Modals

Characteristics of Modals
1. Modals express a wide variety of meanings. These
Modals express imaginary actions.
For example – Ability, power, permission, request,
possibility, willingness, etc.
As - I can do this work. (Ability)
2. Modals are not used alone. Always used with main
verb.
3. The forms of Modals do not change according to the
number or person of the subject.
4. Modals do not have „-ing‟ form or 3rd form of the
verb of „to‟ infinitive.
As- He can go (right)
He can going (wrong)
NOTE: Modals “used to” and “ought to” are
exception.

SHALL
1. „Shall‟ is used in the sense of Simple Future
(Future Indefinite)with the first person (I,we)
a. I shall study this book.
b. We shall go to school tomorrow

2. In the sense of request

a. Shall I take this pen?
b. Shall we sit down here?

3. „Shall‟ is used in question with the first person to

know what the person addressed Wishes or
Suggests or Thinks
a. Shall I call the doctor?
b. Shall I prepare a cup of tea for you?
c. Shall I go with you?

4. „Shall‟ is used with second person and third person

to express a Thread, Command, Assurance,
Promise, Compulsion, Determination and
Certainty, etc.
a. You shall not enter my office without my
permission (order)
b. You shall get a good reward (promise)
c. He shall not tell a lie (command)
 d. He shall carry out my order (compulsion)
e. I am determined that he shall do as he is told
(determination)

5. „Shall‟ is used in Interrogative Sentences with First

Person to express offer or suggestion.
a. Shall I shut this window? (offer)
b. Shall we apply for I.A.S? (suggestion)
With third person ‘shall’ shows command or wish of the
person addressed; as-
Shall he carry your luggage?

WILL
1. „Will‟ is used with the second person or third person
to form Future Tense.
a. He will get good marks.
b. She will be sixteen next month.
c. They will help you.
d. The farmers will reap the crops.
2. „Will‟ is used with the first person to express-
willingness, intention, determination, promise, threat,
certainty, commitment, etc.
 a. I will accompany you without fail. (commitment)
b. I will help you in your career.
(willingness/promise)
c. We will get good marks in exam. (determination)
d. I will go to Delhi next Sunday. (certainty)
e. I will give you good trashing if you don‟t follow
me. (threat)
3. In Interrogative sentences, „will‟ is used with second
person to show polite request and polite invitation.
a. Will you open the window, please?
b. Will you go with me to Delhi?
4. „Will‟ is used to express habits
a. He will never tell the truth.
SHOULD
(Past form of shall)

1. „Should‟ is used to express Future in Past-

a. He said that I should attend her party.
b. I said that I should go.
2. To express obligation/duty-
a. We should respect our parents.
b. We should help the needy persons.
 3. „Should‟ is used to express- advice, suggestion or
inference, assumption.
a. You should work hard to pass the examination.
(advice)
b. She should do her homework neatly. (suggestion)
c. He should have come by now. (inference)
d. He should have returned by this time. (assumption)
4. „Lest‟ is always followed with „should‟ and it
expresses objective.
a. Run fast lest you should miss the train.
b. Speak carefully lest you should be misunderstood.
c. Work hard lest you should fail.
5. To express supposition-
a. Should you bring sweets, share them with us.
6. To express probability/probable condition-
a. Should you work well, you will get success.
b. Should they play carefully, they will win. (probable
condition)

WOULD
(Past form of will)
 1. „Would‟ is used to refer to the past form of „will‟ and
„shall‟ in an indirect speech.
a. She said that she would go.
b. I told him that I would visit his house.
2. To express past habit-
a. Gandhiji would spin every morning.
b. He would sit and talk all day.
3. „Would‟ is used to express polite request in the
present tense-
a. Would you take a cup of coffee?
b. Would you lend me your scooter?
4. To express wish-
a. Would that I were rich!
b. Would that I were a king!
5. To express preference-
a. I would rather suffer than borrow.
b. I would like to ask you something.
6. To express‟ improbable or unreal condition-
a. Had you worked hard, you would have passed.
b. If I were the Prime Minister, I would have removed
poverty from India.
CAN
Can means ‘be able to’ or ‘know how to’.
 1. To express „power‟ and „ability‟-
a. He can run a mile in ten minutes.
b. I can lift 50kg. weight.
c. I can speak English.
2. To express possibility-
a. Anyone can solve this problem.
b. Misfortunes can befall anyone.

