6.

MODALS
Modal verbs show possibility, intent, ability or necessity. Because they are a type of
auxiliary verb (helping verb), they are used together with the main verb of the
sentence. Modal verbs can be tricky, especially when it come to using them in a
sentence. Modal verbs are used to express certain hypothetical conditions, such as
advice, capacity or requests. They are used alongside a main verb to change its
meaning slightly. Because they are auxiliary verbs, they can’t necessarily be used on
their own.

Ex: shall, should, will, would, can, could, may, might, must, ought to, need to, dare
to.

1.Shall:

a)Shall is used :

i) In the first person to express simple future

Ex:1. I shall eat mango tomorrow.

2. We shall go to temple next week.

ii) In the second and third persons to express a command or promise or threat or
determination:

Ex:1. He shall not enter to my office.

2. She shall be punished for this huge mistake.(threat)

iii) To express offers, suggestions and polite enquires:

Ex: Shall we help you in solving problem?

2. Will

b) Will is used:

i)In the second and third persons to express simple futurity:

Ex:1. You will achieve good results tomorrow.

2. Banu will be back next week.

ii) In the first person to express

a) Determination :Ex: I will do as I like; we will not capitulate(surrender)

b) Promise :Ex: I will help you: I won’t come late

 c) Threat :I will show his bad behaviour.

d) Willingness :I will lend you my pen.

iii) To express willingness, intention or wish in the second person:

Ex:1. Will you listen music in the evening?

2 .Will you attend the function?

3. Will you speak to him?

iv) To express command or instruction?

Ex: All the students will attend the evening classes regularly.

v) To express capability, prediction:

Ex:1. Will this bike run at 60kms an hour?

2. This bag will hold more books than that.

3.Should

Should is used as the past equivalents of shall.

Ex: I hope that I should win the prize.

a) Should is used :It is used in all persons

i) To express duty or obligation:

Ex:1. You should speak truth.

2. We should keep our promise.

3. You should respect your parents.

ii) To denote advice:

Ex:1. You should not laugh his mistakes.

2. You should not behave like that.

3. You should not drive so fast.

iii)In conditional clauses to express possibility, supposition or probability:

Ex:1. If it should hot , the college will remain closed.

If it should cyclone, the office will remain closed

iv) After lest to express a negative purpose:

Ex: We shot the lion lest It should escape.

v) To express less possibility than shall:

Ex: We should be happy to meet tarun.

vi) To express possibility or likelihood:

Ex: You should be able to complete this work next month.

vii) In main clauses which are followed by subordinate clauses expressing unreal
conditions:

Ex: If I were you , I should accept this proposal.

4.Would

Would is used :

i)To express Willingness:

Ex: The doctor said that he would take care of the patient.

ii) To express a request or suggestion or politeness:

Ex: Would you bring me a glass of lime juice?

iii) To express a habitual action and repeated action in the past:

Ex: After wake up, she would generally have worship the god.

Every Saturday I would go on a long bike ride.

I would go to temple in my child hood.

iv) With rather to express a wish or a preference:

Ex: I would rather starve than beg.

I would rather beg than steal.

v) In the main clause, followed by subordinate clause expressing an impossible or

improbable condition:
Ex: If I were a doctor, I would make you my assistant.

If I became the CM, I would give job to everyone.

vi) We use would when we imagine a situation or action.

Ex: It would be nice to have a holiday but we can’t afford it.

I am not tired and I would not sleep.

vii) To express things that happened in the past

Ex: I know she would get first class

Would is used for present, past, future also.

5.Can

a) Can usually expresses

i) Ability or capacity:

Ex: 1. I can write an exam.

2. He can sing a song.

ii) permission:

Ex:1. You can go now.

2. Can I borrow some of your pens?

3. Can I come in sir?

iii) Possibility:

EX:1. Accidents can happen anywhere.

2. He can attempt mistakes

6.Could

1. Could is the past tense of can and it is used

i)To express ability that existed in the past.:

Ex: I could do it, If I tried hard.

 He could reach the station on time yesterday.

He could not play well in the finals.

I could lift a bag of rice when I was 14.

ii) To express a polite request:

Ex: Could you wait for few minutes?

Could you bring that pen?

Mr .sunder, could you move a bit?

iii) To express Permission:

Ex: Could I Open the door?

Could I take your pen?

Could I ask you something?

Could I give the pen later?

2. We use Could to say that something is possible now(or)in the future.

Ex: The phone is ringing .I could be Suresh.

