What are modal verbs?

Modals (also called modal verbs, modal auxiliary verbs, modal auxiliaries) are special verbs
which behave irregularly in English. They are different from normal verbs like "work, play,
visit..." They give additional information about the function of the main verb that follows it.
They have a great variety of communicative functions.

Here are some characteristics of modal verbs:

 They never change their form. You can't add "s", "ed", "ing"...
 They are always followed by an infinitive without "to" (e.i. the bare infinitive.)
 They are used to indicate modality allow speakers to express certainty,
possibility, willingness, obligation, necessity, ability

List of modal verbs

Here is a list of modal verbs:

can, could, may, might, will, would, shall, should, must

The verbs or expressions dare, ought to, had better, and need not behave like modal
auxiliaries to a large extent and my be added to the above list

Use of modal verbs:

Modal verbs are used to express functions such as:

1. Permission
2. Ability
3. Obligation
4. Prohibition
5. Lack of necessity
6. Advice
7. possibility
8. probability

Examples of modal verbs

Here is a list of modals with examples:

Modal Verb Expressing Example

Strong obligation You must stop when the traffic lights turn red.
must logical conclusion / Certainty He must be very tired. He's been working all
day long.
must not prohibition You must not smoke in the hospital.
ability I can swim.
can permission Can I use your phone please?
possibility Smoking can cause cancer.
ability in the past When I was younger I could run fast.
could polite permission Excuse me, could I just say something?
possibility It could rain tomorrow!
permission May I use your phone please?
may
possibility, probability It may rain tomorrow!
polite permission Might I suggest an idea?
might
possibility, probability I might go on holiday to Australia next year.
lack of necessity/absence of I need not buy tomatoes. There are plenty of
need not
obligation tomatoes in the fridge.
50 % obligation I should / ought to see a doctor. I have a
terrible headache.
should/ought to advice You should / ought to revise your lessons
logical conclusion He should / ought to be very tired. He's been
working all day long.
had better advice You 'd better revise your lessons

Q1. I didn’t feel very well yesterday. I ..... eat anything.

cannot
couldn’t
mustn’t

Q2. You ..... look at me when I am talking to you.

could
 should
would

Q3. I was using my pencil a minute ago. It ..... be here

somewhere!
can
could
must
would

Q4. You really ..... be late again.

must not
don’t have to be

Q5. If you don’t start working harder, you ..... repeat the course

next year.
have to
must
will have to

Q6. His parents spoil him. He’s always ..... to do whatever he

wants.
been able
been allowed

Q7. Phone her now. She ..... home by now.

has to be
must be
would be
Q8. You ..... forget your sun cream. It’s going to be very hot!
don’t have to
mustn’t
needn’t

Q9. I ..... be able to help you, but I’m not sure yet.
might
would

Q10. Entrance to the museum was free. We ..... pay to get in.

needn’t
didn’t need to

Q11. Already as a child Mozart ..... play the piano beautifully.

could
should
would

Q12. Which sign are you more likely to see at an

airport: Bags  .....  not be left unattended.
can
must
may

Q13. I really ..... try to get fit.

may
must
would

Q14. ..... take a photograph of you?

Am I allowed to
 May I

Q15. Students ..... borrow up to 6 books at any time.

are allowed to
could

Q16. Whose is this bag? - I don’t know, but it ..... belong to Yuta.

could
may
should
would

Q17. ..... I go to the bathroom, please?

May
Must
Would

Q18. His excuse ..... be true, but I don’t believe it.

can
may

Q19. It’s very important to ..... speak more than one language.

can
be able to

Q20. I don’t like ..... get up early on a Sunday.

being able to
being allowed to
having to

Q21. ..... you speak French? - Only a few words, but my Russian is

 pretty good.
Can
Could

Q22. ..... you help me move this table? (Both answers are possible.
Choose the more polite request.)
Can
Could

Q23. I ..... talk already before I was two years old.

could
should
would

Q24. I ..... help you, but I don’t want to.

can
could
would

Q25. ..... you open the window, please.

