Modality: introduction

from English Grammar Today

Modality is about a speakers or a writers attitude towards the world. A speaker
or writer can express certainty, possibility, willingness, obligation, necessity and
ability by using modal words and expressions.

Speakers often have different opinions about the same thing.

These speakers are looking at the same thing.

Modal verbs
Here are the main verbs we use to express modal meanings:

Core modal verbs: can, could, may, might, will, shall, would, should, must

Semi-modals: dare, need, ought to, used to

Other verbs with modal meanings: have (got) to, be going to and be able to

Modal meaning
We often use modal verbs or other modal expressions when we want to express
an opinion or attitude about a possible fact or to control a possible action. All
modal expressions are about the speakers or writers view of the world.

Compare

Hes her brother. She told I know this fact for certain. I am not expressing
me. an opinion about it. I am stating it as a fact.

He must be her brother. They I am expressing an opinion about a fact because

look so much alike. of the evidence that I have.

Im not expressing an attitude or opinion about

Jan always goes with us.
this action.
 OK. Jan can go if shes Im controlling a possible action. Im giving Jan
finished. permission.

We can divide most modal words and expressions into two types of meaning:

The speaker or writer decides how certain something is, either in the present,
future or past. They predict or speculate about a fact. We see this type of
meaning when we talk about degrees of certainty, possibility, likelihood, doubt:

Paula cant be home yet. Its impossible. She left 10 minutes after us.

[The speaker hears the phone ring and predicts who is ringing.]

Theres the phone. Thatll be Mum.

I may go. I havent decided yet.

The speaker or writer wants to control or direct the action. They give and
refuse permission. They talk about obligation and necessity. They talk about
how they would like the world to be:

[parent says to child]

You can come if youre good.

He should take more care.

Tell Jen she neednt bother about the washing up.

You mustnt worry so much about her.

You may go now. (formal)

Modal verbs
Often the same modal verb is used to express different meanings.

which
meaning example
verb?
 which
meaning example
verb?

will My birthday will be on a Monday this year.

wont I wont have a party.

shall I shall have plenty to tell you when I see you.

really certain
shant I shant ask you to come again.

The cakes must be ready soon. Theyve been in the

must
oven for an hour.

cant You cant be hungry. You had a huge lunch.

should The traffic isnt heavy. We should be there in an hour.

very likely
The traffic isnt heavy. We ought to be there in an
ought to
hour.

may She may be a friend of Richards.

possible might She might be a friend of Richards.

could She could be a friend of Richards.

must You must arrive at 6 to pick up the tickets.

strong obligation
have to I have to go up to the hospital twice a week.
 which
meaning example
verb?

need to We need to win this game to get into the final.

should Children should look after their parents in old age.

weak obligation
ought to Children ought to look after their parents in old age.

neednt I neednt do it now. Ill do it later.

dont need
I dont need to do it now. Ill do it later.
no obligation to

dont have
I dont have to do it now. Ill do it later.
to

Can we go out now?

can
You can go now if youve finished.

You may go now if youve finished.

may
May I borrow a chair?
permission

could Could we borrow the car?

Might we have a little more time to finish the

might
exam? (very formal)

cant You cant go in without a ticket.

no permission
may not You may not enter while the exam is in
 which
meaning example
verb?

progress. (formal)

must not You must not leave your bike in front of the fire exit.

will Ill get it. You stay there.

offer
shall Shall I go and make dinner?

will Will you close that door?

request would Would you close that door?

could Could you help me with this?

promise will Ill come back before 6.

decision will I think Ill eat later. Im not hungry now.

advice and
should You should apply for that job.
suggestion

can Can you swim underwater?

ability
could I could play much better ten years ago.

general truth can Too much exercise can be bad for you.
 which
meaning example
verb?

may A list of verbs may be found at the back of the book.

Modality: forms
from English Grammar Today

Modal verbs
Core modal verbs have only one form. They have no to-infinitive form, -ing form,
past form or -ed form. We have to reword what we want to say by using other
expressions:

Id love to be able to see the Taj Mahal one day.

Not: Id love to can see the Taj Mahal one day.

They had to sell their house.

Not: They musted sell their house.

Affirmative (+) forms

Modal verbs are placed first in the verb phrase (after the subject) and are
followed by a verb in the base form. The next verb may be a main verb or an
auxiliary verb (be, have):

Modal verbs do not change form for tense or person. Modal verbs can be
followed by the substitute verb do:

A:
We thought he might sell the house

B:
Yes, he could do.
Modal verbs cannot be used with another modal verb:

Windsurfing can be difficult.

Not: Windsurfing can might be difficult. or Windsurfing might can be difficult.

Modal verbs always go before other verbs in a verb phrase:

[in a restaurant after a meal]

I think the bill could be expensive.

Not: I think the bill could expensive.

You can go swimming, go for a long walk or visit the exhibition.

Not: You can swimming, go for a long walk or visit the exhibition.

