English Modal Verbs

Ian Ja obs

August 1995

Copyright

Ian Ja obs 1995-2000

Modals1
1

Syntax

Modal verbs la k tense and subje t/verb agreement (no s in the third
person singular). For example2 :

He ans visit his mother.



Modals are not separated from the main verb by an innitive to.

He an to go.


In many ases, it is not possible to ombine modals.

We an should study hard for the exam.

He will have to improve his English.


1.1

Do not think of \present" and \past" forms of modals (e.g., an/ ould,
will/would, may/might, shall/should).
Periphrasti verbs

Idioms omposed of several words may have similar meanings as some modals
and fun tion similarly:

Modal

an
will
must
should, ought to
would
may

Periphrasti modal

be able to
be going to, be about to
have to, have got to
be to, be supposed to
used to
be allowed to

However, note that periphrasti verbs dier as follows:

They require subje t/verb agreement.3

1
Some examples in the following se tions are adapted from The Grammar Book by Cel eMur ia and Larsen-Freeman.
2
In this do ument, the symbol  is used to indi ate an in orre t example.
3
Ex ept used to.

They require to before the main verb.

Other related idioms are

like to.

had better, would rather, would prefer, and would

Meaning

The same modal an have dierent meanings in dierent ontexts. It is

helpful to onsider two major ontexts: so ial intera tion and logi al
probability.
2.1

So ial intera tion

So ial intera tion on erns requests and advi e. In these ontexts, formality and familiarity must be onsidered.




The \past tense" forms of verbs are onsidered more polite than their
\present tense" equivalents. Thus, ould is more polite than an, and
would is more polite than will.
Usually, the auxiliary used in a question is repeated in the short reply.
However, when a request uses a past tense modal, the yes/no answer
should use the present tense form to indi ate more ertainty.4
Could you help me? Yes, I an.

2.1.1 Requests
Requests (to the other) may be general:
Would/Will you help me with this math problem?
Could/Can you give me a hand?
Or for permission (for oneself):
Might/May I leave the room?
Could/Can I have some water, please?

The words will/would indi ate a request. The words an/ ould indi ate
a request if possible.

Otherwise the reply sounds onditional, whi h may be a desired ee t in some ases:
\Yes, I ould, if you give me a few minutes."

Periphrasti verbs are not used to make requests | only to ask questions.
Will you open the door? (request)
Are you going to open the door? (literal question)
There is one idiom for polite requests:

would you mind.

Would you mind losing the door? (to the other. Note gerund losing.)
Would you mind if I losed the door? (for oneself. Note subjun tive losed.)

In addition to its future time meaning, the word shall may suggest
advi e, in whi h ase it is almost equivalent to should (though used
infrequently). The word shall also appears in some xed formulas,
where its meaning diers from should:
Shall I all her, or will you? (asking advi e, ! shall = should)
Shall we dan e? (invitation)
Should we dan e? (is it advisable?)

2.1.2 Advi e
The modal used when giving advi e depends on the authority of the person
speaking, the degree of urgen y, et . In the following table, advi e goes from
suggestion to order.
You might/ ould see a do tor. ( omment)
You should see a do tor. (suggestion)
You had better see a do tor. (stronger suggestion)
You must see a do tor. (urgent suggestion)
You will see a do tor. (order)
2.2

Logi al probability

Logi al probability on erns inferen e, predi tion, and possibility. In

these ontexts, formality and familiarity are not important, so there aren't
polite forms.

2.2.1 Inferen e
Wilbur: Someone's at the door.
Gertrude: It may be Jim. (inferen e)
Just as there is a modal hierar hy for giving advi e, there is one for
inferen e. In the following table, the mood in reases from doubt to ertainty.
Arrows indi ate the most ommon uses.
Wilbur: Someone's kno king.
Gertrude: That ould/might be Jim. (doubtful)
That may be Jim. (possible)
That should be Jim. (likely)
That must be Jim. (near ertainty)
That will be Jim. ( ertainty)

2.2.2 Predi tion

In the following table, the predi tion goes from weak to strong.
It ould/might rain tomorrow. (doubtful)
It may rain tomorrow. (possible)
It should rain tomorrow. (likely)
It will rain tomorrow. ( ertain)

Adverbs may repla e modals of logi al probability. Adverbs do not

usually repla e modals of so ial intera tion.
It is possible that it will rain tomorrow.
It is quite possible that it will rain tomorrow.
It is probable that it will rain tomorrow.
It is ertain to rain tomorrow.

2.3

Other modals

Some modals do not t into the previous ategories:

Ability

an (for animate obje ts), be able to

Ja k an swim
Ja k's dog an fet h sti ks.

Possibility

an (for inanimate obje ts)

4

Sin e you have leaned the fen e, it an be painted now.

would like to
Oer would you like
Preferen e would rather, would prefer
Desire

2.4

Negative meanings

A negated modal often has a very dierent meaning than the armative
meaning. In the following tables, probability de reases from top to bottom:

Armative

Negative

will (most probable)

must
should
may
ould, might (least probable)

an't, ouldn't, won't (most improbable)

must not
shouldn't
may not
might not (least improbable)

 Can is used frequently to express negative probability, but rarely for

positive probability.

That an't be!

 That an be!
 May and might are not usually ontra ted with not. Must is not usually
ontra ted with not when referring to logi al possibility. It may be for
so ial intera tion (meaning \prohibition").5

Negated modals usually have the same meaning as their negated periphrasti ounterparts.
I annot do it./I am not able to do it.
We will not do it./We are not going to do it.
You should not lie./You are not supposed to lie.

However, must not and don't have to have dierent meanings. The former
expresses prohibition and the latter the listener's hoi e.
5

It is pronoun ed /mus'nt/.

You must not play with mat hes!

You don't have to eat your arrots if you don't want to.

The negative of had

'd:

better is had better not. The had is often ontra ted as

You'd better not do that! (strong suggestion, like a threat)

2.5

Simple vs. periphrasti meanings

In general, periphrasti modals are less formal than their simple modal ounterparts.
Fran e must onserve its resour es. (more formal)
We have to onserve our resour es. (less formal)
The one apparent ex eption to this rule is the following:
Can you do it?
Are you able to do it? (sounds more formal)
Periphrasti modals be ome even less formal when spoken asually:







2.6

Have to ! \hafta"

Have got to

! \gotta"

Going to ! \gonna"
Want to ! \wanna"

Ought to ! \oughtta"
Past and progressive modals

Sometimes, a modal's meaning hanges when used in the past.

We ould go swimming. (present possibility)
We ould have gone swimming. (possible, but not a omplished in past).

The modals would, ould, and should, when used in the past, usually imply
that the a tion referred to was not a omplished.
We would have gone swimming, but we didn't have a ar. (external ause)
We ould have gone swimming, but we went to a movie instead. (internal ause)
We should have gone swimming, but we forgot. (expresses regret)
6

Modals may be used in a progressive form to indi ate on reteness or a

sense of present time.
You must apologize to her. (obligation)
I simply must go to Paris. (strong desire)
I must be going. (strong present desire or obligation)
To make money, he ould work. (suggestion)
He ould be working. (stronger suggestion, and now!)