3. To express strong possibility-

a. Father can come anytime now.
4. To grant permission-
a. He can do as he likes.
b. You can sleep here.
c. You cannot touch the flowers.
5. To express nature-
a. She can tell lies.
b. They can insult you.
6. Cannot help (can‟t help) is an idiom. It means can‟t
avoid.
a. She can‟t help weeping.
b. He has a bad cold. He can‟t help sneezing.
COULD
‘Could’ is the past tense of ‘Can’
1. In an indirect speech, „could‟ is used as past tense of
„can‟-
a. He asked me if I could help him.
b. She said that she could also sing.
2. „Could‟ is used to express power and ability to do an
act in the past tense-
a. She asked me if I could teach her.
b. He could run fast when he was young.
c. The teacher asked me if I could solve all the sums.
d. He could not buy a ticket because he lost his purse.
3. To express possibility in the past tense-
a. If we had the money, we could buy that car.
4. To express polite request-
a. Could you tell me the time, please?
b. Could you show me your pen?
c. Could I consult my problem with you?
5. Could+have+3rd form of verb- expresses an Ability
which was not made use of-
a. He could have been successful (But he did not try
honesty).
b. He could have available himself of the opportunity.
(But he did not)
c. We could have finished the work in time. (But we
did not)
MAY
1. „May‟ is used to seek or grant permission in formal
manner-
a. May I use your car?
NOTE: We can use „Can‟ to seek or grant permission. But
the use of „May‟ is considered more formal and more
polite.
a. May I come in, Sir? (Polite)
b. Can I come in, Sir? (Impolite)
2. To express possibility-
a. It may rain today.
b. You may not reach the station in time.
3. To express factual possibility-
a. It is drizzling. The match may be cancelled.
b. It is cloudy. It may rain.
4. To express purpose-
a. We eat so that we may live.
b. She works hard so that she may pass.
5. To express wish or prayer-
a. May you live long!
b. May god bless you with good health!
MIGHT
‘Might’ is the Past Tense of May.
1. In Reported Speech, „Might‟ is used as the past tense
of „May‟-
a. He told me that he might help me.
b. He asked me if he might come in.
2. To express purpose in past tense-
a. He ran fast so that he might catch the train.
b. She worked hard so that she might pass.
3. To express remote possibility-
a. He might come.
b. The District Education Officer might inspect the
school.
c. The sky is clear now, but it might rain.
4. To express possibility or permission in the past tense-
a. The teacher said that I might win a scholarship.
b. The teacher said that the boys might play a match.
(permission)
5. To express speculation about the past actions-
a. He told me that she might have finished her work.
b. The doctor said that this medicine might have
cured your cough.
 6. When the speaker thinks that his/her casual command
will be executed-
a. You might post this letter.
NOTE: „May‟ and „Might‟ both express possibility but
„Might‟ express slight possibility whereas „May‟
expresses more possibility than „Might‟.

MUST
1. To express- necessity, obligation, compulsion or
emphatic advice-
a. I must go now. (necessity)
b. We have taken rest now. We must begin our work.
(obligation)
c. You must do as you are told. (compulsion)
d. Ramesh must attend the class regularly. (emphatic
advice)
e. You must work hard to pass the exam. (emphatic
advice)
2. To express possibility or inference or certainty or
belief-
a. She must have done her work by now. (possibility)
b. She must be seventy now. (certainty of belief)
 c. There must be some misunderstanding. (conclusion
or inference)
3. To express logical necessity-
a. You are tired now. You must be feeling sleepy.
4. To express determination-
a. I must see you again before I join my duty.
5. To express lawful/moral duty-
a. You must obey the rules of the road.
b. You must pay your debt.
6. To express prohibition-
a. You must not enter ladies‟ toilet.
b. You must not peep into others‟ house.
NEED
1. „Need‟ is used in negative (absence of necessity or
compulsion) and interrogative sentences.
2. To express necessity and compulsion.
a. You need not worry about that.
b. Ram need not go to hospital now.
c. Need I go there?
OUGHT TO
1. To express moral duty or social binding-
a. You ought to serve and smile.
b. We ought to respect our elders.
 2. To express strong possibility-
a. She ought to pass this time.
3. To express desirability-
a. School authorities ought to appoint a new science
teacher.
4. To express recommendation-
a. You ought to watch this fiction movie.
DARE
Dare means „to venture‟. It is used in negative and
interrogative sentences.
a. He dare not speak against me.
b. How dare you challenge me?
USED TO
1. „Used to‟ expresses the habit in the past.
a. He used to go to cinema when he was young.
2. „Used to‟ expresses something that existed in the past
or to compare past with present.
a. A big house used to stand here but now it has
pulled down.