Modal verbs can only be used alone when the main verb is clearly understood:

A:
She could take the bus.

B:
Yeah, thats true. She could. (She could take the bus.)

A:
He may be wrong, you know.

B:
Yes, he may. (Yes, he may be wrong.)

Negative () forms
Warning:
Negatives are formed by adding not after the modal verbs. We dont
use dont/doesnt/didnt with modal verbs:

We cant hear very well at the back.

Not: We dont can hear very well

Question (?) forms
Warning:
The subject and the modal verb change position to form questions. We dont
use do/does/did:

Could you help me?

Not: Do you could help me?

Will it be a problem?

Not: Does it will be a problem?

Why cant you come too?

Not: Why dont you can come too?

We use modal verbs in question tags:

You cant live like that, can you?

It could be any of those things, couldnt it?

See also:
Question tags
Tags
Contracted forms
In speaking shall and will are often contracted to ll and would is contracted to d,
especially when they follow a pronoun:

Ill see you later.

Well never get there.

I knew theyd love it.

The negative forms of modal verbs are often contracted.

modal
uncontracted negative contracted negative
verb

can cannot (usually written as one word not cant /knt/

modal
uncontracted negative contracted negative
verb

two)

could could not couldnt /kdnt/

may may not

might might not mightnt /matnt/

will will not *wont /wnt/ or ll not

shall shall not *shant /nt/ or ll not

*wouldnt /wdnt/ or d
would would not
not

should should not shouldnt /dnt/

must must not mustnt /msnt/

* is the more common of the two forms.

Modal verbs and adverbs

We usually put adverbs in mid position between the modal verb and the main
verb:

Loud noises may sometimes frighten dogs and other animals.

Youll probably notice something different about the house.

When the main verb is understood, we can put the adverb between the subject
and the modal verb:
A:
I can never remember Flos number.

B:
I never can either. (I can never remember Flos number either.)

Dare, need, ought to and used to (semi-modal verbs)

Dare, need, ought to and used to are often called semi-modal because in some
ways they are formed like modal verbs and in some ways they are like other main
verbs.

Like modal verbs, ought to and used to do not change form for
person. Neednt and darent do not have a third person -s in the present:

It used to be so easy. It ought to be easy now.

She neednt worry.

John darent tell Ruth about the accident.

Like main verbs, the negative form of need, dare and used to is made by
using do. But it can also be made without using do (like modal verbs).

Compare

You dont need to dress smartly. You neednt dress smartly.

We dont dare (to) tell him. We darent tell him.

The negative form of ought to is not made with do:

We oughtnt to spend so much money.

Not: We dont ought to spend so much money.

Like main verbs, the question form for need, dare and used to is made by
using do:

Does she need to get a camera before she goes away?

Did you use to play football when you were a child?

Question and negative forms of ought to are rare.

See also:
Dare
Need
Ought to
Used to
(Modality: forms from English Grammar Today Cambridge University Press.)

Modality: tense
from English Grammar Today

Modal verbs in past, present and future time

Modal verbs do not change in form to make different tenses.

All of the modal verbs can refer to present and future time. Only some of them
can refer to past time.

[ready-made pastry is pastry you can buy which is ready to use]

When I was in school, you could get a type of ready-made pastry. I think
you canstill get it now. (could refers to past time; can refers to present time)

Students on a computer course at the polytechnic will get their own laptops next
year. (will refers to future time)

Past and present relations

The modal verbs that only refer to past time are sometimes seen as past forms of
the other core modal verbs.

Politeness
We often use the past forms to be more polite or formal, or less direct.

Compare

Can you just have a quick Could you just have a quick Could is a little less
look at the pasta? look at the pasta? direct.
Will you find me another Would you find me another Would is more
pen? pen? polite.

You may want to change You might want to change Might is a little more
the formatting. the formatting. formal and distant.

See also:
Can
Could
Would
Will
Reported clauses
We use would, could, should and might as the reported forms of will, can,
shall and may in reported clauses.

Compare

what was said reported

Ill answer the phone. She said she would answer the phone.

If weve lost the customers order, He said that if theyd lost the customers
we cant blame that on anybody order they couldntblame that on anybody
else, can we? else, couldthey?

She wondered how much food

How much food shall I take?
she should take.

The animals may be there but They said that the animals mightbe there
it may not be easy to see them but it might not be easy to see them
because they are too small. because they were too small.

See also:
 Reported speech: indirect speech
Past and continuous
We can indicate the past by using a modal verb + have + -ed form of the verb
which follows:

We should have listened more carefully.

The fire could have been worse. It could have spread upstairs.

I suppose we could have gone to the hotel. I would have preferred the holiday
camp.

We can indicate the continuous by using a modal verb + be + -ing form of the
verb which follows.

They may be coming sooner than we expected.

continuous
He could be staying with friends in London.

She might have been waiting for us.

past and continuous
I must have been chatting to him for 20 minutes.