MODAL AUXILIARIES

Modal auxiliaries are auxiliary verbs that lend different shades of meaning to the main verb to which they are
attached. Modals help to express the mood or attitude of the speaker and convey ideas about possibility,
probability, necessity, obligation, advisability, and permission.

The single-word modal auxiliaries are:

Can May Must Shall Will

Could Might Should Would

Some phrasal modal auxiliaries are:

Be able to Be supposed to Have to Ought to Have better

Be going to Be to Have got to Used to

SINGLE-WORD MODAL AUXILIARIES

Single-word modal auxiliaries are always followed by the simple (or “stem”) form of the verb. Here are some

examples of the how single-word modal auxiliaries influence meaning:

Statement Meaning

I can go. I am able to go. / I have permission to go.

I could go. If certain conditions were met, I would be able to go.

I may go. It’s not certain, but there’s a chance that I’ll go. / I have permission to go.

I might go. It’s not certain, but there’s a chance I’ll go.

I must go. I am obliged to go.

I shall go. I am going (in the future).

I should go. It is advisable/recommended/obligatory that I go.

I will go. It’s certain that I am going (in the future). / I am willing to go.

I would go. My going is uncertain; it depends on certain conditions.

Copyright Marianopolis College. Used with permission.

 2

The following chart demonstrates some uses for single-word modal auxiliaries. Notice that in some cases when
the verb tense changes, the modal is replaced with another word or group of words. Empty spaces denote non-
existent forms.

MODAL MEANING PRESENT FORM PAST FORM FUTURE FORM NEGATIVE FORM

Can 1. Ability He can play the piano. He could play the He will be able to play the He cannot play the
piano. piano. piano.

2. Opportunity I can go now that I’ve I was able to go when I I can go when I finish I cannot go.
finished working. finished working. working later tonight.

3. Permission Their parents say they Their parents said they were Their parents will surely say They cannot have a
can have a party. allowed to have a party. that they can have a party. party.

4. Informal request Can I borrow your Can’t I borrow your

(refers to near future) book? book?

5. Possibility It can be tiring to study It can’t be tiring to sit

(usually a and work at the same time. around and watch TV all
generalization) day!

Could 1. Past of can Before I hurt my wrist, I Even before I hurt my

could toss pizza dough. wrist, I couldn’t toss
pizza dough.

2. Conditional I could have made an I could make an omelet if I couldn’t make an omelet
omelet if we had had the we have the ingredients. even if we had the
ingredients. ingredients.

3. Suggestion You could have taken a long You could take a long
weekend to visit your family. weekend to visit your
family.

4. Polite Request (refers Could you phone me Couldn’t you phone me

to near future) when you arrive? when you arrive?

5. Possibility / Ms. Stevens could be the Ms. Stevens could have Ms. Stevens could Ms. Stevens couldn't be the
Impossibility electors’ choice for mayor. been the electors’ choice become mayor. electors’ choice for mayor.
for mayor.

May 1. Permission You may submit your You were allowed to When you finish, you may You may not submit your
paper via email now. submit your paper via submit your paper via paper via email.
email. email.

2. Polite Request (refers May I use your phone?

to near future)
3. Possibility The bakery may be The bakery may have The bakery may open The bakery may not
open now. opened earlier today. later today. open.

Might 1. Request (refers to Might I use your

near future) phone?

2. Conditional If you give me a If you had given me a If you will give me a Even if you give me a
chance, I might chance, I might have chance, I might chance, I might not
impress you! impressed you! impress you! impress you.

3. Suggestion You might have called to You might call to say You might not want to call
say you weren’t coming. you aren’t coming. to say you aren’t coming.

4. Possibility My dog might be the one My dog might have My dog might make a My dog might not make a
who made the mess. made the mess. mess. mess.

Copyright Marianopolis College. Used with permission.

 3

MODAL MEANING PRESENT FORM PAST FORM FUTURE FORM NEGATIVE FORM

Must 1. Certainty She must be the best She must have been the best She must not be the
athlete in our school’s athlete in our school’s best athlete in our
history. history. school’s history.

2. Strong To be healthy, you must To have stayed healthy, you To be healthier, you To be healthy, you
recommendation eat well. should have eaten better. should eat better. mustn’t eat poorly.

3. Necessity Visitors must sign in at In the past, visitors had to In the future, visitors Visitors don’t have to
reception. sign in at reception. must sign in at sign in at reception.
reception.

(Must not) 4. Prohibition You must not disrupt his

concentration.

Shall 1. Inevitability One day, we shall Humanity shall never

overcome our abandon the quest for
dependence on oil. immortality.