I don’t know when they will be here. They Could arrive at any time.

7. May

May is used to express Permission

Ex: May I come in sir?

May I Sit here?

i)To express possibility:

Ex: Rain may fall today.

I may write exam today.

I may sing a song today.

ii) In expressing a wish:

Ex: May god bless you.

8. Might

a) Might is the Past tense of may and it is used

i)To express possibility:

Ex: She said that it might rain.

He said that he might attend party today.

ii)To express permission in the past:

Ex: Father said that we might start the business this month.

iii)To express polite requests:

Ex: Might I come with him?

Might I use your book?

iv) Indirect speech:

Ex: She said that she might stand in the election.

b) We use Might to talk about Possible actions or happenings in the future:

Ex: Take an umbrella with you when you go out. It might rain later.

I have not decided yet where to spend my holidays. I might go to USA.

He might be able to help you.

9. Must

a) Must points out to the present &future.

Must denotes:

!) A necessity: You : You must attend the class if you want to get good marks.

ii) An obligation : You must brush your teeth twice a day

iii) A logical necessity : It must be false.

iv) A command : You must complete this work with in 1 hour.

v) Strong determination : I must meet her now.

Must has no past tense, Had to is used for such conditions.

I had to submit the record yesterday itself.

b) We use must when you compel or force yourself or somebody to do something.

Ex: I must get home now.

You must not do this work.

10. Ought to

Ought can be used as a present, past, or future tense, and is followed by the to-
infinitive.

When we should do something, but we do not have to do if, we ought to do it, It is

not as strong as must .Ought to is not usually Used in questions or negative
sentences .use it to advice or make recommendations.

We use Ought to instead of should in the sentences.

i)To denote a normal necessity or moral duty:

Ex: You ought to work hard.

We ought to respect our parents.

ii)Obligation:

Ex: You ought to go.

She has been studying hard for the exam, so she ought to pass.

Srinu ought not to go to bed so late.

We ought to wear sun glasses, I think it’s going to be a very sunny day.

11. Need to

a) Need-Auxiliary form: Need is used for all persons in the present and future
tenses. Need is used in the interrogative and negative. In the negative it expresses
absence of obligation:

Ex: She need not go

i)Needn’t is used as negative of must in the sense of not necessary:

Ex: Must we all go? No, we need not go.

Must we all do? Yes, we must do.

 ii)Need not followed by the perfect infinitive means that something has been done,
but it was unnecessary.

Ex: We had a holiday yesterday, and Sita need not have gone to school.

You need not come on Sundays.

He need not help us for that.

She need not attend the party

a) Need-Principal verb:

Ex: These children need food.

These children need feeding every day.

12. Dare to

a) Dare-Auxiliary form: As an auxiliary, dare is followed by an infinitive without ‘to’

and is used interrogatively and negatively in the sense of to venture or to challenge.

Ex: She dare not talk her

He dare not oppose us

b) Dare-principal verb: As principal verb, dare is usually followed by an

infinitive with to or by a noun equivalent to its object.

As a regular verb dare has three meanings:

i)To challenge:

Ex: She dares to do that

I did not dare to do it.

ii)To have the impertinence

Ex: How do you dare to say such a thing.

This boy has dared to asked me for a pass.

iii)Have the courage to:

Ex: He does not dare to ask for the result of the examination.

13.Used to

Used to is unusual and it indicates habitual action in the distant past.

ex: I used to play cricket in my childhood.

I used to work in TATA Company.

I used to watch Hindi movies.

14.Have to

Express general obligation .we use to similar meaning to must. We can use present,
past, future.

When you must do something you have to do it. It is used for a situation that has no
choice. Have to is used for obligations.

Ex: you have to complete the work before 6o’clock.

In India, you have to drive on the left.

I have to do home work now.

We have to talk them tomorrow.

Have to compulsion comes from (opposite) somebody else. Not the speaker.

ex: I have to work on Sundays(the boss is forcing you to come)

15.Supposed to

Express Possibility, ability, permission, or obligation. Supposed to like have to, or

should can fall into the “obligation” category . Use supposed to when saying what is
the best thing to do in a situation; the correct way of doing things. For example, use
supposed to for cultural rules and expectations.

Ex: It was supposed to rain today.

I was supposed to finish this essay yesterday.

I am supposed to be there at 9am.

You are not supposed to talk loudly in a library.

I totally forgot I was supposed to call you last night, sorry.