Can
May

Q26. I ..... move the table. It was too heavy.

couldn’t
mustn’t
shouldn’t
wouldn’t

Q27. You .... put your feet on the cafeteria tables.

must not
 do not have to

Q28. If you continue to practise so hard, you ..... beat me before

too long!
can
could
will be able to

Q29. ..... you swim? (Both are possible. Which is better?)

Are you able to
Can

Q30. You ..... eat so much chocolate. It’s not good for you.

don’t have to
mustn’t
shouldn’t

Q31. I’m afraid I ..... play tennis tomorrow. I’ve got a dentist

appointment.
can’t
couldn’t
would not be able to

Q32. You can come to the meeting if you want but you ......
have to
don’t have to
mustn’t
Q33. What do you want to do? - Well, we ..... have a picnic, but it
looks like rain.
can
could
should
would

Q34. I’m so hungry I ..... eat a horse!

can
could
must
should

Q35. The test starts at 10.30. You ..... be late.

don’t have to
mustn’t

Q36. Why didn’t you tell me? I ..... you!

could help
could have helped
was able to help
would help

Q37. How did you do in the test? - Ok. It ..... worse!

could be
could have been
might be
would have been
Q38. He ..... broken the classroom window. He wasn’t even in
school today.
couldn’t have
mustn’t
shouldn’t have

Q39. You ..... tired. You’ve only just got out of bed!

don’t have to be
can’t be
mustn’t be

Q40. She ..... be very pleased with herself. She got the best grades.
has to
must
cannot
could     have to     must     might     should
1. Ted's flight from Amsterdam took more than 11 hours. He______be exhausted after such a long
flight. He________prefer to stay in tonight and get some rest.

2. If you want to get a better feeling for how the city is laid out, you_______walk downtown and
explore the waterfront.

3. Hiking the trail to the peak______be dangerous if you are not well prepared for dramatic
weather changes. You_______ research the route a little more before you attempt the ascent.

4. When you have a small child in the house, you ______ leave small objects lying around. Such
objects_______be swallowed, causing serious injury or even death.

5. Dave: ______ you hold your breath for more than a minute?

Nathan: No, I can't.

6. Jenny's engagement ring is enormous! It  ______ have cost a fortune.

7. Please make sure to water my plants while I am gone. If they don't get enough water,
they_____die.

8. I _____speak Arabic fluently when I was a child and we lived in Egypt. But after we moved back
to Canada, I had very little exposure to the language and forgot almost everything I knew as a
child. Now, I  ______ just say a few things in the language.

9. The book is optional. My professor said we _____ read it if we needed extra credit. But
we _____ read it if we don't want to.

10. Leo: Where is the spatula? It______  be in this drawer but it's not here.
Nancy: I just did a load of dishes last night and they're still in the dish washer. It _____ be in there.
That's the only other place it  be.

11. You ______ take your umbrella along with you today. The weatherman on the news said
there's a storm north of here and it ______ rain later on this afternoon.

12. ______ we pull over at the next rest stop? I really  use the bathroom and I don't know if I
______  hold it until we get to Chicago. 
13. Oh no! Frank's wallet is lying on the coffee table. He _____  have left it here last night.

14. Ned: _____ I borrow your lighter for a minute?

Stephen: Sure, no problem. Actually, you ______ keep it if you want to. I've given up smoking.

15. I ______ believe she said that to Megan! She ______ insult her cooking in front of everyone at
the party last night. She ______  have just said she was full or had some salad if she didn't like the
meal. 

16. Do you _______  chew with your mouth open like that? Geez, it's making me sick watching you
eat that piece of pizza.

17. Mrs. Scarlett's body was found in the lounge just moments ago, and it's still warm! Nobody has
left the mansion this evening, so the killer _____ be someone in this room. It ______ be any one of
us!!!

18. Ted: I don't know why Denise starting crying when I mentioned the wedding.
Pamela: It ______  have been what you said about her brother. Or, perhaps she is just nervous.
After all, the big day is tomorrow.

19. ______ you always say the first thing that pops into your head? _____ you think once in awhile
before you speak?

20. I was reading the book last night before I went to bed. I never took it out of this room. It
_____  be lying around here somewhere. Where ______ it be? be swallowed, causing serious
injury or even death.