2. Promising I shall ensure that I shall not let you down.

(British usage) everything goes
according to plan.

3. Future Action Our train shall arrive Our train shall not arrive
(British usage) ahead of schedule. ahead of schedule after all.

Should 1.Recommendation For strong bones, you For stronger bones, you For strong bones, you You shouldn’t drink too
should drink milk. should have drunk milk. should start drinking much milk.
milk.

2. Obligation I should return this

library book.

3. Expectation She should be at the She should have arrived at She should arrive at the She shouldn’t be at the
airport right now. the airport by now. airport before 9 o’clock airport yet.
tonight.

Will 1. Future Action We will go to the movie We will not go to the

tonight. movie tonight.

2. Promising I will ensure that I will not disappoint you.

everything goes
according to plan.

Would 1. Past of will You said we would go to the You said we wouldn’t
movie. go.

2. Conditional If I were in trouble, I would If I had been in trouble, I If I got into trouble, I Even if I got into trouble, I
ask him for help. would have asked him for would ask him for help. would not ask him for help.
help.

3. Repetition in the When we were kids, we When we were kids, we

past / habitual would always play street would not play street
action or hockey in the alley. hockey in the alley.
behaviour

Copyright Marianopolis College. Used with permission.

 4

PHRASAL MODAL AUXILIARIES

Like single-word modal auxiliaries, phrasal modals are always followed by the simple (or “stem”) form of the verb.

Unlike single-word modals, however, most phrasal modals contain the verbs be or have, which must be
conjugated to identify tense and number (I am, you are, he/she/it is, I was, you were, he/she/it was, etc).
Exceptions are used to and ought to, which require no change in verb form.

Had better is never conjugated, and it does not include the word to as the other phrasal modals do. Like single-
word modals, it is followed immediately by the simple form of the verb.

Here are some examples of how phrasal modal auxiliaries influence meaning:

Statement Meaning

I am able to go. I can go. / I have permission to go.

I am going to go. I will be going (in the future).

I am supposed to go. It is understood/expected/agreed-upon that I will go.

I am to go. I am expected/obliged to go. / I have been ordered to go.

I have to go. I am obliged to go.

I have got to go. I am obliged to go (extra emphasis on the obligation).

I ought to go. It is recommended/advisable that I go.

I used to go. I went on a regular basis (habitual action in the past).

I had better go. It is advisable that I go.

Copyright Marianopolis College. Used with permission.

 5

The following chart demonstrates some uses for phrasal modal auxiliaries. Notice that in some cases when the
verb tense changes, part of the modal is replaced with another word or group of words. Empty spaces denote
non-existent forms.

MODAL MEANING PRESENT FORM PAST FORM FUTURE FORM NEGATIVE FORM

Be able to Ability She is able to join us. She was able to join us. She will be able to join us. She is not able to join us.

Be going to Plan (for the future) I was going to start I am going to start I am not going to
university next fall. university next fall. start university next
fall.

Be supposed to Expectation He was supposed to He is supposed to bring He is not supposed to

bring dessert, but I dessert tonight. bring anything tonight!
guess he forgot.

Be to Expectation / She was to see the project She is to see the project She is not to see the
obligation through to its end, but she through to its end, no project through to its
left before its completion. matter how long it end after all.
takes.

Have to Obligation I have to leave now. I had to leave then. I have to leave in I do not have to
(= must) approximately 10 leave.
minutes.

Have got to Strong obligation I have got to prepare my I needed to prepare my I have got to prepare my I do not need to prepare
presentation now. presentation at that time. presentation as soon as I my presentation
finish dinner. anymore. I’m ready!

Ought to 1.Recommendation One ought to express We should have sent a We ought to send a thank We ought not forget.
one’s gratitude. note to our hostess. you note to our hostess. *to is dropped in the
negative

2. Certainty When one studies With all the studying she With all the studying
hard, one ought to did, she ought to have she’s done, she ought to
pass. passed her exam. pass her exam.

Used to Habitual past action / My grandfather used to

behaviour walk 3 miles to and from
school every day!

Had better Recommendation You had better go. It’s You had better not
getting late! go. The weather looks
pretty nasty!

For more information on modals and other auxiliary verbs, please refer to the following websites:

• http://www.englishpage.com/modals/modalintro.html
• http://www.chompchomp.com/terms/auxiliaryverb.htm
• http://grammar.ccc.comment.edu/grammar/cgi-shl/quiz.pl/

You are also welcome to make an appointment with The Learning Centre staff:

• http://www.vaniercollege.qc.ca/tlc/booknow/

Copyright Marianopolis College. Used with permission.