future situation.)
- Will it ever stop raining? (thinking about the future)
- He won’t eat his vegetables. (won’t = will not; Use “won’t” when a person refuses to do something.)
Lesson Nineteen offers an introduction to the verb “will.”
50c. Examples
- It will take him ten minutes to get to work.
50d. would
The modal verb “would” is used for conditions, desires, requests, and recalling things that happened in the past. You can also think of “would” as the past tense of “will.”
- I would like to visit Brazil someday. (This is a desire–something that a person wants to do.)
- Would you help me, please? (This is a request.)
- When Charles lived in Chicago, he would go running along the the shore of Lake Michigan every day. (This is a fond memory of something that happened in the past.)
- Vanessa would have done things differently if she were in charge. (This is a conditional sentence.)
Lesson Nineteen offers an introduction to the verb “will.”
50d. Examples
- I would like to order some french fries, please.
- John would be a great addition to our company. We should hire him.
50e. may
Use “may” when asking for permission to do something, and when talking about present and future possibility.
- This old toaster may not work. (present possibility)
- Cheryl says she may be here next week. (future possibility)
- May I borrow a pencil from you? (requesting permission)
- It may rain later today. (future possibility)
- You may use this book until the end of the term, but then you have to return it. (granting permission)
50e. Examples
- We may lose some species of animals due to climate change. (possibility)
- You may each have a piece of pizza. (permission)
50f. might
The verb “might” is similar to the verb “may.” It’s actually a little easier to use compared to “may” when talking about possibility.
- We might need to get some gas. (present possibility)
- They might not be here until later tonight. (future possibility)
- Bobby says he might become an astronaut. (future possibility)
- Jennifer might have covid. (present possibility)
- This old computer might not work. (present possibility)
50f. Examples
- This might be the last time he sees his family before he dies. (present possibility)
- Nguyen might get married next year. (future possibility)
50g. should
Use the modal verb “should” when making recommendations or when assessing a situation.
- They should have everything they need for a successful trip. (This is an assessment of a situation.)
- This should be the last class he needs before he graduates. (assessing a present situation)
- You should try to get to work on time. (recommendation)
- Those kids shouldn’t be playing with matches. (recommendation)
- We should make sure everyone has enough to eat. (a good idea)
50g. Examples
- Laura should have everything she needs to make a pie. (assessing a situation)
- People who have a transmissible disease should wear a mask. (This is a recommendation.)
50h. must
When something is very important or very necessary, use the modal verb “must.” This verb is also chosen when speculating about some possibility.
- You must be tired if you didn’t get any sleep last night. (This is speculation–not certainty.)
- Sam must finish his homework assignments on time in order to do well in this class. (necessity)
- To have a broken leg must hurt. (speculation)
- We all must do our share when it comes to keeping the environment clean. (This is an important form of action.)
- They must need any more help if they haven’t called us. (speculation)
50h. Video
In addition to regular modal verbs, there are phrasal modal verbs that you must learn about. You can learn about phrasal modal verbs starting with Lesson 51.
