English modal verbs

The modal verbs of English are a small class of auxiliary verbs used mostly to express modality (properties such as possibility, obligation, etc.). They can be distinguished from other verbs by their defectiveness (they do not have participle or infinitive forms) and by the fact that they do not take the ending -(e)s in the third-person singular.

The principal English modal verbs are can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will and would. Certain other verbs are sometimes, but not always, classed as modals; these include ought, had better, and (in certain uses) dare and need. Verbs which share some but not all of the characteristics of the principal modals are sometimes called "semimodals".

Modal verbs and their features

The verbs customarily classed as modals in English have the following properties:

  • They do not inflect, except insofar as some of them come in present–past (present–preterite) pairs. They do not add the ending -(e)s in the third-person singular (the present-tense modals therefore follow the preterite-present paradigm).
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    Latest News for: shall

    Harris: The root of the righteous shall not be moved

    Ashe Post & Times 23 Apr 2025
    The root system of any tree is vital to its ability to grow and have longevity. So too is our root system in the Lord of vital importance. God warned His people, through Moses, to stay away from foreign idols ... .

    'I Shall Not Hate': A Palestinian doctor's call for peace

    France24 23 Apr 2025
    "I Shall Not Hate" looks back at his life and revisits the harrowing moment when his three daughters and niece were killed ...

    Holocaust Remembrance Day: And you shall be holy

    Israel National News 23 Apr 2025
    Those who fought and those who went to their deaths with heads held high. All are holy ....

    For a better recognition of domestic violence in the Criminal Code: party leaders shall commit

    Canada Newswire 23 Apr 2025
    MONTREAL, /CNW/ - This winter, Canada was on the verge of becoming one of the pioneer countries in the criminalization of coercive control. To date, only a handful of jurisdictions worldwide have taken this step ... Mr. Blanchet, Mr. Carney, Mr ... Singh ... Amy S.

    Constitution states no person shall go without due process — including immigrants | Letter

    Akron Beacon Journal 22 Apr 2025
    The Fifth Amendment of our Constitution states that “No person shall… be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.” It does not distinguish between men or women, citizen or noncitizen, legal or illegal immigrant.

    BD 4639 - 'THERE SHALL NOT BE LEFT ONE STONE UPON ANOTHER .... ' GREAT ...

    Bitchute 21 Apr 2025
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    'We Shall Someday': A family's journey of hope and courage at Alabama Shakespeare Festival

    Montgomery Advertiser 21 Apr 2025
    "At any given moment, we could be the people who take those steps," said Tyler Thomas, co-director of the musical play "We Shall Someday," which opens April 24 at Alabama Shakespeare Festival.

    We Shall NOT Die This Day | Project Zomboid

    Rumble 20 Apr 2025
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    Let's take another look at Spacebourne 2, shall we?

    Rumble 20 Apr 2025
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    DO YOU ATTACK THE KING 🔸MIDDLE OR END? 🔸SHALL WE PLAY A GAME?

    Bitchute 19 Apr 2025
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    Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler. Psalms 91:3-4 🙏

    Bitchute 19 Apr 2025
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    Robert Kennedy the full blown Zionist - Whenever people need a hero we shall supply ...

    Bitchute 18 Apr 2025
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    This Too Shall Pass #ChristianPrayer

    Bitchute 18 Apr 2025
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    Yes, we shall sing

    Israel Hayom 18 Apr 2025
    1. "A time of war, even the image of these things was its image." We are fighting for our very existence. We must not forget this, even if some among us try to undermine our sense of justice ... Therefore, we must not forget ... 2 ... They were the wicked ... 3 ... 4 ... 5.

    THE SAINTS SHALL TAKE THE KINGDOM!

    Bitchute 17 Apr 2025
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