When and Why to Use Modals

2 When and Why to Use Modals

Essential Question

How can we use modal verbs to help express necessity, uncertainty, possibility, or permission?

Grammar in the World

What Do I Know?

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Use the interactive below to see how much you already know about using modals:

Building Blocks

Grammar is a complex system and structure of language. Mizzou Academy Grammar Lab spotlights one skill (or block) at a time, but it’s often helpful to see how a skill works together with other, related blocks to build the language structure as a whole. You may find the following resource topics helpful as context for this lesson:

Learn About Modals

Read each of the following sentences. Which one is correct?

You must practice using modal verbs.
You might practice using modal verbs.
You could practice using modal verbs.
You should practice using modal verbs.
You can practice using modal verbs.
You will practice using modal verbs.

You probably guessed it–all of these sentences are correct. Yet, they all mean something different.

Modal verbs are an important type of verb that allows us to get at subtle nuances in language. They help other verbs in a sentence, and their main job is to express a condition in a sentence.

There are 9 modal verbs, which you are already familiar with.

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Each of these verbs helps another verb express a certain condition. Look at this chart, and while you view the examples, notice the patterns you see with these modal verbs.

Modal Verb	Purpose	Example
Will Might May Can Could Must	likelihood–the chance (small or big) of something happening in the future	You must be exhausted! We might go to the zoo tomorrow. We may go home early today.
Must (Have to)	obligation–something that has to happen	You must take off your shoes at the door. You must try a bit of this delicious dessert!
Can Could May	permission–something allowed to happen	You can watch a movie after you finish your homework. You may go to Grandma’s house after school if you like.
Can Could	ability–whether a thing can be done or not	I can eat an entire pizza by myself. I could count to 1,000 by the time I was three years old.
Should	advice–suggestion	You should go outside for some fresh air. She should apologize for hurting their feelings.
Will Shall	future–a prediction of what may happen	You will learn more about modals by the end of this lesson. *Shall is a more formal form of “will.” It’s common in Britain and rarely used in the United States.

Here are some important things you might already notice about modals:

They are auxiliary verbs. Modals are auxiliary verbs. They always “help” another verb in the sentence:

You should see the musical Hamilton!
I think it might be the best performance I’ve seen!

Note: All modals are auxiliary verbs, but not all auxiliary verbs are modals. For example, these are not modals:

I have seen Hamilton ten times this year!
I am going to see it again next week.

You can recognize modals because they help express condition (likelihood, permission, obligation) in a sentence, rather than state of being or action.

Do I Get It?

Use the interactive below to check how much you learned about modals:

Note: there are two exercises in the interactive, below. When finished with Part 1, click to the next slide for Part 2.